These vegan Rice Krispie Treats are made with healthy ingredients! If you want to enjoy some homemade Rice Krispie Treats with no marshmallows and no peanut butter, you’ve come to the right place.
Yes, you can make vegan rice Krispie treats and make them with much healthier alternative ingredients! And I have the easy recipe for you 😍
Rice krispie treats have been a childhood favorite for decades. We all remember them growing up, don’t we? A classic cookie treat that’s fun for kids, easy to make, and loved by all.
However, the original recipe is made with butter and marshmallows. If they are vegan, they are made with margarine and vegan marshmallows.
What makes these healthy Rice Krispie Treats different?
I’m here to show you how to make Krispie treats without vegan butter, without vegan margarine, and without vegan marshmallows!
Crazy talk?
Nope. Recipe magic!
See, when I developed this recipe, vegan marshmallows were just coming on to the vegan market. They weren’t available in many stores or online.
I wanted to create a recipe using more common pantry staples. Plus, I knew I could make vegan rice krispie treats just a little healthier than with margarine and vegan marshmallows!
In eat, drink & be vegan, I created two vegan recipes of rice krispie treats. The first version was more ‘traditional’, using vegan marshmallows. Then, another using macadamia butter.
Later, when creating recipes for Plant-Powered Families, I created a nut-free version of this krispie treats recipe (now my favorite)!
Today, I’m sharing both the nut-free and original versions of my rice krispie treats.
In this video, I show you how to make the original version using macadamia nut butter.
Macadamia nut butter is ahhhmazing, but can be difficult to find. So, if you cannot get your hands on it, try a raw cashew butter.
Or, just go with the version, below. The treats hold together even better and have become my favorite version!
Enjoy the treats! x Dreena
Healthy Rice Krispie Treats (vegan & gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut butter (not oil, see note) OR 1/2 cup macadamia nut butter (see note)
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup or coconut nectar, see note
- 3 tbsp unrefined sugar can reduce or omit, to taste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups natural brown rice crisp cereal
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-in (20×20-cm) pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan on low-medium heat, combine coconut butter or macadamia butter, syrup, sugar, (agar if using macadamia nut butter), salt, and vanilla.
- Stir continually as mixture heats is fully dissolved (reduce heat if mixture starts bubbling).
- Remove from heat and stir in cereal, making sure to fully incorporate with nut butter mixture.
- Transfer mixture to pan and press in evenly (use an edge of parchment paper to press without sticking).
- Refrigerate to cool completely, then cut into squares. Makes 16 squares.
Notes
- Macadamia Note: If you don’t need these nut-free, use macadamia nut butter or raw cashew butter. If using nut butter, it’s helpful to add 1/4 tsp agar powder with the mixture before adding the cereal.
- Use coconut butter, not oil.
- Brown Rice Syrup Note: Don’t substitute with maple syrup! I get this question all the time. It’s not thick and sticky enough. If you need to substitute, only use a thick coconut nectar.
Heather says
We use a similar recipe from Your Vegan Mom. We have 7 people in our family so we do a 9 x 13. We use peanut butter and corn syrup. They have that mouthfeel and my kids prefer them to the marshmallow ones they use to eat. We sometimes add chocolate chips.
Mattheworbit says
This was one of the first desserts I made for James’ family.. What a nightmare – he had gone vegan, his sister had given up sugar, and his dad had given up chocolate. His mum is already wheat-free. I think I ended up using “fructose” (still technically a sugar, I know!) in place of the sugar. Was a real palaver. They loved ’em. And rightfully so.
Sarah says
Hi Dreena,
Is there a substitute that can be used for the brown rice syrup? I cannot seem to find brown rice syrup anywhere? Wondering if agave syrup or maple syrup would work?
Dreena says
Sarah, can you purchase barley malt? It isn’t gf, but is thick like brown rice syrup. Agave and maple syrup are both much thinner in texture. The other option I might suggest is coconut nectar, it’s closer in texture (but I haven’t tested it myself with it). Sometimes stores will bring it in if you ask – worth a try! 🙂
heather says
does anyone ever use sorgham?
Mike says
I’m pretty sure substituting maple syrup in a smaller amount, combined with a higher quantity of sugar, should end up with approximately the same consistency as with brow rice syrup. At least that’s my plan as that’s what I’ve got to work with. 😉 The exact proportions are a matter of experimentation of course but I’d try maybe half/half.
Dreena says
Hi Mike, let us know how it works. It will likely be sweeter since both maple syrup and sugar are sweeter than brown rice syrup. Hopefully it will hold ok – will be better with the coconut butter. Good luck!
Patrick says
Thank you very much for the awesome recipe, I can’t wait to try it out!
Peace
Johanna says
Ive made these many times. They are delicious. Thanks for reminding me to make them again.