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Easy Gluten Free Vegan Desserts & Treats

3 Ingredient Healthy Rice Crispy Treats (Vegan)

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This 3 ingredient healthy rice krispie treats recipe is prepped in minutes! Learn how to make rice krispie treats without marshmallows. 

A dozen healthy rice krispie treats on wax paper

Ever crave healthy rice krispie treats, then think they might be impossible? When I was a little kid, I seriously, seriously LOVED rice crispy treats… or I should say, rice krispy treats. Yep, that “k” was absolutely essential in capturing this goodie’s, uh, goodness. Hehe.

We weren’t allowed to eat it very often, and it took me until semi-adulthood to make my very own treats at home, replete with butter, marshmallows and that bright blue box of crisp rice cereal.

It was almost magical, watching those marshmallows melt and meld with butter and create that sticky sweet glue. Even better was the part when my older sister, Monica, would help me hold the heavy pot of hot treats and pour it into the baking pan to press down.

There’s something oddly satisfying about getting a perfectly tightly-packed layer. 🙂

But now that I’m older and just ever-so-slightly wiser, I know that when I get these cravings, I gotta go for something just a tad (okay, a loooot) healthier. So today, we’re gonna learn how to make rice crispy treats without marshmallows, together. 🙂 The next time someone asks you if rice crispy treats are vegan, you can say, “Well, these are!” Also, “I don’t share.” 😉

I promise you, these healthy vegan rice crispy treats are just as satisfying and way, wayyyy less guilt-inducing. They’re super easy to make—with just 3 ingredients needed. And, there’s also a quick ‘n easy warming process (for the almond butter and maple syrup) that gives you the same cozy vibes as the marshmallows and butter melting together! 😉

the final step in learning how to make rice crispy treats without marshmallow is slicing the treats into bars

How to Make Vegan Rice Crispy Treats – Without Marshmallows

How does one make vegan rice krispie treats with no marshmallows, anywho? Today, I’m going to show you exactly how. We’re gonna skip the marshmallows, and instead, use a sweetened nut butter mixture that’s made with just 2 simple, whole, and vegan ingredients. The final ingredient in our healthy rice krispie treats? Rice crisp cereal made from brown rice. How *good* does that feel?

Line an 8-inch baking pan with wax paper or parchment paper. To make rice crispy treats without marshmallows, we’ll be using almond butter and maple syrup. Add these two ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Natural almond butter and pure maple syrup in a mixing bowl as a substitute for marshmallows in rice crispy treats

 

Heat almond butter and maple syrup together until warm and fragrant. Whisk in between heating.

hand whisking almond butter and maple syrup in a glass bowl

 

Stir rice crisp cereal into the almond butter mixture. Fold until well mixed.

A hand folding and stirring rice crisp cereal into sweetened mixture for rice crispy treats

 

Pour the rice crispy treat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Smooth into an even, tightly-packed layer.

glass bowl tilted over lined baking pan dropping rice crispy treats mixture into pan

two hands holding a baking pan filled with smoothed and tightly packed rice crispy treats

 

Chill for 1 hour or more until firm in the freezer. Slice and enjoy your vegan rice krispie treats! 

healthy rice krispie treats sliced almost all the way to create 16 bars laying on wax paper

🎞 🎥 For more tips on how to make rice crispy treats without marshmallow, watch the video located in this post! You’ll see step-by-step how I make this recipe, from start to finish. 🙂 🎬 🎞

 

The 3 ingredients you need for Healthy Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Crispy Cereal – my favorite is this brand of vegan gluten free rice crisp cereal.

Almond Butter – together, almond butter and maple syrup work together to create a sticky mixture that acts as a substitute for marshmallows. This way, you can make rice crispy treats without marshmallows!

Pure Maple Syrup – the other half of the equation when keeping these healthy rice crispy treats marshmallow-free! 

The Taste & Texture of Healthy Vegan Rice Crispy Treats

These healthy vegan rice crispy treats have a crispy, crunchy texture with a nutty caramel taste. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, and hit that texture-craving when your sweet tooth needs a hit!

Learn how to make rice krispie treats without marshmallows, using just 3 healthy ingredients! Vegan rice krispie treats never tasted so good.

A stack of three healthy rice krispie treats on a white ceramic serving stand

Healthy Rice Crispy Treat Q & A

Can I substitute the almond butter with another ingredient?

Yes! You can use any nut butter you’d like in this vegan rice crispy treat recipe. Try peanut butter or cashew butter! I haven’t tried sunflower seed butter, but that might work too. Let me know if you try it!

How to Make Rice Crispy Treats without Marshmallows?

Follow this recipe! 😉 For realsies though, I created this recipe with the intent of skipping marshmallows since they are rarely vegan, and if so, are made with a bunch of questionable stuff (no judgement, but you know what I mean). So I used natural almond butter and pure maple syrup to sub so we could make these rice crispy treats without marshmallows!

Where can I find vegan rice krispie cereal? 

Follow this link to buy vegan rice krispie cereal.

Are rice krispie treats vegan? Are rice krispies healthy?

Most storebought rice krispie treats are not vegan or healthy. But today’s recipe does yield rice krispie treats that are vegan and healthy.

How do I store these healthy rice crispy treats?

You can store these healthy rice crispy treats in the freezer or the refrigerator. You can store them at room temperature after they set for the first few hours and you’re in a cooler environment. If it’s too hot, the treats will likely fall apart. I recommend keeping them in the fridge just in case. 😉

many healthy rice crispy treats on a gray serving tray with a plate of treats in the background

Where to Buy Ingredients for the Best Vegan Rice Krispie Treats

  • Unsalted, natural creamy almond butter – one of the most important ingredients in making healthy rice crispy treats–I mean, there’s only 3, so…  This one’s great because it doesn’t include any extra ingredients such as added oils, sugars or anything else.
  • Vegan gluten free brown rice crisp cereal – everyone’s always asking me where I find vegan AND gluten free rice crispy treats cereal–here it is! 😉 This crisp rice cereal is made from brown rice and goes great in your healthy vegan rice krispie treats!

Are you ready to get your no bake on? Let’s do it! You grab the almond butter, I’ll grab the gluten free crisp brown rice cereal! It’s truly my life’s joy sharing and creating these treats and memories with you. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and enjoy a sweet moment with me. ‘Til next time…

Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

📸 Did you make this healthy rice crispy treats recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸

More Healthy Vegan Treats

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3 Ingredient Healthy Vegan Rice Crispy Treats

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Description

Healthy Vegan Rice Crispy Treats: this 3 ingredient healthy rice krispie treats recipe is prepped in minutes! Learn how to make rice krispie treats without marshmallows.

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Set aside for later.
  2. Add almond butter and maple syrup to a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Heat in 20-second increments in the microwave until warm and fragrant, and the mixture begins to dry out and caramelize (about 4-7 rounds). Whisk in between heating increments. *Stovetop directions in Notes.
  3. Add rice crisp cereal to the almond butter mixture. Stir and fold until well-incorporated.
  4. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth into an even, very tightly packed layer.
  5. Chill in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove and slice into 16 square treats. Enjoy! Storing notes below.

More Healthy Vegan Treats

Equipment

Notes

Where to Buy Ingredients:

*Stovetop Directions: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add almond butter and maple syrup. Whisk until well incorporated. Stir occasionally, heating until this mixture begins to bubble. Pour over rice crisp cereal placed in a heatproof bowl.

Storing Instructions: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for 1-3 days. Best on the 1st day.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Category: Dessert, Snack
  • Method: Chill
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: healthy rice crispy treats, vegan rice krispy treats

© beamingbaker.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. Please do not use my images or recipe without my permission. Please do not republish this recipe, instead, include a link to this post for the recipe.

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Comments

  1. Jack says

    Hi, just wondering if they actually only stay good for 3 days because I am seeing other recipes with similar ingredients that are saying 3 weeks.

    Reply

    • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      Hi Jack, I find that 3 days equals the freshest rice crispy treats. Once the crisp cereal is exposed to the warm caramely sweetened almond butter mixture, and to air (yes, even in the container), it tends to go stale after about 3 days. But that can change depending on your climate, etc. Go ahead and give it a try, and let me know if yours is fresh beyond the 3 days. Enjoy!

      Reply

  2. Julie says

    No dessert in the house. No marshmallows for regular rice crispy treats, so googled , found this recipe. Low on maple syrup. Used half maple, half golden syrup. The caramelized syrup almond butter is key. Sprinkled on maldon salt. Delicious! Thank you for this fun, easy, yummy recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      Yep–I’ve totally been there! When the craving hits and you don’t have the usual recipe ingredients on hand and need to get creative! I’m so happy that you enjoyed my recipe. 🙂 The maldon salt on top sound fabulous! You’re so welcome. 🙂

      Reply

  4. Cindy says

    I made this with Cheerios, instead of rice krispies, and it was the bomb diggity. Sooo good. I will try with the brown rice krispies too. Thank you kindly for this recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Elena says

    Hi Demeter, I really love this recipe: so easy and healthy! Would you think puffed millet could work here?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  7. JT says

    Ultra-easy, minimal ingredients (all healthy), and unlike most other such recipes, no syrup or marshmallows(!). And it still comes out awesome. This recipe is brilliant, thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Terry says

    At our home we are retired kids!!! I hope that allows for our sweet tooths to be satisfied!!! i will be making this reicpe this afternoon.with peanut butter – the runny type!!! I can taste them now!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I actually have the GF crispy brown rice already so I am ready to go!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  14. Jacque Hastert says

    These rice crispy treats are to die for! I love that they fit anyone lifestyle without losing out on amazing texture and flavors. Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. sue says

    This recipe is genius! My kids have whined for krispie treats forever, and now I can make them and feel good about it, thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  19. Gina says

    What a great idea for rice crispy treats! I love that they’re made with almond butter for a healthier spin and can’t wait to try them out!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  20. Lily says

    So I ran into this recipe because I love rice krispie treats but don’t want them too sweet. I really just want to omit the marshmallows so I’m going to give these a try! How do these compare in sweetness to the regular treats?

    Reply

  21. Kim says

    thanks for this recipe, Demeter. I just found multi-colored (for Easter) Rice Krispies on clearance at our Kroger so bought two boxes. I don’t love it as cereal like I did as a kid, so I thought everyone in the house would appreciate Rice krispy treats. We have an abundance of honey, so I’m going to try it with that instead of the maple syrup, unless you advise against it. I was thinking of thinning the honey with water just to tame down the sugary flavor. (I can’t handle the taste of heavily sweet food anymore. Even one of those bite-size cupcakes is too much).

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  22. Bernadette A Goodpasture says

    I want to try this for my kiddos, do you think we could use Annie’s bunnies friends cereal instead? Trying not to go to the store and we have a stock pile of that cereal??

    Reply

  24. Amanda Stattelman says

    So… I’m not vegan so maybe there is something im not aware of but aren’t Rice Krispy treats already vegan if you use a vegan friendly margarine? Im planning on making them for my daughter’s birthday in lieu of cupcakes. To be considerate of those with food allergies. Im well versed in gluten and dairy sensitivities but kinda clueless on the vegan thing.

    Reply

    • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      Hi Amanda! So sweet of you to be so considerate of your daughter and her friends. ☺️ Yep, vegan-friendly butter should work fine in a traditional rice crispy recipe. The main issue is that most marshmallows are not vegan because they contain gelatin, which is derived from animal products. Hence this marshmallow free recipe. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  25. Linda Wilshusen says

    a perfect recipe – easy, quick, yummy & satisfying! it’s also interesting because the result doesn’t taste like the ingredients – they transform together into the crispy sweet treat we love.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  27. Charlene says

    Delicious but don’t seem to hold together. I used fresh ground almond butter from Whole Foods that had been refrigerated. Took them to a covered dish dinner and people loved taste but most used forks to eat. Any suggestions.

    Reply

    • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      Hi Charlene, did you get a chance to stir your almond butter until it was very well mixed? The consistency should be very liquidy and mostly smooth (with just a bit of grain from the almonds). Also, I’ve noticed that the nut butter grinders at Whole Foods sometimes yield chunkier, rather than, smooth almond butter. That could lead to the treats falling apart. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  29. PJD says

    The krispies were slightly nutty and sweet, but with a texture like they had gone stale. They did not hold together. I put them in the fridge over night. When I cut them up, there was at least a cup of loose krispies.

    Reply

    • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      Hi there! Hm, was your peanut butter dry or liquidy? If it was very dry (more like a paste), then it would make it harder for the treats to stick together. Also, if the cereal is soft at the start it will affect the final texture of the treats. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Reply

  30. molly says

    Hi! I want to make these in our after school program! I have a few with nut allergies. Is there a substitution you’d suggest for almond butter? Thanks in advance

    Reply

    • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

      Hi Molly! Hope fun! . You could sunflower seed butter or soy butter. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Reply

  31. Mary-Anne says

    Have just put a batch in the freezer! I used peanut butter and golden syrup as that’s what the pantry had. Am excited to see if they still work out good! Thanks for the easy recipe 😀

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  39. Iryna says

    I love easy recipes like this! My kids would definitely enjoy these especially if I make them with their favorite chocolate rice cereal.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  40. Liz says

    I am ALL about easy healthy recipes so these rice crispy treats will definitely be making an appearance at my house!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

    These look so moreish and delicious. I love that they’re healthy and only need three ingredients.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

        • Demeter | Beaming Baker says

          Hi Jessy! Usually puffed rice is soft and puffy (like puffed kamut), while brown rice crisp cereal is crispy and crunchy (think of the cereal is rice crispy treats). Sometimes, however, brands will use the terms interchangeably. Hope this helps!

          Reply

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