Gluten-Free Rice Crispy Treats

A healthy take on an old-time fave.

Who doesn't love Rice Krispy Treats? I mean really. It's one of those sweets that teleports you back in time. To your childhood, melting butter and marshmallows on the stove. Mixing it with the crunchy cereal and then sitting on the counter, devouring squares like it was your job. It was pure bliss. Sticky fingers and all.

When it comes to making your own rice crispy treats, gluten-free or not, it's all about the cereal. Although Kellog's now boasts that their Rice Krispies are gluten-free, I have fallen in love with Erewhon's Crispy Brown Rice Cereal with Mixed Berries. They are heaven on earth.

I recently purchased a box at my local health food store because I saw Amy's post (from Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free) on her Mixed Berry Scones. I just had to try them out for myself (see my recipe here). Yes, they were totally delicious and everything I hoped for, but I was left with half a box of the cereal. Clearly, there was some more baking that needed to take place, and only one thing came to mind: Gluten-Free Rice Crispy Treats.

A gluten-free version.

Knowing that Rice Crispy Treats were in my near future, I set out to find recipe inspiration. My dilemma was that I wanted to make them healthier. I haven't been eating refined sugar, so marshmallows were out. No dairy, so butter was out. I needed to find a mixture of ingredients that would hold the cereal together and still be sweet and delicious. Honey and brown rice syrup immediately came to mind.

Gluten-Free Rice Crispy Treats with a little boost of protein.

The next step was to add a little more umph. These little babies needed more than just sugar added to them. I took what I learned from my Gluten-Free Rice Crispy Cookies and applied the same logic here. Why wouldn't almond butter be the perfect addition? Yes, it adds more calories and fat, but it's the healthy fats that you need and also the little boost of protein makes it that much better. All desserts should have a little protein (in my opinion at least).

This recipe couldn't have come at a better time. Although we did just get a small dump of snow and the temperature has dropped into the 20s, the weather has been glorious. We've been tempted with what's to come.

Warm, sunny days. Birds signing when you wake up in the morning. Flowers growing out of the frozen earth. Yes, Spring is almost here. So close I can practically taste it. And these treats are just what I was looking for to brighten up this snowy day.

Gluten-Free Rice Crispy Treats

This is the perfect dessert (well, aside from the fact that there's no chocolate). It's lightly sweetened, with a crunch from the almonds and a tartness from the berries. All natural ingredients and a little added protein, makes this recipe super healthy too. Trust me, once you make these, a whole new world of Rice Crispy Treats will open up for you. They're that good.

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 - 3 cups Erewhon's Crispy Brown Rice Cereal with Mixed Berries
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

In a medium bowl, combine the cereal, nuts and coconut. Mix them all together and set aside.

In a small sauce pan (I just purchased a 1.5 quart All-Clad Stainless Steel Sauce Pan and it is amazing!), combine the almond butter, brown rice syrup and honey. On medium-low heat, bring the mixture to a very slight boil, whisking it to get a smooth, creamy consistency. 

When your mixture is fully combined and warm, pour it over the dry ingredients. With a plastic spatula, mix everything together until it's fully combined and all the cereal seems to be covered.

Line a square baking dish with parchment paper and spoon the rice crispy cereal into the dish. With a plastic spatula, spread the mixture out evenly into the dish. Place the dish in the fridge and let it cool for about an hour, until the crispy treats set.

Cut into squares and serve chilled or slightly warmed.

Makes 16 small squares.