Marshmallow-Free, Dairy Free Rice Krispie Squares

2011 December 12

Note: An updated version of this recipe with a great chocolate espresso glaze is here.

OK, so I’d just finished making a whack load of Gluten, Nut, Oat Free Granola, and I was eyeing this big bag of leftover puffed rice cereal.

What the heck do I do with all that cereal? I tried eating it… um. Bad idea. Too high in complex carbs and sent me into an hours-long carb coma within minutes. Scratch that. No more straight rice cereal. Buuuut…. maybe if I made a dessert out of it that was higher in protein, maybe I could handle that?

Turns out, the answer is, um nope, sweetness will knock me out either way, but I’ll deal with it for this! I’ll just cut reaaallly tiny portions lol… This new dessert is too yummy. :D Yup. The RealFood version of Rice Krispies squares. No dairy (no butter), and no marshmallows (no freaky petrolium byproduct or high fructose corn syrup). Super :) Its light, crunchy, sticky, sweet. Just what dessert should be.

And oh- for you kitchen-phobes, its only 4 ingredients and involves just the microwave. So take a breath and give it a shot :D

NOTE: I’ve just added an improved version of this recipe, and to be honest, I like it even more. The nut flavour is much lighter, and it is just like the ‘real’ thing, with an espresso chocolate drizzle on top . Check it out and try it- its my personal favorite between the two.

Marshmallow Free Rice Krispie Squares

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey (Vegan: 3/4 cup agave nectar)
1/2 cup sunflower butter (Sunbutter)- or any nut butter of your choice (ie, almond, peanut, cashew, etc…)
8 cups puffed rice cereal (make sure its gluten free! Kelloggs brand isn’t. )
1 tbsp olive oil
1 generous pinch of salt

Directions

Put the oil, honey, sunbutter, and salt in a microwave- proof bowl.
Microwave for 1 minute on high, and then stir the mixture.
Microwave on high for another 3 minutes. Stop halfway through and stir the contents. You want the mix to be very hot and bubbling- the idea is to heat te honey so that it gets to the caramelization stage ( I know, it kills the nutritional value, I get it. This is dessert. Get over it. :) ) . Anyhow, this way, when it cools it will harden. Perfect for this recipe. Alternatively, you can boil over medium heat in a small sauce pot if you prefer not to use the microwave.
Pour the hot bubbling mix gently over a large bowl with the puffed rice cereal in it.
Mix around until all the rice is covered.
Pour into a parchment paper or wax paper lined large cake pan, and press the mixture down as much as you can.
Let cool. Done. (Its easiest to cut with a sharp pizza cutter!) Note- if its still too sticky to cut through, freeze first before serving.

This would be suuuper delicious with a drizzle of dairy-free cashew creme icing and a little melted chocolate on top!