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These vegan rice crispy treats are a simple no bake dessert made with 3 ingredients. No dairy and no refined sugar, they take 5 minutes to make.
If you love rice crispy treats, you are in for a treat. This vegan version is one you’ll add to your dessert rotation every week.
Traditional crispy treats use marshmallows and butter, but not these! Don’t fret, though- they taste every bit as delicious as you’d expect.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love these vegan rice krispie treats
- Ingredients needed
- How to make vegan rice crispy treats
- Tips to make the best recipe
- Dietary swaps and substitutions
- Storage instructions
- Recommended tools to make this recipe
- More vegan dessert recipes to try
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Vegan Rice Crispy Treats (Recipe Card)
Why you’ll love these vegan rice krispie treats
Inspired by my peanut butter rice crispy treats recipe, I wanted to create a similar version without the peanut butter BUT also without marshmallows or corn syrup. These tick the boxes.
- Best texture. Crispy, soft, dense, and perfectly delicious.
- Just 3 ingredients. Rice Krispies, almond butter, and maple syrup!
- Ready in 5 minutes. The hard part is waiting for them to set.
- Gluten-free option. Simply use crispy gluten-free cereal, and these are suitable for celiacs.
Oh, and if you want to try some other healthier desserts with 3 ingredients, you’ll enjoy oatmeal bars and no bake cookies.
Ingredients needed
You’ll notice and short and simple list of ingredients to make these bars. They are easy to find and if you’ve made any of my vegan desserts before, you probably have everything in your pantry. Here is what you’ll need:
- Crispy rice cereal. Any crispy rice-based cereal works, including rice crispies and brown rice crispies.
- Almond butter. Smooth and creamy with no added sugar.
- Maple syrup. Adds sweetness and help bind the mixture.
How to make vegan rice crispy treats
This recipe is truly one of the easiest that you’ll ever make and follow a simple 3-step process. The hard part is waiting for them to firm up but honestly, it will be worth it.
Ready to whip some up?
1. Melt the almond butter and syrup. Start by adding the almond butter and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-40 seconds, until warm. Whisk them together until smooth.
2. Combine ingredients. Add the rice cereal and mix well until fully combined. Transfer the mixture into a lined square pan and press down on top until uniform and smooth.
3. Chill and set. Refrigerate the treats for at least an hour to firm up. Once firm, use a sharp knife and slice into bars.
Tips to make the best recipe
- If you notice the mixture to be a little too sticky/wet, you can add more crispy rice cereal. Sometimes, the almond butter and syrup mix can be a little too creamy.
- Line your pan before adding the mixture in so you’ll enjoy an easy removal.
- If you don’t own a microwave, you can heat the peanut butter and syrup together in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
The beauty of these crispy treats is just how easy they are to customize to other diets out there. Here are some suggestions:
- Make them gluten free. Use gluten free rice crispy cereal.
- Swap out the almond butter. Use another nut or seed butter, including cashew butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter.
- Cut the carbs. Try making keto rice crispy treats instead.
- Cut the sugar. Replace the maple syrup with sugar free maple syrup.
- Use another sweetener. Not a fan of maple syrup? Try using agave nectar or brown rice syrup instead.
- Add protein. Make my protein rice Krispies instead.
Storage instructions
- Up to one week: Rice Crispy Treats can keep at room temperature, covered.
- One week or more: They are best kept refrigerated, as they will maintain a firm texture, and last for up to 4 weeks.
- Up to 6 months: Place the treats in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Mixing bowls. Microwave-safe and perfect for tons of ingredients!
- Spatula. To mix everything together seamlessly.
- Square pan. To let the bars firm up.
More vegan dessert recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the Kellogg’s version of crispy treats contains butter, marshmallows, and gelatin, which are not suitable for a vegan diet.
This recipe uses a combination of peanut butter and maple syrup, which both add sweetness and help hold the treats together.
Yes, there is no dairy in rice crispies cereal.
Vegan Rice Crispy Treats
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice crispy cereal
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup can sub for agave nectar or brown rice syrup
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- Add your almond butter and maple syrup to a microwave safe bowl and melt your nut butter with your syrup.
- Add the rice cereal to the peanut butter and syrup mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour mixture into the lined baking tray and press firmly into place. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Slice into bars and enjoy.
I tried this with agave and it came out absolutely delicious! I’ll probably add more rice crispies next batch because they are a little gooier than I want.
I also melted a 85% cacao bar and spread over the top – delish!
Could you make this nut free by replacing nut butter with sunbutter?
Sure can!
Delicious! I was craving the marshmallow style but didn’t have marshmallows…wasn’t sure if this would hit the spot but it does, thank you!
Great to hear that, Sara- Hope you are staying safe
Could you use sugar-free syrup for this to cut out all the sugar? Or is the real stuff necessary to hold everything together? Thanks 😊
It is necessary, or else it will fall apart
Unless you specify that the rice crispy cereal is the gluten free brand, these are not gluten free “normal” rice crispy cereal has barley in them, therefore not gluten free
They are 100% gluten free. I used a gluten free brand.
enjoy.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I added a few roasted unsalted peanuts to the mixture and even a small square is enough to satisfy a craving for something sweet, while being guilt-free at the same time. It’s so much better than granola bars, which tend to be heavy and dry.
That sounds fabulous! 🙂
OMG! I’ve been waiting for a healthy version since I went vegan 6 years ago!!!! Awesome, I went straight to the pantry and made them with quinoa crispies, peanut butter and date syrup…delish!
😀 YUM!!!
Hi there I had a question. I made these this evening with organic peanut butter and honey (couldn’t find brown rice syrup today) and left them in the fridge for over an hour. At first they cut beautifully and tasted amazing, but after about 10 mins they wouldn’t hold together at all. Any suggestions on what I could do to salvage these??
Hi Surabhi! With honey, it’s less sticky than brown rice syrup, so you are best to add a little more honey to them to keep them together 🙂
I added a little cinnamon just for fun and it tastes like pure heaven! Just a little tip…
Thanks, Alex 🙂
How many rice krispy treats did this recipe make? I think I’m making them for a school fundraiser. Thanks.
Hi Ashely! I usually make 6-8 large pieces 🙂