A Kinder Rice Crispy Treat

For as long as I can remember, I was a huge fan of Rice Krispie Treats.  My mom used to make a killer peanut butter version when I was a kid.  In college I ate the regular marshmallow kind like they were going out of style.  After turning vegan, I sadly waved good-bye to the gooey treats.  Sure, there are some vegan versions out there that are pretty decent - Glenny's and Trader Joe's both make some.  I've heard the Sweet and Sara ones are good and I once made some with with Dandies vegan marshmallows. 

A few weeks ago I finally got around to making the Crispy Peanut Butter Treats from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet.  Actually, I used almond butter because I didn't have any peanut butter on hand.  Plus, I had an unopened jar with a fast -approaching expiration date.  Next time I'll use peanut butter because I think it will be a more pronounced flavor.  Anyway, they were really tasty.  The brown rice syrup makes them super sweet but that's the way I like my desserts.  I'm not saying that if you close your eyes you'll think you're eating a "real" Rice Krisipie treat, but they are a delicious, healthy, and kind alternative.

You can also find the original recipe on Alicia's blog, The Kind Life.  Here it is as I made it:

Crispy Almond Butter Treats With Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

1 box crispy brown rice cereal

1 jar organic brown rice syrup

3/4 cup salted almond butter with roasted flax seeds

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Trader Joe's almond butter with roasted flax seeds, Erewhon organic crispy brown rice cereal, Lundberg Sweet Dreams organic brown rice syrup, and Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Pour the whole box of cereal into a large bowl.

2. Heat the syrup over low heat, add almond butter, and stir.

3. Pour the syrup and almond butter over the cereal and stir to combine.

4. Cool to room temperature and stir in chocolate chips.

5. Dump out into a 9x13 inch baking dish and press evenly into pan.

6.  Let cool for an hour and cut into squares.

These would probably be really good with toasted coconut and dried cranberries, too.  Enjoy!