Healthy Rice Krispie Treats Vegan Recipe Well Plated By Erin

The day we moved into our new house, my friend Maggie arrived in our barren kitchen with a pan of peanut butter rice krispies treats. “I don’t know what it is about rice krispie treats,” she said by way of explanation, “but they really hit the spot.” She was right. It had been ages since I’d had one, and I forgot how satisfying a simple rice krispie treat can be. Today’s Healthy Rice Krispie Treats with peanut butter are a wholesome, made-over version of the classic that are guaranteed to hit the spot for you too!

Creating healthy versions of traditional recipes is one of my culinary passions, and when I was brainstorming easy no-bake desserts for summer, the idea of Healthy Krispies Treats was too tempting not to head into my kitchen to play. What I hoped to achieve were Healthy Rice Krispie Treats that, even if they weren’t as good as the original, would still be yummy, reminiscent of the rice krispie treats of my childhood, and receive both kid and grown-up approval. What I actually achieved? Healthy Rice Krispie Treats with peanut butter that taste like regular rice krispie treats with peanut butter but are made with (wait for it) NO marshmallows and NO butter. They’re also completely vegan, low-calorie, and did I mention they taste delicious?

Healthy Krispie Treats – BITE AND BELIEVE

I realize that what I should do here is flaunt my recipe development prowess and say that I knew from the beginning that Healthy Rice Krispie Treats with coconut oil and without marshmallows or corn syrup or butter or anything else I considered central to rice krispie treat success would work. The truth? I thought this recipe was, in all likelihood, going to flop. I was wrong. I was so deliciously wrong. Not only are these Healthy Rice Krispie Treats just as soft, chewy, and sweet as traditional peanut butter rice krispie treats, they actually taste like they contain marshmallows! I served them to a group of girlfriends, and no one suspected my secret.

Healthy Rice Krispie Treat Ingredients

Before creating the recipe, I did quite a bit of reading on what I could substitute for marshmallows in rice krispie treats. I also decided that, since I was making the rice krispie treats without marshmallows anyway, I might as well take it all the way and see if I could make it a vegan rice krispie treats recipe too. My exact reasoning on this subject: “Why not?” My reading lead me to brown rice syrup. (I found a jar at our grocery store, but you can also order it online). While it’s a bit more processed than honey or maple syrup, it’s still fairly natural and certainly a healthier option than corn syrup, the primary ingredient in marshmallows. It also tastes so similar to marshmallows, I was floored!

This Healthy Rice Krispie Treats recipe uses just a few ingredients—peanut butter, coconut oil, brown rice syrup, and vanilla for flavor—and takes only minutes to stir together on the stove. I can see it being a fun, easy recipe to make with kids, as well as a summer staple when it’s too hot to turn on the oven and no-bake desserts reign supreme. I haven’t tried the recipe with other nut butters or sweeteners yet, but I imagine a no-stir almond butter or sunflower seed butter would be good substitutes for the peanut butter. You do need to use a nut (or seed) butter of some kind, as it binds the bars and is important to their flavor and texture. As far as the brown rice syrup, I think you would be safe to substitute honey, though please note that honey will alter the rice krispie treats’ flavor somewhat, since it has a strong taste of its own, and the treats may be less chewy than if you stick with the brown rice syrup. That said, I imagine they would still be worth second (and third) helpings. If you decide to try the recipe or play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

More Healthy Sweet Treats:

Healthy Banana Muffins Chunky Monkey Energy Balls Healthy No Bake Cookies Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Balls For even more ideas, check out my favorite 50 Healthy Desserts!