These vegan rice krispie treats are the ultimate quick and easy snack. With gooey vanilla marshmallows and crunchy, crispy rice cereal, they come together with just 4 ingredients in under half an hour!
These treats are incredibly nostalgic and remind me of childhood birthday parties, just like some of my other CopyCat recipes like snickers and mars bars.
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Quick and Easy: You only need 4 ingredients for this recipe and they're ready to eat in less than half an hour. They also keep for up to 3 days and transport really well so can be made in advance of a special occasion.
- Crispy and Light: The texture of these vegan rice crispy squares is everything you could want from a crispy treat. They're crispy and light while being ooey-gooey and sticky.
- Perfect for Parties: Like vegan cupcakes, they make the perfect centerpiece for Birthday parties and special celebrations. They also make a great light dessert or snack for when that sweet tooth kicks in!
- Allergy-Friendly: These homemade rice Krispie treats are dairy-free, eggless, gluten-free, and nut-free.
🍚 Ingredients Needed
Here's everything you need to make vegan rice crispy squares:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan marshmallows are essential to create that gooey coating for the rice krispie cereal. Regular marshmallows are not vegan as they contain gelatin. I like to use Dandies vegan marshmallows for this recipe. You can use large marshmallows or mini vegan marshmallows or a combination of both like I do!
- Vegan butter (in a block like stick butter) is melted down with the marshmallows to create the coating. If you try to melt the marshmallows without it they will likely end up burning.
- A good amount of vanilla extract is added for extra flavor. The additional liquid from this also helps to create a more fluid consistency.
- You'll need vegan puffed rice or crispy rice cereal. It's usually available in the free-from section in large supermarkets. Be sure to check the label and make sure that the brand you choose is suitable for vegans - many kinds of cereal such as Kellog's Rice Krispies contain added vitamin D3 which is derived from animals.
🥣 How To Make Vegan Rice Crispy Treats
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
(1) Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and melt it on medium heat.
(2) Add in the marshmallows and stir them into the butter with a spatula.
(3) Continue to stir over medium-low heat until all of the marshmallows are melted down.
(4) Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the reserved mini marshmallows.
(5) Quickly transfer the marshmallow mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the rice crispies. You can complete this step if you're using a large pot! Gently fold the cereal into the melted marshmallows with a spatula. Work as quickly as possible and make sure all the cereal is coated.
(6+7) Press the mixture into a 9-inch pan lined with parchment paper, press it into the sides and smooth it into an even layer.
(8) Top with additional marshmallows and some vegan funfetti sprinkles if using. Allow it to cool in the tray before cutting it into squares.
📝 Recipe Tips
Vegan marshmallows generally take a little longer to melt than regular marshmallows. So make sure you keep the heat on medium-low as if the mixture gets too hot it will become tacky and more difficult to work with.
Work quickly to mix the marshmallows with the cereal as the mixture will begin to set as it cools.
Take your homemade dairy-free rice Krispie treats to the next level with a drizzle of vegan white chocolate or milk chocolate or top them with some chocolate chips.
💬 FAQs
Place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature.
They're good for up to 3 days once stored properly. Any longer and the puffed rice cereal will start to go stale.
I don't recommend freezing them. Rice cereal tends to soften when exposed to moisture, and the structure will change once defrosted.
This can happen if the marshmallow mixture was heated too high causing the sugars to caramelize and harden once set.
🥧 More Vegan Candy
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Description
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) vegan salted butter
- 400 g (15.8 oz) vegan marshmallows
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 50 g vegan mini marshmallows, or regular vegan marshmallows chopped into small cubes
- 180 g (6 ½ cups) vegan rice cereal, use GF if required, *see notes
- vegan sprinkles, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch pan or similar with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and melt over medium heat.
- Stir the 400g of vegan marshmallows into the melted butter using a spatula. Continue to heat and stir over low-medium heat until they are completely melted. Vegan marshmallows generally take a little longer to melt than regular marshmallows. So make sure you keep the heat on medium-low as if the mixture gets too hot it will become tacky and more difficult to work with.
- Once melted down, add in the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture until smooth and remove from the heat. Stir in the mini marshmallows and transfer the marshmallow mixture to a large mixing bowl. (If your saucepan is large you can skip the mixing bowl)
- Add the puffed rice cereal to the bowl and use a spatula to gently fold them into the melted marshmallows. Work as quickly as possible and make sure all the cereal is coated.
- Spoon the mixture into the pan and use a spatula or spoon to press it down into the base and edges.
- Allow it to cool to room temperature for 15-20 minutes and slice into 12 portions. Top with extra marshmallows and vegan sprinkles if desired.
Storage
- These rice crispy treats will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Most supermarkets or health food stores will have some version of vegan puffed rice or crispy rice cereal. Kellogs rice Krispies are not vegan-friendly.
- Work quickly to mix the marshmallows with the cereal as the mixture will begin to set as it cools.
- Take your homemade vegan rice Krispie treats to the next level by drizzling over some vegan white chocolate or milk chocolate.
Nutrition
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