Crispy Rice Treats
Rice Krispies cereal is NOT gluten free. You read that right, Rice Krispies cereal is NOT gluten free. Although the ingredient list is short, one of the last ingredients is malt flavor. Since malt is typically made from barley, it is not gluten free. People often think Rice Krispie Treats are gluten free because they are made without wheat flour, but if someone has Celiac Disease or a gluten sensitivity, malt flavor may cause a reaction.
But fear not! Malt-o-Meal, despite the name, has gluten free Crispy Rice cereal. They even have chocolate crispy rice cereal: Chocolate Dyno Bites! I often get asked if certain foods or treats are gluten free and people are always surprised when I explain how traditional Rice Krispie Treats are NOT gluten free. However, if they simply switch brands of cereal, the treat is perfect for us gluten free eaters! Malt-o-Meal can typically be found at Walmart, and other chain grocery stores. Depending where you shop, you may see the brand MOM’s Best Natural, which also carries gluten free crispy rice cereal (including chocolate). Malt-o-Meal and Mom’s Best are in fact owned by the same company.
To the untrained eye, rice crispy cereals, and even corn flakes, sound like they should be gluten free, but they are not. Many rice crispy and corn flakes cereal use malt flavoring, so be sure to read ingredients lists. When asked, share your knowledge and help others learn that one simple switch can make a classic treat enjoyed by so many more people!
Crispy Rice Treats
Equipment
- 13x9 Pan
- Cookie Cutter, Optional
- Cooking Spray or Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 6 TBSP Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 6 Cups Mini Marshmallows (Divided into 5 cups and 1 cup)
- 6 Cups Crispy Rice Cereal (Gluten Free)
Instructions
- Prep 13x9 baking dish by spraying with Gluten Free cooking spray, or lining with parchment paper.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pan.
- When butter is melted, carefully pour in vanilla as the butter may spit.
- Stir in 5 cups of mini marshmallows. Continue to stir marshmallows until they are fully melted.
- Add in the 6 cups of gluten free crispy rice cereal and remaining cup of mini marshmallows.
- Remove pan from heat and spread into greased pan. Spray your spatula or hands to help spread the mixture evenly. If you are using your hands, be careful because the melted marshmallows will be hot.
- Let the crispy rice mixture cool before cutting. If desired, cut treats with a cookie cutter for fun shapes, or cut into squares.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to brown the butter before adding the vanilla and marshmallows. Simply continue to cook the butter and stir until brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Be careful to not cook too long and burn the butter.
- Have fun with cookie cutters to make fun shapes and decorate with melted chocolate and holiday sprinkles for a more festive Crispy Rice Treat.
- You can also use different flavored marshmallows or other extracts to change the flavor of the treats. Just be sure to read your labels to keep the treats gluten free.
My favorite Crispy Rice Treats to make are made with the Chocolate Dyno Bites. As pictured above, the chocolaty cereal adds just a bit of a different flavor that works so well with melted marshmallows.
This year I also had fun trying different flavored marshmallows for some seasonal flavors. I think the winner would be chocolate crispy rice cereal and peppermint marshmallows. I used a candy cane cookie cutter for even more fun! Because I enjoy peppermint, I added a 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract along with the 1 tsp vanilla, which added to the taste because the marshmallows were weakly flavored with peppermint.
Sticking with the Christmas theme, I found green Christmas tree shaped marshmallows. Although they weren’t flavored, they were a fun green color, which when mixed with the traditional crispy rice cereal, made the entire mixture green, so I cut the treats out with a tree cookie cutter. Can’t find green marshmallows? Simply stir in green food coloring when the marshmallows are nearly melted. Continue to add food coloring until your favorite color is achieved.
November is still a time to enjoy pumpkin spice, so why not pumpkin spice marshmallows? I mixed in the orange marshmallows and cut the treats with my fall cookie cutters. Hopefully you have found inspiration to try something new, like half chocolate half regular, or different flavored extracts. Just remember to have fun and keep it gluten free!
