Growing up in the wonderful U.S. of A., you can't help but be exposed to the goodness of Rice Krispies Treats. Oh, how I've loved this treat ever since I was a child. For fun, I decided to explore making a "healthy version" of this American classic.
My first thoughts were, we have got to use brown rice for the crispy rice. I know! Attune Food's Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice should do a good job. Then my next thought was to hunt down a marshmallow that is not made out of animal product, since the regular marshmallows found in the supermarkets are animal based. Low and behold, Clark's Nutrition store came to the rescue and sells vegan marshmallows! Yay! The brand name is Dandies. It's on the pricey side, but delicious and definitely a healthier alternative. Then since Rice Krispie Treats includes butter in its original recipe, I decided to use margarine...just to cut corners on saturated fat. Oh yes...I did forget to include the margarine in the picture. Oh well...
I proceeded to use the original Rice Krispies Treat recipe
and just merely substituted using the exact portion sizes for the cereal, marshmallows, and margarine. Believe me...I really got excited to do this!
My first thoughts were, we have got to use brown rice for the crispy rice. I know! Attune Food's Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice should do a good job. Then my next thought was to hunt down a marshmallow that is not made out of animal product, since the regular marshmallows found in the supermarkets are animal based. Low and behold, Clark's Nutrition store came to the rescue and sells vegan marshmallows! Yay! The brand name is Dandies. It's on the pricey side, but delicious and definitely a healthier alternative. Then since Rice Krispie Treats includes butter in its original recipe, I decided to use margarine...just to cut corners on saturated fat. Oh yes...I did forget to include the margarine in the picture. Oh well...I proceeded to use the original Rice Krispies Treat recipe
and just merely substituted using the exact portion sizes for the cereal, marshmallows, and margarine. Believe me...I really got excited to do this!
I started to throw in 3 tbsp of margarine and melting it in a large pot.
I also immediately threw in 4 cups of the marshmallows.
The good news is that Dandies marshmallows does melt, but it just doesn't melt as easily, nicely, or fluidly as regular marshmallows...but again, it melts!
Then 6 cups of the crispy brown rice were added to the melted marshmallow and margarine. I stirred it around and mixed it around as best as I possibly could.
I transferred the mixture immediately to a pre-margarined casserole dish container. Using wax paper, I flattened out the mixture as best I could.
After I had flattened it all out, I laid it aside to cool.
Voila! The finished product! A friend came over the night I made these. This particular friend also happens to be a Rice Krispies treats fan. Although it does not taste exactly the same as the original Rice Krispies treat as my friend noted (as I noted too), my friend stated how much he really liked it and kept eating it that night. That made me happy. If you ever make these, just know it doesn't take just like Rice Krispies Treats, but it does have its own similar nice taste. Also keep in mind, this version has fiber and no animal products. Sugar content though is somewhat lower, because Attune Foods is conscientious about making cereal without a ton of sugar like other cereal brands do. It definitely is a nice overall alternative for a healthier treat!
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What other favorite American desserts did you grow up with?
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