I love homemade Rice Krispies Treats. Like, really loooove them. Whenever I make a batch, I have to try to hide them from myself because I tend to get a little carried away and end up eating way more than I should.
They are truly addicting and that’s because the sugar content is ridiculously high. Did you know that one cup of marshmallows contains about 40 grams of carbs?! I didn’t. And, I kind of wish I could erase that fact from my brain forever.
The good news is that there are uncountable recipes for Rice Krispies squares. I did a quick search and the number ofdifferent varieties was mind-boggling. But, most of them featured even MORE sugar content because of the addition of cookie pieces, jello, frosting or candy bar chunks. Yum! But, hardly helpful.
Well, I found a new version that claimed to be healthier AND delicious! I decided to make them (and eat them) in the name of science.
Here’s the basic recipe:
• 3 cups of rice cereal
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• ½ cup of maple syrup
• ¼ cup of coconut oil
Line an 8 X 8” pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease it). Measure the cereal into a large bowl. In a microwave safe bowl (or a saucepan if you prefer to use the stovetop) heat the rest of the ingredients together until almost melted (this took less than a minute in my microwave). Stir until smooth. Pour the heated mixture over the rice cereal and stir until blended. Spread it in the prepared pan and chill until set.
Voila! Health food!
But, seriously, You can use organic, gluten-free brown rice cereal, organic chocolate chips, natural peanut butter (with no added fats or sugars) or sunflower butter and sugar-free maple syrup (yuck, but knock yourselves out) to reduce the carb-guilt even further.
These were incredibly easy to make. I enlisted the help of my nutty “measuring-is-for-dorks” son (I don’t know where he gets that!) and they still turned out yummy. I think I love them even more than the original recipe, because … chocolate-peanut butter!!!
Give them a try and tell us what you think. Also, share your non-marshmallow Krispy treat recipes with us(I may need to do more “scientific research”).
