Gooey, GF Rice Crispy Treats
Rice crispy treats are a sweet, yet subtle dessert. It’s the perfect option if you are looking for something that’s not too rich, but nonetheless sugary. While rice crispy treats are incredible with frosting, edible cookie dough, or chocolate on top, my family and I usually enjoy them just as they are.
Thankfully, Malt O Meal has created a gluten-free version of Crispy Rice cereal. The bag is labeled gluten-free, and you can find the label on the side. You can purchase this cereal at stores such as Walmart and Amazon. My family and I quite honestly can’t tell the difference between regular and gluten-free Crispy Rice. All I can say is, it’s some delicious cereal!
Here’s what it looks like:
Malt O Meal Crispy Rice, Gluten-Free
This seriously tastes no different. Of all the products that are wheat-free in comparison to regular, this is by far one of the closest in flavor and texture.
After experimenting with this recipe, I think it’s safe to say that, with help from my lovely mother, this recipe is the best rice crispy treat recipe you can make. Ever. We found that a significant portion of vanilla and almond extracts took the flavor of the treats to a whole other level. And, to top that, we’ve formulated a way to make them even more gooey. And I’ll show you in the instructions!
So, if you are wanting a tasty, sweet, gluten-free treat, that you can whip up in minutes, you’ve come to the right place!
Gooey, GF Rice Crispy Treats
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
Two 10 oz bags of mini marshmallows (Gluten-free)
1 tablespoon of Mexican vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons of almond extract
8 cups of gluten-free Crispy Rice cereal
Instructions:
Begin by melting the stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Once the butter is melted, add one full bag of the mini marshmallows and some of the other bag. Leave approximately 3/4 of the bag for later. (You’ll see what I’m doing!) Using a wooden spoon, stir until the butter begins to incorporate into the marshmallows and melt them.
And, for the record, Great Value marshmallows are our favorite! They are also labeled (quite small) on the back that they are, indeed, gluten-free.
When your marshmallows are beginning to melt, go ahead and add your almond and vanilla extracts. Stir well and mix until the marshmallows are fully melted. Then take off the heat.
This is what the mixture will look like:
Don’t be concerned by the brown color! You did not burn it. The vanilla extract simply makes the marshmallows look caramelized.
Next, add your 8 cups of Crispy Rice cereal.
Now here’s the reason we saved the rest of those marshmallows—
Toss in the remaining bag and begin stirring the cereal and melted and dry marshmallows together. This is a super tip! When you add marshmallows at the end too, the rice crispy treats are way more gooey and have little globs of marshmallow pieces throughout. It takes the treats to a whole other level. Best believe these aren’t dry like a lot of rice crispy treats are!
Continue mixing until the marshmallows and cereal are fully combined. If you are having trouble getting the marshmallows to melt, simply turn the stove on for a couple minutes, using the heat to melt them.
And here is what the finished product looks like! See those pieces of marshmallow? Absolutely delicious.
Lay out some parchment paper and pour out your rice crispy treats. Be careful! It’s quite hot— don’t burn yourself! Using the same wooden spoon, spread out the treats until you form an even, rectangular shape. Let harden, cut if you wish, and enjoy!
It’s actually quite funny— my family likes to eat them straight off the stove while they’re still warm. They grab some bowls and forks and eat it that way. Lol. So that’s why I don’t bother cutting them into nice, little squares. If you want to, please, go ahead! Dipping them in chocolate or coating them in frosting or cookie dough is always a great option as well. But these rice crispy treats are spectacular on their own.
Easy, sweet, and simple, yet delicious, these gluten-free rice crispy treats just may be your new favorite dessert.