Almond Butter Brown Rice Crispies are a delicious & healthy vegan & gluten free take on the classic rice crispy! Great for dessert or after school snack.
You can never be too old for a little back-to-school snack, right?
My sister and I used to love rice crispy treats as kids. Since I rarely eat marshmallows these days, I’ve been loving this slightly healthier alternative that uses almond butter and brown rice syrup as a binder instead. I also packed in omega-rich hemp seeds, almonds, and shredded coconut – making these a filling treat to get you over that 3 o’clock slump.
To make these lightly sweet treats a little sweeter, I smothered them in chocolate. At first I was going to be good and just do a little drizzle of chocolate.
Look how pretty it was starting out (pictured above).
Right after that, photo nerves got the best of me, my drizzle became uglier, and I decided a full layer of chocolate was necessary. So there you have it – cute, yummy, chocolate-y bars.
Almond Butter Brown Rice Crispy Treats
- 2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
- â…“ cup chopped almonds, toasted
- â…“ cup hemp seeds
- â…“ cup shredded coconut
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup almond butter
- ⅓ to ½ cup brown rice syrup*
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ½ cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips**
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Line an 8x8-inch pan, or similar sized pan, with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the brown rice cereal, almonds, hemp seeds, coconut and salt.
- In a small bowl, stir together the almond butter, ⅓ cup of the brown rice syrup and coconut oil.
- Pour the almond butter mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated (I find it easiest to use my hands). If the mixture is too dry, add a little more brown rice syrup. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Tip: use a separate piece of parchment paper to help press the mixture down without it sticking to your hands.
- Melt the chocolate and the coconut oil (use a double-boiler or a glass bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water) and pour over the top of the crispy treats. Freeze for about 30 minutes to set.
- Once set, use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the whole thing out of the pan and place onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into 12 bars. Store, covered, at room temperature.
*I've tried using maple syrup in place of the brown rice syrup and it doesn't hold these together. I get this brand of brown rice syrup at Whole Foods.
**If you need these to be vegan, just check the ingredient label of your chocolate chips. I enjoy the Enjoy Life brand.
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You should try 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate and 1/4 cup butterscotch chips for the spread on top!
These are SO incredibly delicious!
Hi Kristin, I’m so glad you loved them!
PS. I’m a big fan! I love your recipes.
Hi! Any substitute for brown rice syrup?
Would Agave or honey work?
any way to get the nutrition stats on these?
These were so easy to make. I did sub peanut butter w/ the almond butter but they are amazing. They were a big hit w/ everyone.
Hi Lucy, thanks for sharing, I’m so happy they were a hit!
Wonderful and super easy to make! Healthy, tasty, crispy treats. My toddlers, myself and hubby enjoyed ?. I will make again for sure!
I’m so glad the whole family enjoyed these!
I made these exactly as described with the exception of nuking the chocolate chips instead of melting them on the stove (microwave = lazy girl’s double boiler). These crispies are excellent and were so easy for this non-chef to make. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
love how your dose of chocolate evolved from a drizzle but still includes so many healthy ingredients, thank you for this very creative twist on the original!
These look so amazing! This blog always has the most delicious recipes–it’s a huge source of inspiration for my own blog! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Made these today and they were sooooo yummy! I added a bit of cinnamon which was great. I will be making a lot of these for the family in the future. Thanks for another delicious recipe?
Made these with honey instead of brown rice syrup and PB rather than AB and they worked perfectly. So yummy!
I used to love rice krispy treats as a kid, but your version looks even better! That chocolate drizzle mishap was definitely a blessing in disguise! More chocolate = more happiness 🙂
Super yummy treat that appeals to whole family! Tastes great and I love that it is not too sugary sweet. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks so much!
I have tried white chocolate and peanut butter in rice krispies before, but never almond butter! And with chocolate? Yum, yum, YUM!
To be honest I’ve never been a fan of rice krispy treats. But your version has completely won me over (no surprise) and I’m excited to try them out!
Do you think honey would work?
I haven’t tried honey, but I do think it would work (it’s similarly sticky) – let me know if you give it a go!
SWOON. This looks like the stuff dreams are made of.
Wow, this is so amazing and yet simple to make, thank you so much for this recipe! <3