Peppermint Patty Rice Crispy Treats

Rice Crispy treats have always been a favorite treat in my family. My mom is a huge sucker for an ooey-gooey rice crispy treat and when I was little, it was a very special night when she brought home a box of Rice Krispies and a bag of marshmallows.

Now, I wouldn’t go near those sugar-loaded treats. But they are still near and dear to my heart, so I’ve made it a point to recreate these easy-to-make goodies to be gluten-free, healthy and refined sugar-free. It may sound hard, but it’s actually surprisingly easy.

This Peppermint Patty Rice Crispy Treat recipe is perfect for the holiday season. In my mind, now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to start thinking about the rest of the holidays. And for me, that means Christmas. My favorite holiday of the year.

When I dream of Christmas treats, nothing screams the holiday more than peppermint. Think red and white candy canes, peppermint brownies, and peppermint cookies. Are you feeling the Christmas spirit yet? I know I am!

What’s so great about these Peppermint Patty Rice Crispy Treats is that you can have them whipped up in under 5 minutes. They’re easy to assemble, packed with protein, are refined sugar-free, and of course, gluten-free. Instead of opting for a box of gluten-free Rice Krispies, I chose Attune’s Erewhon Brown Rice Crispy Cereal, since they’re made with whole-grain brown rice and are much more nutritious. Overall, these Peppermint Patty Rice Treats are a healthy and nutritious holiday treat.

Peppermint Patty Rice Treats

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups Brown Rice Crispy Cereal
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

 

Instructions:

1.  Combine the cereal and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. Stir to coat the cereal in the cocoa and set aside.
2.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir until slightly melted and a bit more liquidy.
3.  Pour the liquid over the cereal mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until fully coated and the mixture starts to stick together.
4.  Transfer to a greased baking dish (I used an 8″ x 8″) and refrigerate for at least 2 – 3 hours.
5.  Cut into squares serve.

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Alyssa Rimmer is the author of Baking with Quinoa – an e-cookbook which features 25 mouthwatering recipes, all free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar! Alyssa is also the quino-obsessed girl behind the gluten-free blog Queen of Quinoa. She loves experimenting with nutritious and whole-food ingredients and seeks to encourage the everyday home chef that cooking and eating gluten free can not only be healthy, but also delicious and fun. Connect with her on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and make sure to sign up for her emails so you can get 20% off her book, Baking with Quinoa.