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    Home » Vegan recipes

    Vegan Rice Crispy Treats (made with any cereal you like!)

    Last Modified: Feb 7, 2020 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Print
    close-up of vegan rice crispy treats on the table

    These 3-ingredient Vegan Rice Crispy treats are as easy to make as the ones from your childhood. They're perfectly sweet, crispy, and chewy.

    overhead photo of vegan rice crispy treats on a pin tabletop

    Marshmallow cereal treats are so nostalgic for me, and these vegan rice crispy treats are super delicious and simple to make. I guess technically I should call them Vegan Marshmallow Treats, since you can make them with any cereal you want!

    Jump To:
    • What's Not Vegan About Rice Crispy Treats?
    • Marshmallow Treats Using Other Cereals
    • Vegan Rice Crispy Treats (aka Vegan Marshmallow Treats)

    More Ways to Use Vegan Marshmallows: S'Mores Cream Pie, S'mores Vodka Flip

    What's Not Vegan About Rice Crispy Treats?

    You might be wondering what could possible not be vegan about marshmallows and cereal. There are two non-vegan ingredients in the traditional version of this recipe, one of which isn't even vegetarian:

    1. butter
    2. marshmallows

    Butter makes sense (and is easy to substitute by using vegan butter!), but you might be wondering why marshmallows aren't vegan.

    vegan rice krispie treats ingredients on a light pink tabletop

    Marshmallows are made with gelatin, which is ground up bones and ligaments, usually from cows. Kosher gelatin usually uses the ground up bones and ligaments from fish.

    No, thank you!

    Vegan marshmallows used to be hard to find. Now, though, they're widely available and work as well as the animal kind in this recipe!

    3-image collage of melting vegan butter and marshmallows in a pot

    I used Dandies for this recipe, but any vegan marshmallows will do the trick. Trader Joe's marshmallows are also vegan, and they're very affordable. TJ's marshmallows are a seasonal item, so when you do see them, stock up!

    Marshmallow Treats Using Other Cereals

    When it comes to the cereal for this recipe, you've got options. Let's get into it!

    adding star-shaped cereal to a pan of melted marshmallows

    I think a lot of folks grew up eating rice crispy treats as a special snack, but my nostalgia for these actually comes from college.

    I did my sophomore year at the University of Miami, and we'd have cereal treats in the cafeteria almost daily.

    They made cereal treats out of whatever was going stale, so we had Cap'n Crunch treats, Fruity Pebbles treats, Cocoa Puffs treats....it was almost an endless list!

    So sure, you can make these with crispy rice cereal, but you can also mix things up! Check your pantry for cereal to use, or hit the grocery store and get creative.

    For the treats in these photos, I used a three cups of vegan crisp rice cereal and one cup of Love Grown Sea Stars.

    3-image collage of pressing the treats into a lined glass pan

    I'd love to see what cereal ideas you come up with for your marshmallow treats! Make sure to share a photo of your own recipe and tag me.

    close-up of vegan rice crispy treats on the table

    Vegan Rice Crispy Treats (aka Vegan Marshmallow Treats)

    These 3-ingredient Vegan Rice Crispy treats are as easy to make as the ones from your childhood. They're perfectly sweet, crispy, and chewy.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Holiday, Vegan
    Keyword: vegan rice crispy treats, vegan rice krispie treats
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Cooling Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 9
    Calories: 125kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons vegan butter - or coconut oil (See note.)
    • 3 cups vegan mini marshmallows - (See note.)
    • 4 cups vegan cereal of your choice - (Choose your own adventure!)

    Instructions

    • Start by lining an 8x8" glass pan with parchment paper. Make sure the paper goes up the sides. You may need 2 sheets to make this happen. You can grease the pan instead of lining, but lining the pan makes cleanup such a breeze!
    • In a saucepan on low heat, melt the vegan butter or coconut oil, then add the marshmallows and keep stirring until they melt, too. They're ready when they get very soft and runny.
    • Fold in the cereal gently, making sure to coat it well with the marshmallow mixture. Turn off the heat, and press the cereal into the lined glass pan. Let the treats cool for 20 minutes in the freezer, then pop them out and cut them into 9 squares.

    Equipment

    • 8x8" pan
    • parchment paper

    Notes

    • About the coconut oil: Unrefined coconut oil will give these treats a nice, mellow, coconut flavor. Use refined coconut oil, if you prefer that your treats don't taste like coconut. 
    • About the marshmallows: Mini marshmallows work best in this recipe, but if you can only find full-sized vegan marshmallows, you can still make these treats! Just slice or tear the marshmallows into quarters before you start. They'll melt much better at this size.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 125kcal
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!
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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. acookinthemaking

      January 15, 2014 at 12:30 pm

      How cute!! It just so happens that I have actual Rice Krispies going stale in my cupboard at the moment, but the rice Chex look really yummy in this too!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 15, 2014 at 2:27 pm

        I mean I think you have no choice but to make rice crispy treats, right? You're basically required.

        Reply
        • acookinthemaking

          January 15, 2014 at 6:57 pm

          Agreed!

          Reply

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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