One of my favorite fall memories from my childhood is the annual bake sale that the elementary classes held during the week of Homecoming. Homemade Rice Krispie treats were my favorite choice, and they are definitely something that I don’t want my kids to miss out on just because they are on a gluten free diet.
Gluten Free Rice Krispies exist, so you could make gluten free Rice Krispies treats but I rarely find the GF Rice Krispies stocked in the grocery stores. Instead, we use Rice Chex!
Not only do the Rice Chex Treats taste just like Rice Krispies Treats, they are easier to eat. Do you remember how Rice Krispies Treats can get hard after they sit a while? So much so that you almost break your teeth trying to bite through them? The shape of the Rice Chex cereal makes it impossible to pack them into a tight layer so the treats never get as hard as Rice Krispies Treats. Even after they sit on the counter all day, you can cut a square and bite into without any difficulty.
As I start to think about trick-or-treating with my gluten free kids this year, I’m thinking that I’ll make these to have on hand to trade to the kids in exchange for any gluten-filled candy that they receive.
This is a very simple recipe. In fact, I’d feel perfectly comfortable handing this recipe to my 7 yr old and letting him make it himself. He’s already learned how to use a skillet and spatula, so this recipe would be a new way to practice his stove-top cooking skills.
Instructions
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter
- 1 package (10 oz.) miniature marshmallows*
- 6 cups Rice Chex
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat.
- Add the marshmallows and stir frequently until they have melted.
- Add the Rice Chex and stir until all of the Chex are throughly coated.
- Spread the Rice Chex mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside to cool.
- To serve, cut into squares or just let everybody grab a handful.
*Â Make sure the marshmallows are Gluten -Free.
So are all rice chex cereals gluten free? I am new to this gluten free diet and am trying to learn what is and what isn’t. It is so overwhelming!
Oh my gosh! You just made my day! I have been dying for a substitute for rice crispy treats and for some reason I didn’t even think about using Rice Chex! I am going to make these this weekend! YAY!
@Conner Cochran: Rice Chex is now gluten free, but none of the other Chex cereals are. Sad, I know! In general, most cold cereals that you’re probably used to eating are not gluten free due to the use of oats and/or barley malt. You usually have to look at the specialty/organic cereals to find ones that are labeled gluten free.
Some Celiacs and people with Wheat issues can have Oats, which may open up another source of cereals and flours for some. I know I can without a problem. You just have to make sure they don’t toss the oats in wheat flours or use barley malts. I use Puffins Brand Wheat Free Oat cereal for my marshmellow treats and Monkey Munch or anything that requires a ceral in recipes. I also bake with Oat flour. I was born with this issue and doctors have made me try all flours to figure out which caused problems. Good luck,
Shara
I still don’t know how they can manage to make something as simple as Rice Krispies, contain gluten. How hard is it to just puff up the rice and leave it be? Pet peeve. Anyway, now I just have to find marshmallows with no refined sugar in them, and I can actually make these. I’m not holding out much hope.
These sound delicious. We will certainly be trying them.
If anyone is a die hard rice crispy fan there is one brand that is GF. They are called Barbara’s brown rice crisps. I can not speak to how it compares to Rice Krispies as I have been GF so long I can’t remember what they were like. My mother-in-law says they are very close. My daughter loves them. The hard part is tracking Barbara’s brand down – whenever I find it I buy a few boxes because it is not a staple in any grocery store in my neck of the woods.
Very nice. I should’ve done this! I am having a halloween-themed bday party for my husband tomorrow and I wanted to use the plain krispies but couldn’t because of the malt flavoring, etc, but EnviroKids has a GF cocoa flavored rice cereal I used (to which I added the marshmallow mixture. I also added unsalted roasted peanuts and peanut butter and raisins. I then formed the mixture into balls.
Happy October!
OK, yum yum yum. I want a bucket of these treats RIGHT NOW.
Mary Frances, how do you always know???
xoxo
Rice Chex being gluten free open up so many culinary doors. …And yes, I think that’s the first time Rice Chex and culinary have been used in the same sentence, haha!
I’m vegetarian and so don’t eat marshmellows…think marshmellow fluff would work just as well? Maybe with some shredded coconut…uh oh, I feel a trip to the grocery store might be in order.
@Uncle Hannah: I’d never thought about adding other good things in. That’s a great idea!
@Tanya: We also like the Crispy Brown Rice cereal from Erewhon…I think we get it at Whole Foods.
my husband would be SOOOO in love with these treats!!! Thanks for sharing!!
There is a product called Suzzane’s Ricemellow Creme that is gluten free as it is made from brown rice syrup (also contains some soy protein so it may not be for everyone). It is very light and fluffy. I have used it to make rice krispie type treats just by mixing it with the cereal, no heating required. I have to warn you, it is ooey gooey, but super easy and fast. I have added protein powder and or peanut butter as well. I do not measure. Just take a glob and add enough cereal to suit. If you are concerned about it being goey, you can roll or sprinkle with a blend of coco powder and powdered sugar, and or coconut.
My favorite is coconut macaroons made the same way, although I add just a touch of agave syrup. I use a greased small mellon ball scoop and drop onto parchment paper and bake at 325 until lightly golden.
I’m new to this as well, but I like coconut and I try to always have these on hand as this is my snack when I just have to have something fast; and the coconut is a healthy fat.
At the Chex website they have a recipe for Fruity Sushi which I made and it was great fun. You take crushed rice Chex and mix with melted white chocolate, spread (quickly) on a fruit roll up. Put a couple of Gummi worms on top and roll. The chocolate sets up hard and then slice into 3 portions. I served them on the black foam trays my packaged veggies come on. Taste wise they were OK…it was the fun (and gluten-free!) presentation I was going for!
If you’ve been buying GF Rice Chex you’ve probably noticed the corn chex and honey nut chex are now gluten free. The new cinnamon GF chex are excellent. How could wheat chex ever be gluten free!! Now I wish they’d make a GF WHITE rice crispie. I don’t care for the brown rice versions, they’re just not the same. I’ve made the Rice Chex crispies and they are excellent. Check out the GF Betty Crocker MIXES – the brownies are pretty good, but share or tightly wrap as they dry out otherwise.