Good ‘n healthy Rice Crispy Treats

What kid, or grown up, doesn’t love a tasty, chewy rice crispy square from time to time? The traditional rice crispy treat recipe calls for marshmallows, which are whipped up granulated sugar and corn syrup, and margarine or butter!

We switched out the butter for healthier nut butter, and used a sweetener from nature, rather than a processed one. Then we added just a touch of dark chocolate glaze.

So good, and so much better.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooling time: 60 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups rice crispy cereal
• ½ cup no-stir peanut butter (almond or cashew butter can be substituted)
• ½ cup sweetener, such as brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup (maple syrup was used for this recipe)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup (1.5 oz) dark chocolate chips for glaze, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line an 8”x 8” baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. (Hint: extend foil over side of dish so crispy treats can be easily lifted out.)
2. Pour rice crispy cereal into a medium size bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, add peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon. Heat over low, stirring frequently, just enough until peanut butter is melted and ingredients are mixed together. This only takes a few minutes. Do not cook too long or allow the mixture to come to a simmer.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and add nut-sweetener mixture to cereal. Mix with large spoon until cereal is coated.
5. Pour mixture into lined baking dish and press firmly into place.
6. Refrigerate for 60 minutes or longer until hard enough to cut.
7. If using glaze. Pour chocolate chips into a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of water, and heat on low, stirring frequently, until mixture is melted and smooth. Add a bit more water, if needed, until glaze is of the right consistency and is easy to dribble over the rice crispy treats. Glaze can be added before or after cutting rice crispy treats into squares.

Makes 16, 2” x 1 1/2” inch squares.

Nutritional Information
Per rice crispy square with chocolate glaze: 111.4 calories; 5.3g total fat (1.6g saturated, 1.1g polyunsaturated, 1.9g monounsaturated); 76.2mg sodium; 0.0mg cholesterol; 14.9g carbohydrate; 0.8g fiber; 9.0g sugars; 2.6g protein; 77.4mg potassium.