Almond Butter Rice Crispy Bars
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Easy, kid-friendly Almond Butter Rice Crispy Bars that everyone will love! They’re made with 4 simple ingredients and just so happen to be both vegan and gluten free.
Recipe features
- An easy, kid-friendly snack
- Naturally vegan and gluten free
- Delicious, almond butter flavor (like my almond butter cookies and baked oatmeal cups)
Ingredient notes:
Brown rice crispy cereal – should be easy to find in the cereal aisle at the grocery store (I know Whole Food sells it); can also sub puffed brown rice (see notes below)
Almond butter – creamy
Maple syrup – can sub honey
Brown rice syrup – can sub honey, but only if you’re using maple syrup. You don’t want to only use honey in this recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Stir wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir the almond butter, maple syrup and brown rice syrup together until well combined.
Step 2: Add cereal. Pour the wet ingredients over the rice crispy cereal and stir until they’re completely coated with the almond butter mixture. Then, scoop them into a greased 8×8 baking dish, using a spatula to smooth them out.
Step 3: Refrigerate. In order to get the bars to harden, you’ll need to refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes. Then use a sharp knife to slice them into 16 bars.
Tips and tricks
Storage: Store these bars in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Cereal: I think brown rice crispy cereal (found in the cereal aisle) works better than puffed brown rice. It’s more reminiscent of traditional rice crispy bars and gives them a better texture.
Do I have to use brown rice syrup?
Technically no. The reason brown rice syrup is *key* is because it’s sticky, which helps hold these bars together and gives them a great texture. Regular rice crispy treats use marshmallows, so think of brown rice syrup as the marshmallows that really hold these bars together.
With that said, you can use honey if you prefer.
More easy dessert recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Almond Butter Rice Crispy Bars
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups brown rice crispy cereal
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine almond butter, brown rice syrup and maple syrup in a large bowl; stir well.
- Use a large spoon to mix in the brown rice cereal, stirring well until everything is combined.
- Line an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil or parchment paper and pour mixture into dish. Use a spatula to smooth everything out and then place the dish in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- When you're ready to eat them, remove them from the refrigerator, cut and enjoy!
Notes
- Cereal: puffed brown rice
- Almond butter: peanut butter (or any nut butter, really)
- Maple syrup: honey
- Brown rice syrup: honey
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in August 2016. It was updated with new text and photos in August 2020.
Rice crispy treats are my weakness- thanks for sharing this idea! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks Ashley, let me know if you try them!
Love that these are gluten free! What a fun afternoon snack!
Ohh yeah, thanks girl!
Erin, I haven’t been a fan of regular rice krispies because to me they’ve kinda bland – but they sure are not! Delicious and perfect with this cup of coffee am having…oh but wait…there’s a screen snack-blocking me!
Haha you’re right–these would be greattttt at breakfast!
OK, coming from someone who probably has a {un}healthy obsession with almond butter and who has always LOVED rice crispy treats as pre workout fuel, these are BEYOND awesome. Can’t wait to try them! 🙂
You’re going to love them!
mmm, its been ages since i’ve had a rice crispy square!! I love that these are basically guilt free too, and almond butter is the PERFECT substitute!
Thanks Beverly!
I haven’t had rice crispy bars in so long. This really makes me want to go buy all these ingredients and chow down! Delsiih!
Yes do it–thanks Sam!
We use this cereal all the time for krispie treats. Rice Krispies are no longer making a gluten free version. Boo! Looks yummy!
It’s a great rice krispie-making cereal!
Yum! I love the substitution and I think I’d actually like these better than regular rice krispies.
Yes! If you love almond butter and honey, you’ll love these.
STOP! They brown rice crisps?!!!!! I’m unnaturally excited about this! Wahooooo! Rice Crispies are my favorite thing! I think I need to try working with brown rice syrup, too!
Yes yes! This was my first time using it and it’s quite magical–definitely holds everything together really well.
Omg what an awesome combo! I’m jealous, I never had rice crispy treats in my lunch. Actually, I never had any treats in my lunch! Haha we were THAT family who didn’t buy any junk food. My lunch table always engaged in the daily “lunch treat swap” though, so I would have rice krispies at some point! These, however, look amazing and I must make them! 🙂
Haha! wellllll I think you need to make up for lost time and make these bars 😉