Ok, so the extra long post name was totally necessary here :) because of my love for marshmallows. Rice krispie treats were a childhood favorite of mine — well, pretty much anything with marshmallows was a favorite, but I have extra fond memories of fresh warm rice krispie squares my friend’s mom used to make (and of which I devoured unseasonably large quantities every time I went over to his house...). Luckily, this treat is not something I had to give up as an adult. This is my take on rice krispie treats — ooey-gooey extra marshmallow-y gluten-free vegan rice krispie treats!
Note: I used Dandies for the vegan marshmallows in this recipe (you'll need two 10 oz packs). If they're not super fresh, they can be harder to melt, though it's still doable — so try to look out for the fresher ones (or see these tips on melting Dandies). If you're wondering how to make extra gooey rice krispie treats, you may want to use Ricemellow Creme marshmallow fluff as it is naturally even more gooey.
P.S. If the instructions below seem long, don't worry about it. It's really one of the easiest to make no-bake recipes out there. I just like to be thorough ;).
Ooey-Gooey Extra Marshmallowy Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 squares
Ingredients
Rice Krispie Base:
- 3-4 tablespoon coconut oil (or non-dairy butter)
- 22 vegan marshmallows (normal size – not the mini ones)
- 4 cups gluten-free Rice Krispies cereal (I used Nature’s Path)
Marshmallow Layer
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 20 vegan marshmallows (normal size – not the mini ones)
Chocolate Drizzle:
- ½ cup semi-sweet (or dark) vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional, adds gloss)
- 3 tbsp non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Line an 11x7” baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Note: I used one that’s 11 x 7”, but pretty much any similar size will do — the larger the pan, the thinner the squares will be.
- Melt coconut oil on medium-low heat. Add in marshmallows and allow them to melt into fluff by continuously stirring and breaking them up with a wooden spoon (it helps to get them to melt a bit faster). *If using Ricemellow marshmallow fluff, simply heat up the coconut oil, add fluff and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Add rice krispies cereal and mix the entire mixture thoroughly.
- Transfer mixture into a baking dish. This part will be a little messy and a little sticky, so use 2 spoons to help you along. Use a sheet of parchment paper to flatten and press the mixture, by laying on top and pressing in with your hands or with a flat object. Press the mixture down as much as you can and flatten the top so that the mixture is even.
- Put the pan in the fridge to cool off while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Marshmallow Layer:
- Follow step one from previous directions to warm up and melt down marshmallow fluff. *If using Ricemellow fluff, omit coconut oil and simply proceed to step 2.
- Remove rice krispies from the fridge. Scoop out the melted marshmallow fluff and spread it out over the rice krispies mixture. Move quickly while mixture is warm, and don’t worry if it’s not perfect—just try to spread it out as evenly as possible.
Chocolate Drizzle:
- Melt chocolate using a double boiler in the following way: Bring water in a small sauce pan to a boil. Place a glass heat-proof bowl on top (make sure it’s not touching the water). Place all drizzle ingredients except the milk in the bowl. Allow mixture to melt. Stir frequently.
- Once chocolate is melted, add in the non-dairy milk, one tablespoon at a time. Mix thoroughly in between each addition to make sure it’s fully incorporated into the melted chocolate.
- Quickly transfer chocolate mixture into a piping bag, and drizzle over the marshmallow later.
- Set the rice krispies aside and allow to cool for another 5-10 minutes at room temperature. Note: you can cool them off faster in the fridge, but the chocolate drizzle will likely lose its shine.
- Carefully lift out the rice krispie treats out of the tray (by lifting out parchment paper) and transfer onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Alana says
I brought these to work a couple months ago to share with all non-vegans and they were an absolute hit! They disappeared quickly! I just finished another batch to bring in tomorrow but kicked it up a notch... I started with a layer of vegan chocolate chip cookie (eat pastry brand dough) baked in the oven, then followed the recipe, then added crushed Oreos on top! I just tested one and I’m at a loss for words, they’re incredible!
Audrey says
Oooh, that sounds amazing, Alana! :) So glad you're enjoying these.
Mahima says
How long do these last/stay fresh?
Audrey says
Hi Mahima, I find homemade rice krispie squares are always best fresh so they taste best on the first day (in terms of staying "ooey and gooey"). They should be good for 3-5 days no problem though.
Victoria says
I'm making this right now! Based on the comments so far, I feel like it's going to be very successful! My son's kindergarten class mate is bringing Rice krispie treats for their birntdsy and I was asked to bring something for my son. I'm suuuuper relieved to have found a recipe and to have juuuuust enough ingredients at home to make this! Thank you!!! 💚
Audrey says
Hi Victoria. I'm so happy these can work for your son's class -- makes me so happy knowing the recipes are useful for these types of situations and makes sharing them worthwhile :)
Amy Owen says
Oh my gosh! I made vegan Rice Krispies using Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks, and they left a lot to be desired. The coconut oil makes all the difference in the world, and the addition of the marshmallow layer and chocolate drizzle is beyond amazing. (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips.) Yum!!!!
Audrey says
Hi Amy. Thanks for the awesome feedback -- so happy these worked well for you! :)
Lily Zhang says
If I use dandies mini marshmallows, how much would be equivalent to 20 normal sized ones ?
Audrey says
Hi Lilly. I think your best bet would be to go by weight here. So you'll need 20 oz of small Dandies (in place of the 2 packs of 10 oz larger ones).
S. Balfour says
AMAZING!!! I absolutely love this recipe.
Audrey says
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback -- much appreciated! :)
Hillary says
My 5 year old daughter says this is the best recipe ever!!!!
Audrey says
Aw, that's awesome :) best feedback ever!
AJ says
How long do these last? And what's the best way to store them?
Thanks! :)
Audrey says
Hi AJ,
Copying something I replied with to another person below with as an answer to this:
"Rice krispy squares are always best eaten fresh, but any leftovers are best kept covered at room temperature. They will be fine for a few days that way. You can also refrigerate them, but they will harden a bit."
Enjoy them! :)
Myauthenticnow says
These are AMAZING. Seriously. Made them for my sons class and I want to eat them ALLLLL
Audrey says
Oh good -- so happy you like them :) Thank you so much for the feedback.
Aria says
I just made this to take to work tomorrow. One of my colleagues is vegan and she always misses out at our morning or afternoon teas because it turns out there's hidden animal products in all sorts of things. I've claimed the dodgy corner bits as taste tests and they're delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Audrey says
Aw, I can relate, Aria -- I'm sure she'll appreciate it! :)
Aria says
She did! Thank you for helping me to be more inclusive. This is a great resource.
Audrey says
You're welcome, Aria! :)
shantel wilkinson says
how is this vegan when marshmallow has gelatin . And Gelatin is pork or beef.
Audrey says
Shantel, I used Dandies to make this, which is a vegan brand of marshmallow.
Madison Yoshida says
I only have vegan mini marshmallows, can I use these instead or does it have to big the normal size?
Audrey says
Hi Madison,
You can use the minis. One thing I find is that sometimes the vegan marshmallows are a bit tougher to melt, so if yours are a little older, you could snip them in half to help expose the inner part which melts fastest (more tips on that here). I've made them with the minis many times no problem, so you're good to go -- enjoy them!
Alie F says
Thanks so much for your time on your site! I made mine with VERY STALE, large Dandies. So I wanted to say I chopped mine in at least quarters with shears into the warm oil BUT what helped me transform into marshmallow creme the most were my tools: 2 Forks. I made quick work pulling apart the clumps/whisking/pulling and just kept working at it. Yummy. Thanks for the insight and recipe! (I didn't do the topping. The first phase of marshmallow is all the sweet I can handle. Look gorgeous though.)
Audrey says
Thanks so much for sharing the fork tip, Alie! Love it. Good idea. Glad you enjoyed these :)
Jesse says
Just made these using chocolate rice crispies (Nature's Path Chocolate Koala Crisps). Wonderful! Plus the color scheme in the end result was fun: brown/white base, white marshmallow layer, brown chocolate drizzle. :)
Audrey says
Thanks Jesse. So glad to hear that! :) And Nature's Path Chocolate Koala Crisps is my favorite cereal too, and I bet it tasted great in this recipe!
Vera says
Wow – just made these. I had to exercise GREAT willpower to let myself even put these in the fridge. So delicious. I have to admit – I skipped on the parchment paper (I am not well skilled in the art of parchment paper liners) and just greased it up with coconut oil. I also skipped the marshmallow layer and the chocolate because I wanted to be able to eat the classic (and I’ll admit, just so I can eat them a bit sooner hehe) but I’ll definitely be trying the layers next time. My favourite part was definitely the parchment paper trick to get it to flatten out - that I could do, and it worked really well! It was so much less messy than what I've had to do before. Great recipe!
Audrey says
Hi Vera. Thanks so much! So glad you liked them and that the parchment trick worked out for you :)
Taylor says
Can I freeze these? Or should I just refrigerate them?
Audrey says
Hi Taylor. So sorry for the delayed reply. Rice krispy squares are always best eaten fresh, but any leftovers are best kept covered at room temperature. They will be fine for a few days that way. You can also refrigerate them, but they will harden a bit. I've never tried freezing mine, so not sure how that would turn out, but I imagine they should be ok as well though will probably harden up as well.
Rose says
Where can I buy vegan marshmallows?
Audrey says
Hi Rose. You can usually get vegan marshmallows at health-food stores (like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc., or smaller local shops). You can also order some online through websites like Amazon. My favorite brands are Dandies (closest to a regular marshmallow), Sweet & Sara (sticky and closest to a homemade marshmallow), or Ricemellow Creme (marshmallow fluff).
Aj Solvernaile says
Found mine at Meijers!!! Right by the regular marshmallows!!
Audrey says
That's awesome :) Thanks for sharing!