File these white chocolate almond butter rice crispy treats under “things where the vegan version is better”! They are healthier and more flavorful than my crispy treats of holidays past; and just as easy to make. These vegan crispy treats only require about 10 minutes of your time to make, and are so rich and delicious that people will be too busy scarfing them down to inquire about their vegan status.
Traditional crispy treats are made with marshmallows and butter. My version is made with brown rice syrup*, which is sticky like marshmallows, and almond butter. I also added pure cocoa butter for a white chocolate flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes them taste super luxurious. If you aren’t able to access cocoa butter at the store or purchasing it online is not an option for you, check the recipe notes, where I included some suggestions for substituting it. (The crispy treats will no longer be white chocolate flavored, though). I’ve gotten brown rice syrup at all natural markets in my area and even at some of the regular supermarkets here.
With these white chocolate almond butter crispy treats I think my well has finally run dry of recipes for holiday treats this year, with one possible exception. I have not forgotten about the banana bread promises that I made. It’s hard to test banana bread recipes when it involves waiting for bananas to be perfectly overripe, while also having a household of two pretty serious banana eaters. It feels weird to reserve a banana specifically for letting it ripen too much, doesn’t it? Anyway, I’m about 30-70 on whether that recipe will have to wait until the new year or not.
Like the cookie recipes I’ve been sharing lately, these vegan crispy treats are heartily approved by initially-unwitting coworkers! If you give them a try, let me know how it goes!
White Chocolate Almond Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
- 2 tbsps coconut sugar (maple syrup also works) (or to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup natural almond butter
- 64 g plain cocoa butter roughly chopped (be sure to use food grade)
- 3 and 1/2 cups rice crisp cereal
- pinch salt (only if using unsalted almond butter)
Instructions
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Prepare an 8x8 or other small baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
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In a saucepan (nonstick recommended), warm the brown rice syrup over medium-low heat until bubbling slightly around the edges. Stir frequently.
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Add the coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and almond butter, and continue stirring well and cooking until the sugar is dissolved and the almond butter is well-incorporated, about 2 minutes.
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Add the cocoa butter and continue to stir frequently until fully melted and mixed in, about 2 more minutes (but depending on the size of the cocoa butter pieces).
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Remove the mixture from the heat right away. Add the rice crisp cereal to a mixing bowl and quickly use a spatula to pour the contents of the pan over the cereal and stir well. Transfer to the lined baking dish and press down with your hands or a sturdy spatula to smooth the top (this may take some force, depending on how much the brown rice syrup mixture has cooled down).
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Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing. These can then be kept in the fridge or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
There is no substitute for the brown rice syrup. Other sweeteners will not hold the crispy treats together properly.
The coconut sugar can be substituted with pretty much any sweetener of choice, or even omitted if you find this sweet enough already.
The cocoa butter can be substituted with additional almond butter, or with two tablespoons coconut oil (use refined if you don't want a coconut flavor). If using coconut oil, these are best stored in the fridge, as they could get too soft at the higher end of room temperature.
Any nut butter can be substituted for the almond butter.
*This wasn’t my original idea – I’ve adapted my recipe from the one by Dreena Burton.
Other naturally-sweetened treats from the blog:
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Megan says
I came to this recipe after you mentioned it as an “underappreciated recipe” in another post. I ended up bookmarking it and drooling over it and today I finally made them. Wow I was not disappointed!! The white chocolate flavor is gorgeous and the texture is lush too.
Lily says
Hi 🙂 How fun to find all of these white chocolate recipes! I too was not a white chocolate fan, til I had them in a most excellent cookie.
I have looked for places to buy vegan white chocolate, only found some at Amazon, but in such hilariously large amounts (and so spendy, I wouldn’t be able to afford any other food for a few months 🙂 It will be fun to make it and will report back! Oh, which Baltimore do you live in, there are two on opposite coasts right? I’m so dotty about geography.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey thanks! Since the time of posting this I’ve tried a couple more vegan white chocolate brands and I still think the homemade stuff was best! I live in Baltimore, Maryland. I think there might be one in Ireland but I don’t know any others in the USA 🙂
Erin says
Actually you can substitute the brown rice syrup. Coconut nectar is just as thick and sticky. I’ll be making these tomorrow, they sound delicious!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for the suggestion, Erin. I’ve used coconut nectar before and I think its flavor may overpower the white chocolate, but I’m sure it would still be tasty. Let me know if the recipe works out with it.
Lily says
That has been my experience with coconut, it overpowers everything. But I plan to invent pina- colada flavored everything. 😀
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I have a suspicion I could demolish a whole lot of these very quickly 😀 They look delicious!