Vegan Matcha Rice Krispie Treats (with wfpb option)
Aug 11, 2019 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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a childhood favourite with a matcha boost!
I used to be a sucker for a good rice krispie treat when I was little, so the other day I thought to myself, I wonder if I could make vegan matcha rice krispie treats? Of course, we’re making it vegan, a little bit healthier and adding matcha because I’m obsessed. It’s definitely an upgrade from your standard rice krispie treat. The matcha addition gives the treats a beautiful hint of green, and mellows out the sweetness to create a more balanced flavour.
This make-at-home version is actually incredibly easy to make, and you only need a handful of ingredients to put it together. You could make them about a half hour before having friends over or heading to a picnic. It’s also a great last minute dessert to bring to parties that you forgot about until the night of. The best part is, if you have a microwave, you don’t even need the stovetop to make these. I’ll share both the microwave method and stovetop method below.
To make these Vegan Matcha Rice Krispie Treats all you need is matcha, vegan marshmallows, rice crisp cereal, cacao butter (alternatives in the notes), and optional vanilla extract, if desired.
the details
- The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, no-cook, nut free and kid friendly!
- If you’d like a whole food plant based (oil free) version of this recipe, follow this recipe for cashew quinoa bars, use rice crisp cereal instead of quinoa and add matcha.
- It takes about 5-10 minutes to put together, and 30 minutes or less to set, making it the perfect quick recipe for when the hangry hits!
- You can get creative and make shapes of your choice if squares are a little too basic for your liking.
- And finally, the cereal can absolutely be swapped for your favourite cereal of choice to play around with flavours, and textures! Corn flakes and even cereal like cinnamon toast crunch is delicious as an alternative.
secrets to success
For best results, I highly recommend using this brand of vegan marshmallows. They have the best texture and flavour in my opinion, and working with them feels just like working with regular gelatin-based marshmallows.
To ensure that the matcha flavour comes through, I recommend using a quality, culinary grade matcha powder. I personally use my go-to favourite from Ippodo. Be sure to sift the matcha powder in to avoid clumping as much as possible, too!
I tested this recipe using these sprouted brown rice crisps, as an alternative standard brand name rice krispies cereal, but was surprised to find they were lightly sweetened. Since the marshmallows are sweet enough, I opted to use puffed rice the second time around, and although the texture was a little softer than a standard rice krispie, sweetness level was great. Using crispy popped quinoa is another great alternative, as is any other crunchy cereal of choice.
As an alternative to cacao butter, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil. I find that cacao butter is a great whole food plant based butter to use, and it adds a delicious hint of white chocolate-y flavour.
if you like this recipe, try…
Vegan Matcha Rice Krispie Treats (with wfpb option)
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegan marshmallows I recommend mini, as they melt more quickly
- 5 cups rice crisp cereal
- 3 tbsp cacao butter*
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Microwave method: microwave cacao butter and marshmallows in a large, microwave safe bowl at 15 second intervals until fully melted. Stir in between intervals, and keep an eye on it so it doesn't overflow.
- Stovetop method: on low heat, melt marshmallows and cacao butter, stirring constantly. It can easily burn using this method, so keep an eye on it, and stir often.
- Once the marshmallow and cacao butter mixture is melted, sift in matcha powder, add vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, add rice crisp cereal, and fold in melted marshmallow mixture with a spatula until evenly combined.
- Transfer mixture into an 8x8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper, and allow to cool and set for about 30 minutes. You can also pop into the fridge or freezer to speed up the process.
- Once set, slice into 9 or 12 pieces and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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