Healthy Desserts 101: Not Your Mom's Rice Crispy Treats

School bake sales, church potlucks, summer afternoon...  Who can forget the sweet and salty lighter-than-air crunch of these delectable snacks?


Wedding season is nearly upon us, and I don't know about y'all, but I've been wiggling and squeezing and praying my way into party dresses that I bought in lighter times.  I've kissed my Starbucks indulgence goodbye.  Farewell, Grande Soy Mocha Latte.  Perhaps we'll meet again someday.


I'd be going crazy right now, BUT I've got an arsenal of healthy desserts that have way more taste than guilt!


Rice Crispy Treats are well-suited for wherever you're at in the healthy eating spectrum, because they can be as sweet or as natural as you'd like.  Low on calories and a great source of protein, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, these treats can be tailored to meet your dietary goals.


A great Rice Crispy Treat has three things:

base  --  binders  --  ingredients

Your base is always rice crispies.  This is the foundation of the treat.  My favorite brand of rice crispies is Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (Gluten-Free), because it has no cane sugar or corn syrup.  Arrowhead Mills has a Puffed Rice cereal that comes in a bag, but this brand doesn't have a very good crunch.


Your binders are the liquids.  They're the "marshmallow" and "butter."  They make your treat stick together!  You'll need something sweet, and something with fat, like a nut or seed butter.  This is also the place you add your salt.  You can handle this one of three ways:
-pinch of salt
-teaspoon of sweet or mellow white miso
-salted nut/seed butters


Your ingredients are the jazz that make the treat uniquely yours.  They're the fun part that takes this treat from after-school snack to grown-up dessert!

--sweet--

brown rice syrup

maple syrup (just a little, mixed with BRS or it's too sweet)

carob chips (make sure these are vegan and/or gluten-free, they often have add-ins)

note  These chips are from tropical climates and are considered quite yin.  Make sure you find a brand that doesn't use cane sugar, evaporated milk, or malted barley sweetener if you're sensitive to gluten.  If you're serious about trimming up, skip this guy in favor of the brown rice syrup.

--buttery--

almond butter

cashew butter

sunflower seed butter

tahini

dried apricots

raisins

dried apples

dried cherries

note  I chop all dried-fruit finely so it's easier to chew!

roasted sesame seeds

roasted almonds

roasted chopped pecans

note  If you want the flavor of chocolate with less of a calorie boost, melt a handful of unsweetened vegan carob chips and drizzle it on top of the treats when they're done!  You'll use 1/8th the carob but still get the flavor!

Measure 4 cups crispy brown rice cereal and set aside.  Roast any nuts or seeds that need to be roasted.  I add about 1/2 cup of roasted nuts/seeds, total.  Combine nuts/dried fruit with brown rice cereal and set aside.


Measure approximately 1 c. sweet ingredient.  If using carob chips, use a little closer to  1 1/2 cups and be ready to cut smaller portion sizes, about 1" x 1".  This will make a dense treat.  If you're using brown rice syrup, add another 1/2 cup brown rice cereal.  This will make a light treat.


Measure 1/2 c. buttery ingredient.  Use 1 pinch salt if buttery ingredient is unsalted, or 1 tsp miso.


Combine sweet, butter, and salty ingredients in a saucepan and warm over low heat.  If heating carob chips, use a double-boiler to prevent burning.  Liquid ingredients should be steaming and easy to stir.


Grease a casserole pan and spread your brown rice cereal and nuts/dried fruit evenly across the pan.


Pour your liquid ingredients over the brown rice cereal, mixing vigorously with a spoon until pan is evenly coated.


Freeze for at least 2 hours.


Enjoy in moderation!