Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

Guys, these are just fun. period.

Your kids will love helping you make them. They’ll love helping you eat them too! (so will your husband)

Plus, you only need four ingredients.

The traditional rice crispy treat recipe is made with marshmallows, which holds them together. But we all know that marshmallows are full of processed ingredients. So I wanted to try making a healthier alternative. I don’t believe we need to give up the fun treats we remember as kids. But I definitely think we can use better ingredients to make them!

**GET MY FREE SIMPLE MEALS STARTER GUIDE:Begin creating an easy meals system in 3 simple steps – Sign Up Here To Get It

In order to hold the chocolate rice crispy treats together, we’re using a secret ingredient: it’s Sunbutter!

If you’re not familiar with Sunbutter, it’s a nut-free alternative to peanut butter that is made with sunflower seeds. I talk a lot about it here on the blog because all of my recipes are nut-free. But if you prefer to use a nut butter (like peanut butter or almond butter) that will work in this recipe as well.

I made these chocolate rice crispy treats with my daughter. The recipe is so simple and easy for kids to help out with. We used Kellogg’s Whole Grain Brown Rice Krispies as the base for the recipe. They’re a healthier alternative to the original rice krispies because they use brown rice and less sugar. There are plenty of organic brown rice cereals out there now too! We had one at our local grocery store, but it was $9.00. And a cereal that costs $9.00 isn’t really in our grocery budget, so I was happy to find this Kellogg’s cereal as an alternative to the original.

For us, being healthy isn’t about being perfect. It’s about doing the best you can within your budget.

If you remember making rice crispy treats as a child, the process here is pretty similar. First you mix the Sunbutter (or nut butter), maple syrup, and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Then you melt it either in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.

Add all the ingredients, including Rice Krispies to a big bowl and mix it together. Then, press it firmly down on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least an hour. Once they’ve had a chance to freeze, cut the squares using a knife or pizza cutter and they’re ready to eat. So easy!

This recipe was a big hit in my house. The whole family loved them! I think yours will too. They’re so simple to make and I love that the kids can join in on making them easily.

These chocolate rice crispy treats are a healthier alternative to the old recipes we remember as kids. But you’ll love the update! The Sunbutter adds a great taste without all the stickiness that marshmallows used to make. They’re great for kids and adults. If you make them once, your family will be asking for them again.