The last time I made Rice Krispy treats, both my daughter and I couldn't eat them.  They were too much marshmallow sweetness even for her sugar-crazed palate, and so I sent them off with my husband to work so we wouldn't feel obligated to eat them.  But my kids like crisped rice cereal on occasion, so I figured we might as well give it another shot, this time with a little less sugar and a little more good-for-you ingredients.

I bought a jar of almond chocolate spread at Trader Joe's, which is essentially an almond rendition of Nutella.  You can use Nutella instead or make your own chocolate nut butter if you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby.  And if you don't want to use chocolate, you can always go with a traditional nut or seed butter, like peanut butter, instead.  But either way these rice crisp treats are tasty and better for you than the traditional recipe.

You have the option of adding ground flax if you have it on hand.  It'll add omega-3 fatty acids, which are a great fat for kids and adults.  Just a tip for using flax- you can substitute it in for butter on a lot of recipes thereby cutting out saturated fats and replacing them with healthy fats.  Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for good cognitive function, and are also linked with improving mood and important for cellular function.  This is an optional addition though, so if you don't have any that's fine.

Enjoy!

Kiddo rice crisps
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: 15 squares

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup turbinado or raw sugar
1 cup chocolate nut butter
6 cups crisped rice cereal
1/2 cup ground flax optional nutrition boost

Combine honey and sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan.  Cook until sugar is dissolved.
Add chocolate nut butter to sugar mixture and mix until smooth.  Remove from heat.
Add crisped rice and flax (if using) and stir until combined.
Press into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Let cool completely to solidify, then serve.
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Comments

melissa
04/02/2012 10:12

What about using brown rice syrup for the kiddo rice crisps vs the honey and raw sugar?

Reply
04/06/2012 20:52

I think that would also work great. Rice syrup is a great alternative to processed sugars!

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