Vegan Rice Krispy Treats with Tahini and Dark Chocolate

Name: Vegan Rice Krispy Treats with Tahini and Dark Chocolate
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2/3 cup brown rice syrup; 1/2 cup tahini; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, divided; 1/2 teaspoon kosher sea salt; 8 oz. (7 cups) crisped brown rice cereal; 9 oz. (1-1/2 cups) dark chocolate chips; pinch of flaky sea salt

Jump to Recipe

Sweet, sticky and crunchy vegan rice krispy treats made with tahini and dark chocolate. Think classic rice Krispy treats but all grown up!

Vegan tahini and dark chocolate rice krispy treats on a wooden cake stand.

Have I got a treat for you? A snack attack level 11 kind of treat: vegan rice krispy treats made with dark chocolate and tahini! These are not the classic rice kripsy treats of your youth. No, these are the bedazzled, swanky and cool af aunt to those other treats. Let me explain...

These ooey-gooey, oh-so sticky, sweet/salty tahini and syrup coated crisped brown rice cereal (cuz we're healthy y'all) treats are already elite, but let's, ya know, cover them in sultry dark chocolate and sprinkle on flaky sea salt. Because we can and we will.

What You'll Need

Brown rice syrup - this thick sticky syrup gives these vegan rice crispy treats the same texture and mouthfeel that regular rice crispy treats get from using melted marshmallows. Substitutions: If you eat honey you can try it as a swap for brown rice syrup, otherwise try reducing maple syrup to a thick consistency by boiling it.

Tahini - this nutty sesame seed spread replaces melted butter in traditional rice crispy treats to give this vegan version a creamy buttery taste and texture. Substitutions: Tahini can be replaced with peanut butter or another nut butter.

Maple syrup - add flavor and sweetness. Substitutions: Maple syrup can be swapped with agave nectar.

Coconut oil - use virgin or refined coconut oil depending upon your preference. Virgin coconut oil will have a strong coconut taste whereas refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature so will help the rice crispy treats to set firmly.

Crisped brown rice cereal - make sure to use crisped rice and not puffed rice, which will soften instead of staying crispy when mixed with the other ingredients. Substitutions: crisped white rice cereal like Rice Krispies™ can be used as well.

Dark chocolate - use dark chocolate chips or chop a chocolate bar for this recipe. Rice krispy treats topped with a layer of melted chocolate layer are also called scotcheroos. The chocolate layer is optional and can be omitted.

How to Make Vegan Rice Kripsy Treats

Step 1: First, warm brown rice syrup, tahini, maple syrup, coconut oil, and sea salt in a saucepan over medium heat just until everything melts together. The mixture does not need to bubble.

Step 2: Pour the mixture over the rice cereal in a mixing bowl and fold it with a rubber spatula until the cereal is evenly coated.

Step 3: Spread cereal mixture into a parchment paper lined 13x9 pan. Let the bars set up at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for 30 minutes until they are firm.

Step 4: Melt the chocolate and more coconut oil in a bain marie or bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Pour melted chocolate over cereal and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Optionally sprinkle top with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Let the chocolate layer set up at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until firm.

Step 5: Lift the rice crispy treats out of the pan by pulling up the parchment paper sides. Cut into 24 squares and serve.

Hint: Check out the fun recipe video below and click through to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to be notified when new videos are posted! If you can take a second to give the video a thumb's up too -if you like it of course- I'd appreciate it!

Vegan Rice Krispy Treat FAQs

What rice cereal is best to make these?

Use crisped rice cereal not puffed rice cereal, which will soften instead of staying crispy. You can use classic Rice Krispies™ cereal or look for crisped brown rice cereal, which is what I used.

Can brown rice syrup be replaced with anything?

You can try swapping brown rice syrup with more maple syrup but it is not as thick and sticky so won't give the same results. If you can't find brown rice syrup try cooking maple syrup to a thicker consistency.

More Vegan Sweet Snack Recipes:

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