Rice Cereal Treats

One of the common blunders we made when first going gluten free is not understanding the hidden ingredients which may contain gluten. It's so easy to not realize that a simple ingredient has gluten. Take Rice Krispies as an example. You would think that a rice based cereal would be gluten free - it's not! Rice Krispies contain barley malt and barley contains gluten - so this is NOT a gluten free cereal.  You can purchase a substitute cereal which IS gluten free calledKoala Crisp. Our store carries the cocoa version, but it also comes in the plain rice variety.  We decided to make Cereal Treats made from Koala Crisp tonight as our weekly treat. I added peanut butter to give it some extra protein and to complement the cocoa flavoring in the cereal. Doodle said they were delicious!

Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Treats

2 Tbsp Dairy Free Butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
40 Marshmallows
1 Package Koala Crisp Rice Cereal

1. Melt butter substitute and peanut butter over low heat in a large pan.  Add in mrshmallows and stir constantly until marshmallows are dissolved.
2. Stir in Rice Cereal until completely mixed.
3. Season a 9 x 13 inch pan with butter substitute and season your hands. Spread marshmallow mixture evenly in pan. Allow to cool.

I topped these treats with some dairy free chocolate chips and cut them into large squares for dessert.  The chocolate melted into the knooks and crannies of the bars and tasted wonderful!

If you're looking for a great gluten free cereal that doesn't break the bank - try Chex! General Mills has recently made many of their rice based Chex cereals gluten free. Doodle loves the Honey variety and the Cinnamon variety. Beware of the chocolate version if you are diary free, as this product contains dairy!