Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With These Delectable Vegan Superfood Matcha Rice Krispies Treats

Looking for a healthy way to get your sweet tooth fix this St Patrick's Day that won't leave your liver trying to detox massive amounts of green food dye and refined sugar all at the same time? We've got you.

If the thought of sinking your teeth into a gooey-sweet rice krispies treat induces a little childhood nostalgia (in a good way) you'll be thrilled to learn they can actually be made with your health in mind, and better yet, still taste amazing. Traditionally the recipe calls for plenty of marshmallows, which are made with gelatin, meaning they're definitely not vegan. And while vegan marshmallows do exist, we weren't too thrilled to learn that they are made with carrageenan, an algae-based thickening agent which sounds okay on paper, but has been linked to inflammation of the gut. 

This recipe, on the other hand, is totally vegan, much lower in sugar, and is also gluten-free! It features a combination of Organic Crispy Rice Cereal, brown rice syrup (which is ultra thick, sticky, and perfect for binding), and Stone Ground Whole Coconut Butter, which adds creaminess, healthy fats that our bodies need to thrive, and also helps hold everything together. The combination is delicious and nutritious! Matcha was the perfect ingredient to add both a pop of muted green and also infuse the recipe with added antioxidants, not to mention a little caffeine boost. Matcha is also rich in an amino acid called L-theanine which has been shown to help improve brain function by reducing anxiety and calming the mind. Perfect for a mid-afternoon sweet treat that is energizing and nourishing and won't leave you with a blood sugar crash an hour later. 

The Recipe

Vegan Superfood Matcha Rice Krispies Treats

Makes 1, 8" x 8" brownie pan

Ingredients

6 cups of Organic Crispy Rice Cereal (We used Nature's Path)

3/4 cup brown rice syrup

3/4 cup Dastony Stone Ground Whole Coconut Butter, gently melted

1/4 cup coconut oil, gently melted

1.5 tsp matcha powder (use culinary grade, which is much more affordable for food)

2 Tbs hemp seeds

2 tsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Instructions

1. Using a double boiler method, gently melt the coconut butter and coconut oil in a heat safe bowl until liquid
 
2. Add the vanilla and matcha powder to liquid coconut butter/oil mixture and stir well until the matcha is evenly dispersed.

3. In a separate bowl, combine Organic Crispy Brown Rice Cereal, salt, hemp seeds, and chia seeds together, and mix well.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring brown rice syrup to a boil then remove from heat. The texture will immediately start to thin out. 

5. Next, pour the coconut butter mixture into the pan with the brown rice syrup. Stir until thoroughly mixed together. Immediately go to the next step before it has a chance to cool and thicken...

6. Dump the liquid coconut butter brown rice syrup mixture into the bowl with the cereal and seeds and mix well. 

7. Scoop mixture into a brownie dish of your choosing (we used 8" x 8" for thicker squares), and press down/even it out with the back of a large spoon. Let cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set before slicing.