These delicious, easy and fun vegan chocolate rice crispy cakes are a no-bake treat that is perfect for enjoying over Easter time, or any time of the year.
Rice crispy cakes are a very popular tradition in Britain during Easter with many families having a least one batch on the go 'baking' within the refrigerator.
Kids especially love preparing these tasty little crunchy chocolatey sweet treats which can also be easily made as gluten-free.
Origin Of Rice Crispy Cakes
Rice crispy cakes are originally known as Rice Krispies Treats as the cereal company Kellogg's invented a sweet treat that used their Rice Krispie cereal along with melted marshmallows and butter in 1939.
The Rice Krispies Treats were sold to raise funds for the youth group Camp Fire Girls of America. Chocolate versions were created soon after and became very popular.
Other names for Rice Krispies Treats include rice crispy cakes, marshmallow treats, marshmallow squares, rice crispy squares, crisped rice treats, rice crispy buns or bars, rice crispy nests, chocolate crackles and LCMs bars [Australia].
Nowadays rice crispy cakes or treats are an immensely popular no-bake refrigerator cake during the Easter period, especially topped with mini chocolate eggs.
Vegan Chocolate Rice Crispy Cakes
For this vegan rice crispy recipe Dandies vegan marshmallows are used, along with dark chocolate [Co-op dark chocolate] and vegan margarine [Flora].
However, if you can't source vegan marshmallows they can be omitted for the same amount of extra dark chocolate. The crispy cakes will be extra chocolatey but will still be perfectly delicious!
For the vegan mini eggs I used the Doisy and Dam brand which can be sourced in Asda [UK] or many health shops/stores.
Alternatively any vegan sweetie/candy can be used to decorate the top, including vegan cake sprinkles or even a scattering of desiccated coconut.
Preparing these vegan chocolate rice crispy cakes is easy and quick. If you have kids off school during the Easter holidays then preparing these tasty rice treats is the perfect activity.
If you prepare these delicious chocolate crispy treats then do pop back and let us know how you got on. We will be at home happily munching our own batch of chocolate crispy cakes as we do each year during Easter!
Take care
Jacq x
How To Prepare Vegan Chocolate Rice Crispy Cakes
Slowly melt over a low heat.
Pour the melted mixture into the rice crispy cereal and mix well.
Place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
Sit the bowl into a pot with boiling hot water.
Melt the chocolate over the hot water.
Alternatively melt the chocolate in a microwave.
Pour and scoop the melted chocolate over the rice crispy cake.
Smooth the chocolate out to cover the cake.
Place in the refrigerator to fully set.
Once set slice into desired portion sizes.
Recipe Notes
Rice crispy cakes are best stored within the refrigerator so that they remain firm and crunchy.
Store for up to 4-5 days, perhaps a day or so longer, within a covered container or the baking tray they were prepared in.
Cover the top of the cakes with a layer of kitchen foil to keep the cakes fresher for longer.
Many brands of rice crispies have additives that may be derived from gluten ingredients, such as barley, so its best to check each cereal option, and go with a brand that states the cereal is free from gluten.
The main rice crispy brand Kellogg's Rice Krispies are not safe for gluten-free diets.
Many organic rice crispy varieties also tend to be gluten-free so do check the aisle where those are displayed.
If your in the UK, Asda supermarket does a Free From Rice Snap cereal which is labelled gluten-free.
Unfortunately Kellogg's Rice Krispies contain added vitamin D3 which is obtained from sheep's lanolin.
It is best to look around at your local stores and supermarkets and find an off-brand rice cereal which is free from vitamin D3 or contains Vitamin D2 as an alternative. Vitamin D2 according to the Vegan Society is safe for vegans as it is derived from non-animal sources.
Although there is an ongoing debate whether vegans should have food with vitamin D3 or not, with some vegans choosing to accept the small amount of vitamin D3 present in foods. So this is a personal choice.
If your in the UK, Asda does a Free From Rice Snap cereal which is certified vegan and at the time of writing this post a 300gram box is just £1.00.
Any chocolate that is vegan-friendly and good for baking/heating is perfect for rice crispy cakes.
Do check supermarket own-brands of dark chocolate as many are accidently vegan, so may not be labelled as vegan but still are free from animal ingredients.
The Co-op supermarket own brand of dark chocolate is relatively inexpensive at £1 for a 150gram bar [price is correct at time of posting this recipe]. The Co-op dark chocolate is not actually labelled vegan but the ingredients do not contain animals, and this chocolate melts really well.
Lidl's also do a dark chocolate which is even cheaper at 30p per 100grams [although prices may have risen due to price rises].
So do check around and find a dark chocolate that is best for your budget as the less expensive ones are often just as good, if not better, as the more expensive ones.
This recipe uses the Dandies vegan marshmallows and these melt really well, if not rather slowly!
Dandies marshmallows can be found in Asda supermarket and Holland and Barret health stores, but they are cheaper in Asda.
I have not tested any of the other varieties of vegan marshmallows so can not vouch for their efficiency.
Of course not.
It is traditional to use melted marshmallows but vegan marshmallows may be difficult to source or too expensive.
The marshmallows can be subbed for the same amount of dark chocolate.
Your crispy cakes will just be extra chocolatey which may be an added bonus for some!
More delicious vegan chocolate treats that do not require an oven!
British chocolate cornflake cakes
Cherry, Chocolate and Cranberry no-bake refrigerator cake
Silken tofu whipped chocolate pudding (ready in 5 minutes!)
Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Rice Crispy Cakes [No-Bake]
Equipment
- Baking pan about 11 inch x 7 inch [28cm x 18cm] greaseproof/baking paper to line if necessary
- Saucepan
- small bowl for melting chocolate
- hand whisk balloon whisk/or ordinary cutlery fork, for mixing melted marshmallows
Ingredients
- 160 grams rice crispy cereal such as Asda free from rice snaps
- 100 grams vegan margarine such as Flora dairy-free [not a lite/diet or low fat/calorie one]
- 100 grams dark chocolate
- 110 grams vegan marshmallows such as the vegan dandies brand [available in Asda, etc]
Topping
- 200 grams dark chocolate
To decorate
- vegan mini eggs, vegan marshmallows or other vegan sweets/candies
Instructions
- Prepare the baking pan by greasing with a little margarine and lining with greaseproof/baking paper.
- Chop the marshmallows up into small pieces. Break the chocolate into even sized pieces. Measure the rice crispy cereal into a mixing bowl.
- Place the chocolate, marshamallows and margarine into a saucepan and over a low heat gently heat until everything is melted.
- While the ingredients are melting use a metal cutlery spoon to stir the ingredients a few times.The chocolate and margarine will melt first, so help the marshmallows along by squashing them into the melted chocolate with the back of your spoon.
- Using a hand whisk or a fork, whisk the marshmallows into the chocolate mixture, as the marshmallows may keep their shape even after melting, so may need whisking to finish melting.
- Be careful to melt everything over a low heat and do not boil the ingredients. It may take a wee while to melt the marshmallows but keep at it, it will happen!
- Once everything is melted pour the mixture into the rice cereal and stir well to combine.
- Tip the chocolate covered cereal into the baking pan and press down firmly and evenly. Place the rice crispy traybake into the refrigerator while you melt the chocolate topping.
Melt the dark chocolate topping
- Break the chocolate into even sized pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Place the bowl, with the chocolate, into a small saucepan which has hot water at the bottom.
- Turn the stove ring to low heat and place the saucepan with bowl and chocolate on to the ring.
- Once the water under the chocolate is at boiling point the stove can be turned off as the chocolate will melt within the residual heat.
- Stir the melting chocolate a few times, and once the chocolate has mostly melted it can be stirred quickly which will help the rest melt. [when stirring chocolate I prefer to use a metal spoon such as a cutlery spoon]
- Spread the melted chocolate over the rice crispys, and top with vegan mini eggs, chopped marshmallows or other vegan sweeties/candies.
Set in the refrigerator
- Place the rice crispy cake back in the refrigerator until it has set completely.
- Once set it can be sliced into the desired portion sizes.
- Keep in the refrigerator until required.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Nutritional information does not include the extra sweetie/candy that is used for the topping decoration.
- Store the rice crispy cakes within the refrigerator so that they keep firm. A layer of kitchen foil can help maintain freshness. Store for 4-5 days.
- For gluten-free rice crispy cereal try Asda [UK] Free From Rice Snaps which are also vegan friendly.
- Asda also have Dandies vegan marshmallows and vegan mini eggs from the brand Doisy and Dam.
- The Dandies vegan marshmallows are also gluten-free but the Doisy and Dam mini eggs state that they may contain traces of gluten.
Nutrition
Prepared these tasty vegan chocolate rice crispy cakes?
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Thanks so much
Jacq x
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