These deliciously easy and fun Vegan Chocolate Rice Crispy Cakes are a no-bake treat that is perfect for preparing during the Easter holidays, but they are also great for any time of the year. These cakes are a very popular British Easter treat and kids especially love preparing these crispy treats. Crispy cakes can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free rice crispy cereal and gluten-free marshmallows.
Rice crispy cakes or rice crispy squares are crunchy no-bake treats that are prepared with rice crispy type breakfast cereal, chocolate, marshmallows, and margarine for the base, and topped with a layer of chocolate. For Easter-time they are usually topped with a mini chocolate egg. Our rice crispy cakes are a great dairy-free alternative to the shop bought - Kellogg's Rice Krispie Squares.
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Origin Of Rice Crispy Cakes
Rice Crispy Cakes, originally known as Rice Krispies Treats, were invented in 1939 by the cereal company Kellogg's. This sweet treat combined their Rice Krispie cereal with melted marshmallows and butter.
The treats were initially sold to raise funds for the Camp Fire Girls of America youth group. Soon after, chocolate versions emerged and quickly gained popularity.
Rice Krispies Treats are known by various names, including marshmallow treats, marshmallow squares, rice crispy squares, crisped rice treats, rice crispy buns or bars, rice crispy nests, chocolate crackles, and in Australia, LCMs bars.
Today, in Britain, rice crispy cakes have become a traditional treat during the Easter period, and they are usually topped with mini chocolate eggs.
Rice crispy cakes are prepared with a puffed rice type of breakfast cereal and other names for this cereal include - Rice Krispies, rice bubbles, rice snaps, crisp rice, rice crackles, and puffed rice.
Vegan ingredients for crispy cakes
For our dairy-free rice crispy cakes, we use Dandies vegan marshmallows, dark chocolate (specifically Co-op dark chocolate), and dairy-free margarine (like Flora).
The vegan mini eggs from Doisy and Dam, available at Asda in the UK or many whole food shops, make the perfect topping.
Alternatively, you can decorate the top with any vegan sweet or candy, including vegan cake sprinkles or even a scattering of desiccated coconut.
Of course, you can use any type of vegan marshmallows, chocolate, and margarine that you prefer.
How To Prepare
Preparing these 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.
Our recipe is a great home-made vegan alternative for marshmallow squares or Kellogg's Rice Krispies marshmallows squares.
Step 1: Add the rice crispy cereal to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Place the marshmallows, dark chocolate, and margarine into a saucepan.
Step 3: Slowly melt the ingredients together over a low heat - stirring frequently.
Step 4: Once the marshmallows have melted they may still look solid so they will require whisking to break up more into a liquid form.
Step 5: Once fully mixed pour the mixture into the rice cereal and give it all a good stir to fully coat the cereal.
Step 6: Press the coated cereal into a baking pan and place the pan into the refrigerator to chill.
Step 7: Prepare the melted chocolate topping: Place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and sit the bowl into a pot with an inch of boiling water at the bottom of the pot.
Step 8: Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
Step 9: Once the chocolate is nearly melted the bowl can be carefully removed from the pot and the chocolate whisked with a spoon until fully melted.
Step 10: Remove the tray of rice crispy cakes from the refrigerator and cover the top of the cake with the melted chocolate.
Step 11: Decorate the top with mini eggs, mini marshmallows or chopped larger marshmallows, cake sprinkles, or your preferred sweet or candy.
Step 12: Place the tray of crispy treats back into the refrigerator to set fully.
Step 13: Once set firm the crispy cake can be removed from the tray and sliced into squares.
Recipe Notes
Storing
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 tight layer of kitchen foil to keep the cakes fresher for longer.
Yes with a few changes you can prepare gluten-free rice crispy cakes. First choose a gluten-free puffed rice breakfast cereal as many brands of rice crispy style cereals have additives that may have been derived from gluten ingredients - such as barley.
The main rice crispy brand Kellogg's Rice Krispies are not gluten-free and they may not be vegan either due to the possibility that the fortified Vitamin D they contain may have been derived from animal ingredients [although recipes do change so it's best to check for up-to-date information].
However, many organic rice crispy varieties tend to be gluten-free so it's always worth checking the organic cereals. If you're in the UK, Asda supermarket does a Free From Rice Snap cereal which is labelled gluten-free as well as vegan.
Any chocolate that is vegan-friendly and good for baking and heating is perfect for rice crispy cakes. Do check supermarket own-brands of chocolate as many are accidentally vegan - meaning they 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 and is not actually labelled vegan but the ingredients appear to be plant-based. We find that this chocolate melts really well.
So do check around and find a dark chocolate that is best for your budget as we often find that the less expensive ones are just as good, if not better, compare with the more expensive chocolate.
Image below: Bar of Co-op Dark Chocolate
This recipe uses the Dandies vegan vanilla flavoured marshmallows and although these melt well, we did find that they do melt rather slowly! Dandies marshmallows can be found in many supermarkets including Asda, and the health store Holland and Barrett.
You can of course use other types of vegan marshmallows but we have not tested any others so can't predict how they will react with heating.
Image below: A packet of Dandies Vegan Vanilla Flavoured Marshmallows
More vegan fridge bakes
Fridge bakes are brilliant for those times when you want some home-baking but don't want to switch the oven on. We have a few of our family favourites no-bake treats to share with you - these classic British Chocolate Cornflake Cakes which always make an appearance around Easter time and these Peanut Butter Cornflake Cakes which are perfect for those who love Reece peanut butter cups and our take on the traditional Irish Fifteens are not too sweet yet pretty delicious and for something fun and different these American Ting-A-Lings are great for snacking on while watching a good movie or even for game-day nibbles.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces***
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Rice Crispy Cakes
Equipment
- Baking pan about 11 inch x 7 inch [28cm x 18cm] plus baking paper to line
- Saucepan
- small bowl for melting chocolate
- metal cutlery spoon for mixing melted marshmallows
- cutlery fork or small balloon whisk
Ingredients
Base:
- 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 [or your preferred type of chocolate]
- 110 grams vegan marshmallows [such vegan dandies brand - available in Asda and other stores]
Topping:
- 200 grams dark chocolate [or your preferred type of chocolate]
To decorate:
- vegan mini eggs, vegan marshmallows or other vegan sweets/candies
Instructions
Prepare the base:
- Prepare the baking pan by greasing with a little margarine and lining with baking paper. If you allow for an overlap of the paper you can use the overlap to lift the chilled rice crispy block out of the pan once it has chilled and is ready for slicing.
- Measure the rice crispy cereal into a mixing bowl.160 grams rice crispy cereal
- Chop the marshmallows up into small pieces and place into the saucepan.110 grams vegan marshmallows
- Break the chocolate into even sized pieces and place into the saucepan.100 grams dark chocolate
- Add the margarine into the saucepan and over a low heat gently heat until everything is melted.100 grams vegan margarine
- 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 cutlery fork, whisk the marshmallows into the chocolate mixture. The marshmallows may keep their shape even after melting, so they may need whisking to break them down into the other ingredients.
- 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 pan into the refrigerator while you melt the chocolate topping.
Melt the chocolate topping:
- Break the chocolate into even sized pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Place the bowl into a small saucepan which has hot water at the bottom.200 grams dark chocolate
- Turn the stove ring to a 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.
- While heating stir the melting chocolate a few times, and once the chocolate has mostly melted it can be stirred quickly until completely melted.[when stirring chocolate we prefer to use a metal spoon such as a cutlery spoon]
- Remove the pan from the fridge and spread the melted chocolate over the rice crispy base smoothing it out evenly.
Add the sweets:
- Scatter the top with mini eggs, chopped or mini marshmallows, or other vegan sweeties or candy.vegan mini eggs, vegan marshmallows or other vegan sweets/candies
Chill in the refrigerator:
- Place the pan back into the fridge until it has set completely - at least a couple of hours but preferably longer.
- Once set firm the rice crispy cake can be removed from the pan and sliced into the desired portion sizes - we like to slice into three rows of five so 15 squares altogether.
- Keep the crisp cakes 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 sweet or 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 and use a gluten-free marshmallow.
- Asda stock 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 our Vegan Chocolate Rice Crispy Cakes recipe? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe so do pop back and drop us a comment below and click the star ratings. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks so much! All the best Jacq x
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