Quinoa Crispy Treats

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These Quinoa Crispy Treats are a healthier alternative to traditional rice crispy treats. Gluten free and easily made vegan.

I am a big believer in all things in moderation, but things can get a little out of hand this time of year.

Between holiday gifts and baking, there is way more sugar in our house than normal.

The kids talked me into buying a bag of marshmallows last time we were at Whole Foods, and I had been trying to decide what to do with them.

They asked me to make Rice Krispie treats, but I hadn’t gotten around to buying the cereal.

One day I was standing in the pantry and noticed the Quinoa Puffs and Quinoa Choco-Puffs that had been sent to me a while back from GoGo Quinoa. Since the Quinoa Choco-Puffs are very much like rice cereal, I decided to use them to make the crispy treats the kids were craving.

They didn’t need to know that I was using healthier ingredients. (And every little bit of nutrition helps, right?)

Ground flax seeds were thrown in for good measure, and I was secretly wondering how it was going to go over. (Hopefully, I hadn’t just wasted a ton of ingredients.)

I held my breath when my oldest took a bite because…he is so picky.

I couldn’t help but feel a little bit victorious when they were declared “amazing”. With the marshmallows and sprinkles, no way they are healthy. But at least they are healthier. Moderation, right?

I would recommend using any type of crispy brown rice cereal if you want to give this a try and don’t want to order online.  You should be able to find it at the grocery store.  Finding quinoa pops/puffs can be tricker, and usually requires a Whole Foods trip or online order.

If You Like Quinoa Crispy Treats You May Also Like:

• Quinoa Granola Bars
• Avocado Hummus
• Slow Cooker Almonds
• Roasted Cajun Chickpeas

Recommended Tools to Make Quinoa Crispy Treats:

• Parchment Paper
• Saucepan
• 8 x 8 Pan

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Quinoa Crispy Treats

These Quinoa Crispy Treats are a healthier alternative to traditional rice crispy treats. Gluten free and easily made vegan.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time14 mins

Total Time29 mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Gluten Free, Quinoa

Servings: 12

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

• 4 cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal or any rice crispy type cereal
• 2 cups Quinoa Puffs
• 1/2 cup Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal or finely ground flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon butter or Earth Balance
• 10 ounces marshmallows I used Dandies
• sprinkles optional; for topping

Instructions

• Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine brown rice cereal, quinoa pops and flax seed meal.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and cook until melted, stirring frequently.
• Add melted marshmallows to cereal mixture and stir well. You may need to use clean hands to get everything well combined. (I did.)
• Press mixture into prepared pan. If desired, top with sprinkles.Hide from your kids until they have the chance to set.

Notes

Please note that quinoa pops were not in the nutritional database so nutritional information uses all rice cereal.

 

To make these Quinoa Crispy Treats vegan, use vegan Dandies marshmallows and Earth Balance.  Be patient!  The marshmallows will melt, but it can take a bit longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 0.6% | Calcium: 1.7% | Iron: 3.9%