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.
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Quinoa Crispy Treats
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
Nutrition
Jeanette
What a great idea! I can't eat rice Krispie treats and I love them! I can't wait to try these! I am sooo excited!
Tara Pittman
These sound delicious! I love how healthy they are.
Athena
I have been looking for some nice quinoa recipes and this one is really cool. Definitely going to try it. I can't wait to see what my kids think.
Soonjoo
This looks Delois! I never tried quinoa crispy but I love quinoa. I would love to try the recipe.
Jen Temcio
I love this! I have not heard of quinoa puffs but I am getting them specifically for this recipe!
Sheena Tatum
I never would have thought to make a dessert style food with quinoa. It amazes me more and more how versatile quinoa is.
Tina Grant
I've never tried Quinoa but this sounds pretty good, especially for the kids, and healthy too!
Ada
Gotta love it when picky kids like something out of the norm. These look so yummy.
Nicole Caudle
This looks so yummy. I'm definitely going to try it!
Carissa
These look so festive and yummy! Perfect for the holidays.
Rahul Khurana
I love quinoa as it is very delicious and healthy. These crispy treats just look like some sweet or a biscuit. Must be very yummy to have. Very creative dish to make that i never knew before about.
Garf
I love quinoa and also heard a lot of good things about it. I would love to try making some quinoa crispy treats.
Candy Rachelle
Wow! That looks like an amazing recipe! It looks so delicious and crispy! This is such a perfect snack for the whole family.