These gluten free rice krispie treats are a gluten free version of the iconic treats, and made with the simplest pantry ingredients. Find out all the tips and tricks to get them just right—plus a way to make them with homemade marshmallows, too!
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What makes these gluten free rice krispie treats special
The web is crawling with recipes for rice krispie treats. Even Kellogg's itself, the company that makes the original crisp rice cereal, Rice Krispies, has a recipe for the iconic childhood treat. Of course, Kellogg's rice krispies are not gluten free, but that's not why I'm sharing a recipe for gluten free rice krispie treats.
I'm here to tell you that my recipe for these homemade treats is better than Kellogg's recipe because:
- The marshmallows to butter to crisp rice cereal ratio is perfect in this recipe (you'll get treats that are soft and gooey enough to pull apart, but not so gooey that they won't hold together).
- I can tell you how to make sure that your treats don't taste stale.
- I even know how to keep your treats fresher longer, so you can make a big batch and not worry that they'll go bad sitting around.
- You'll learn how to troubleshoot your treats and make the best of it if you go wrong
- I also share a way you can still make these treats without packaged marshmallows (make my homemade marshmallow version if you have gelatin and sugar on hand, even if you're fresh out of marshmallows).
How to make perfect gluten free rice krispie treats
Making the melted marshmallow and butter mixture.
- Begin by melting the butter slowly over medium-low to low heat in a saucepan. If in doubt, err on the side of the lowest heat setting on your stovetop.
- Add the mini marshmallows and mix to coat them in the melted butter. Cook over medium-low to low heat, stirring frequently, just until the marshmallows are fully melted.
- Resist the urge to increase the heat to make the marshmallows melt more quickly. Fresh marshmallows will melt smoothly, will be easy to stir once fully melted, and shouldn’t stick that much to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Remove the pan of melted marshmallows from the heat, and stir in the salt and vanilla. Let the mixture sit, stirring occasionally, or until it's no longer too hot to touch.
- Place the cereal in a large mixing bowl, and pour the marshmallow and butter mixture on top.
Combining the marshmallow mixture and cereal | shaping the treats
- Mix the ingredients together with a silicone spatula by folding the cereal into the melted marshmallows, continually scooping from the bottom to moisten all of the cereal.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan, and press the mixture gently into an even layer with a greased spatula or spoon.
- For a smooth top, you can also place a piece of parchment paper on top of the mixture in the pan and smooth the mixture by placing gentle, even pressure with your palms. Don’t pack the mixture down firmly in the pan.
- Allow the mixture to cool, uncovered in the pan, completely to room temperature.
- Remove the treats from the pan with the liner, and turn them over onto a large piece of parchment paper. Carefully peel away the aluminum foil on the bottom.
- Place another piece of parchment paper on the treats, and invert them again onto a flat surface. Peel away the first piece of parchment paper. Use a large sharp knife to slice the treats into 16 equal square pieces.
Troubleshooting your gluten free rice krispie treats
This incredibly simple recipe can be a tricky one if you don't select your ingredients carefully, don't measure just right, or linger too long while your marshmallows are melting. Here's what you should expect if you veer off script, and how you can salvage your treats:
- Your marshmallows were stale: If your marshmallows weren't as fresh as you thought, you'll know right away when you try to melt them. They won't begin to disappear quickly as they heat up; instead, they'll clump together and resist melting. Lower the heat as much as you can, add a touch of water to the mixture to help loosen the marshmallows, and start with half as much cereal, then add the rest slowly and stop when the marshmallow mixture just won't accept more (you may use as little as 5 cups of cereal).
- You overcooked the marshmallows: If your marshmallows weren't stale, but you kept cooking them too long or you cooked them over higher heat than you meant to, they'll start to clump and seize like when they're stale. Follow the instructions above for how to rescue stale marshmallows.
- You browned the butter: If you cooked the butter too long or at a higher heat than you meant to, you may have noticed that it started to turn a pale brown color. That just means that you browned the butter a bit, which can mean a nice, slightly nutty flavor to your treats. It also means that you removed too much moisture from the butter, so if your marshmallows aren't melting smoothly with the butter, just add a drop of water to try to smooth things out.
- You didn't grease the aluminum foil: If the foil is stuck to your rice krispies treats, there's no way to remove it cleanly from the bottom. Try chilling the treats until they're firmer, then slice away the very bottom of the treats closest to the foil horizontally. Go slowly, though, so the knife doesn't slip while you're slicing.
- You didn't let the marshmallow mixture cool: If you add the melted marshmallow and butter mixture to the cereal immediately after melting, without letting it cool for a few minutes, it can make the cereal (and therefore the rice krispie treats) taste stale. The same thing happens if your crisp rice cereal was actually stale before you began. This is the one instance where you really can't fix things, and your treats will just taste stale. It happens!
Gluten free rice krispie treats: ingredients and substitution suggestions
Here's what I know, and what I don't about how to make these homemade marshmallow rice krispie treats if you're avoiding additional allergens:
Gluten free dairy free rice krispie treats
Just swap out the butter for Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or vegan butter from Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen.
Gluten free gelatin free rice krispie treats
If you can't have gelatin, try using Dandies brand vegan miniature marshmallows in place of conventional miniature marshmallows. According to the Dandies website, you should try adding some water to the melted marshmallow and butter mixture. To make your treats vegan, you'll also need to replace the butter with a dairy free alternative like we discussed above, but I'd try Dandies recipe for those since they're probably the experts on their own marshmallows.
Can you make sugar-free homemade marshmallow rice krispie treats?
I'm afraid not. Marshmallows are basically whipped cooked sugar with gelatin added. But you can make them refined sugar free by replacing the 2 cups of granulated sugar with 1 1/2 cups (504 g) honey. The honey will turn darker as it cooks to the softball stage. Stir to prevent burning.
How to make gluten free rice krispie treats with homemade marshmallows
For such a simple recipe, all the specificity and demand for fresh ingredients can make these gluten free rice krispie treats recipe seem a little fussy. Maybe you don't have a bag of fresh miniature marshmallows lying around, but you have gluten free crisp rice cereal, some powdered gelatin, granulated sugar and butter, and still want to make these treats. I have a “treat” for you!
When you make rice krispie treats with a homemade marshmallow mixture, the mixture also tends to be less sticky. And, of course, you don't have worry about exactly how fresh your marshmallows are. The downside? You'll have to cook sugar to the right temperature (which corresponds to the “softball stage”, so you'll need a simple candy thermometer.
Even if you don't have a candy thermometer, you can determine that candy has reached the “softball stage” the old-fashioned way: if it easily forms a ball when dropped into cold water, but flattens once it's out, it's in the softball stage, between 238°F and 242°F.
Here is the recipe and instructions if you'd like to try making homemade marshmallow gluten free rice krispie treats. This recipe variation is repeated in the recipe card below in the “Notes” field. If you'd like to print it, be sure to toggle on the “Notes” in the printer-friendly version of the recipe:
- 2 tablespoons (14 g) unflavored powdered gelatin (if using packets, you’ll need 2)
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) cool water
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 8 cups (240 g) gluten free crisp rice cereal, plus up to 1 cup (30 g) more, as desired
- Line an 8- or 9-inch square (or 9-inch x 12-inch, for smaller treats) baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and grease the foil with cooking oil spray, and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, place 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) of the water, add the gelatin, and mix to combine well. Set the bowl aside and allow the gelatin to swell as it stands.
- Once the gelatin has swelled, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl to use with a hand mixer).
- In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar and cream of tartar, and whisk to combine well.
- Cook the sugar mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches the softball stage, between 238°F and 240°F, on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately, and pour the cooked sugar mixture down the side of the bowl of the stand mixer into the gelatin mixture.
- Whisk to combine and allow the mixture to cool briefly. It will bubble.
- Add the vanilla and salt, and beat the mixture on medium-high speed with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) until the mixture is white, thick and glossy. It should nearly triple in size.
- It is ready when the mixture pours off the whisk (or beaters) very slowly when the attachment is raised.
- Add the melted butter to the marshmallows, and beat again on medium speed until combined. The marshmallows will decrease in size a bit. Add 8 cups of the crisp rice cereal.
- Spray a silicone spatula with cooking oil spray, and use it to stir together gently the marshmallow mixture and the rice cereal. Add up to 1 cup more crisp rice cereal, depending upon how gooey you would like your treats to be.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with the oiled spatula. Place in the refrigerator until set (about 15 minutes), and slice to serve.
FAQs
Rice krispie treats are gluten free if they're made with gluten free ingredients. Since Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal is not gluten free, the packaged Kellogg's brand rice krispie treats are not gluten free, nor are any treats made with that cereal. Any rice krispie treat made with gluten free crisp rice cereal in a gluten-free environment, like these treats here, should be safely gluten free, though. Packaged marshmallows are almost always gluten free; butter is, of course, naturally gluten free. If you're making the variety with your own marshmallow mixture instead of packaged marshmallows, sugar and gelatin are also naturally gluten free.
Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, sitting at cool room temperature in my kitchen, I've found that these treats stay fresh-tasting for 3 to 5 days. Be sure to let them cool completely before slicing and wrapping them, because any trapped heat in the plastic will cause condensation and your treats will go stale.
Yes! I have had remarkable success freezing these treats if they're wrapped very tightly in freezer-safe wrap that keeps them from exposure to air. I like to use Glad brand Press'n Seal freezer-safe wrap, and find that as long as the wrap touches all sides of each treat, they stay fresh and defrost beautifully, without tasting stale at all.
If you followed the recipe as written, using fresh ingredients, be sure to let the treats cool completely before you try to slice them or they will stick to the knife and crumble. Also, try slicing them in one motion with a straight, sharp knife, rather than sawing them with a serrated knife.
Gluten Free Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter
- 15 ounces miniature gluten free marshmallows make sure they are fresh!
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ¾ cups (203 g) gluten free crisp rice cereal I used 365 brand
Instructions
- Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil, or with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and grease the foil with cooking oil spray. Set the prepared pan aside.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the butter over medium-low heat until just melted. Melt it slowly and keep the heat low so the butter doesn’t brown at all.
- Add the miniature marshmallows and mix to coat the marshmallows in the melted butter. Cook over medium-low to low heat, stirring frequently, just until the marshmallows are fully melted. Do not continue to cook the marshmallows once they’re fully melted or your treats will be hard.
- Remove the pan of melted marshmallows from the heat, and stir in the salt and vanilla. Allow the marshmallow mixture to sit for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture is no longer too hot to touch.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the cereal. Pour the melted and slightly cooled marshmallow mixture on top.
- Use a silicone spatula to turn the cereal over and into the marshmallow mixture, continually scooping from the bottom to moisten all of the cereal.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan, and press the mixture gently into an even layer with a greased spatula or spoon.
- For a smooth top, you can also place a piece of parchment paper on top of the mixture in the pan and smooth the mixture by placing gentle, even pressure with your palms. Don’t pack the mixture down firmly in the pan.
- Allow the mixture to cool, uncovered in the pan, completely to room temperature.
- Remove the treats from the pan with the liner, and turn them over onto a large piece of parchment paper. Carefully peel away the aluminum foil on the bottom.
- Place another piece of parchment paper on the treats, and invert them again onto a flat surface. Peel away the first piece of parchment paper. Use a large sharp knife to slice the treats into 16 equal square pieces.
Notes
- 2 tablespoons (14 g) unflavored powdered gelatin (if using packets, you’ll need 2)
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) cool water
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 8 cups (240 g) gluten free crisp rice cereal, plus up to 1 cup (30 g) more, as desired
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
connie says
For an extra added touch, I melt the Nestle (dairy-free) white chips, a little over 1/3 c in the microwave then add 1 T sunflower butter and mix well. Drizzle this over the top and it takes the marshmallow treats to a whole new flavor level. YUM! Of course I fix a big batch and fill up a 9 x 13 glass dish.
Joan says
What size pan do you use and how do you prepare the pan?
Nicole Hunn says
Oh my gosh, Joan, I seem to have omitted that first step of preparing the pan from the recipe! I’m so sorry! I’ve added it in now. It reads: “Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil, or with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and grease the foil with cooking oil spray. Set the prepared pan aside.” Thank you so much for pointing that out!