While most people living in North America are familiar with Kellogg's Rice Krispies there is now a Gluten Free version of the classic crispy rice cereal. It seems to me that the original version is slightly sweeter, the new Gluten Free version boasts that it is made from whole grain brown rice and this version has trimmed back on some of the additives still used to manufacture the traditional product.
A blog I follow discussed the troubles one person had verifying that the cereal was made in a dedicated gluten free facility and after going back and forth for a while Kellogg's confirmed that the Gluten Free label was not merely a marketing ploy. There is nothing on the box to indicate that the product is certified gluten free or what else it may be processed with although FDA regulations state that foods must be labeled if they are processed with any of the eight most common allergens.
I purchased the cereal to make Rice Krispies Treats so my children could take them on a camping trip. The girls will not eat them as a cold cereal and I can't say that I blame them. Below is my gluten and dairy free version of the recipe. I have to confess that I reduced both the cereal and the marshmallows however this occurred only because my little nibblers got to the marshmallows before I did.
- 1/2 Cup (4 ounces) coconut oil
- 1 package marshmallows - Kosher marshmallows are expensive and probably don't really add much here
- 6 Cups (48 ounces) Gluten Free Rice Krispies Cereal
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter (Optional)
Melt the coconut oil over low heat, add the marshmallows and peanut butter. When your marshmallows are lump free add cereal and press into a 9 x 13 pan. The recipe on the box suggests coating the pan with cooking spray however I used coconut oil instead. The box recipe does not call for additional peanut butter however I was unsure how the final product would taste without butter. I tested this recipe on my children and their friends. Adults who tried it said they wouldn't have guessed it was gluten free and no one missed the butter. 1/2 Cup may seem like quite a bit of oil. I've only made this recipe once so it may need tweaking however the final product seemed nearly identical to the Snap Crackle Pop treats I remember having as a child.