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Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

chocolate rice crispies

Crayons!

I used to love crayons. A lot.

I’d entertain myself for hours with a pad of paper and box of Crayolas. My favorite part was probably the built-in pencil sharpener; but I liked the funny color names too. Did you know there was once a color called “Dirty Sneakers”? Or “Dingy Dungeon”?

Sometime around the years of fourth or fifth grade, crayons stepped aside to make room for markers, and later gelly roll pens. (Anyone remember those?) But on my first day of college, we were asked to make name tags… and they gave us crayons!

Everyone was so excited; you would’ve thought they were handing out candy. Or money.

Yeah, that would’ve been nice.

None of this has much to do with rice crispy treats, except that I was at the store a few days ago and spotted crayons on sale for 25 cents. So I bought a pack and threw them into the photoshoot.

school snack

The following is based on my Rice Crispy Treat Babies. I thought the chocolate version deserved its own post. Chocolate should never be just a side note. (By the way, don’t you think Crayola is long overdue for the creation of a “chocolate” crayon? Preferably a scented one. Then again… if they came out with something like that, it could be dangerous; I’d want to eat it! They’re probably better off sticking with the aforementioned dirty sneakers.)

Cocoa Crispy Treats

(can be gluten-free!)

Recipe inspired by these babies.

  • 3 cups rice crispies (I used gf brown rice crispies)
  • 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt (I used salted pb, too)
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp nut butter of choice (For lower-cal option, see calorie link below.)
  • 1/2 cup sticky sweetener ( (I used agave. For low-sugar options, see calorie link below.)
  • optional: 1/4 cup cocoa powder (or your favorite chocolate protein powder)
  • optional: melted chocolate to drizzle over the top

Mix your pb (or other nut butter of choice), sweetener, vanilla, cocoa, and salt. Melt (either in the microwave or stove), then pour over the cereal and stir very well, making sure to coat all the crispies. (For a richer chocolate taste, try subbing chocolate chips for some of the cocoa powder.)  Form into balls or line a pan with wax paper and spread the mixture evenly into the pan. Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the mixture, then press down as firmly as you can. Really press it down! Freeze for at least a half hour before slicing.

See: Lower-Calorie Options

These treats can be stored in the freezer, in the fridge, or loosely covered in a cool, dry place. But, as with the non-chocolate version, the best place to store them is in your tummy.

chocolate rice crispies

Question of the Day:

Did you like crayons when you were little?

Honestly, I think my mom liked crayons even more than I did. Before discovering them, I had a love affair with smelly markers, and I’d always come home from preschool with dots all over my nose. Switching to Crayolas saved quite a bit of scrubbing my face :).

Also: I’m amazed so many people want to be CCK taste-testers!!!

Amazed and excited! But obviously the email idea is not going to work, and there’s no way I’m turning willing volunteers away. So I’m trying to find an easier way to share the recipes. Stay tuned. After figuring it out, I’ll post more info later this week. Thank you so so much to all the volunteers!

 

Published on September 18, 2011

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103 Comments

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  1. Anna @ Food Fitness and Frolicking says

    I loved crayons, and I STILL do! Crayons > Markers anyday. Really.

    Those rice crispy treats look amazing. I’ve always wanted a recipe that doesn’t have a jumbo bag of marshmellows in it..I’m really not a marshmellow fan. But this recipe? Marshmellow free and delicious. I am definitely going to give this a whirl, like RIGHT NOW 🙂

  2. Demelza says

    Hi Katie,

    I didn’t get around to commenting yesterday but I wanted to say that it’s such a sweet idea that you’re willing to let so many people be taste testers for your recipe. Typically, it’s “if you’re in the [blablabla] area, and want a CHANCE to become a [blablabla] taste tester, then [jump through all these hoops]!” It’s so refreshing to see someone who’s willing to let everyone get in on the fun!

    As for today’s question: Crayons (still working out how exactly I pronounce that) were okay, but my love has really always been colored pencils. It bummed me out whenever crayons would get so dull–there was no way to sharpen them!–and markers always left my drawings streaky. Colored pencils were beautiful and easy to blend and I didn’t have to worry about how I would sharpen them.

  3. vegirl says

    Rice crispy treats (the non-vegan kind) were some of the first sweet treats I ever made myself. And I was the little art kid– I thought I would be an art teacher when I grew up! I loved clay, pencil drawing, markers, paint, you name it! My grandparents would always gift me art kits at Chrsitmas ;). And I loved crayons– there is a picture of me at three (I think?) drawing with crayons on the table, which my parents would cover with hugs industrial sheets of paper, that taped the perimeter of the table, so I wouldn’t be able to draw on the table (I would not stay on the paper!).

    One more story: I loved markers, and at five years old, I was infatuated with the Japanese tv series Sailor Moon (you lived in Japan… maybe you know it?). When my mom was gone one day, I decided to draw sailor moon boots on my legs with the markers… yeah, mommy wasn’t happy.

    • Veggie V! @Veggie V's Vegan Adventure says

      Jana: Rice Crispies is a brand name of a crispy rice cereal. Puffed rice will be softer and not yield quite the same result; the treats will be more chewy than crispie. Kellogs makes the Rice Crispies, but I’ve seen other brands of crisp rice cereal in the natural foods section of my local grocery store.

  4. M says

    Ummm… I still Doodle with crayons! I like to do it to zone out and clear my mind 😉 just bought a huge box and I swear, that sharpener is 100x better than I remember!

  5. Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats says

    I absolutely loved crayons as a child. My favorite colors were Tickle Me Pink and Cerulean. I always remember arguing with my mom about getting the box that was big enough to have the built in sharpener because she just didn’t think it was necessary. Once 5th grade rolled around, gel pens were all the rage. I remember decorating my paper bag book covers with them. Also, can’t forget all of the girls doodling their crushes’ names on their hands with them! lol.

  6. Jenny says

    I’d argue that the Crayola mention in this post is highly relevant… I think Rice Crispy Treats are a childhood thing to a lot of people, just as Crayolas are! 😉 Rice Crispy Treats weren’t a part of my childhood (like you, I grew up in other countries; most of my childhood was spent in Singapore, so things like Pocky and [disgustingly] bug-containing lollipops remind me of being a kid [<– never ate one, by the way!]) but Crayolas definitely were! Strangely enough, my mom LOVES the smell of Crayola crayons… They have to be Crayola, too. I wanted to make her a Crayola perfume when I was a kid, but I don't think my dad would like that.

    If I try to make your rice crispy treats… they will be the first ones I'll have tried! I'll definitely try these chocolate ones before the "regular" ones, though. 🙂

    Have a great Sunday!

  7. Amber K says

    Crayons were the best. I loved markers too, but only when they were fresh as soon as they started to dry out I couldn’t stand them. And gelly roll pens rocked! Ahh the joys of feeling young again. 🙂

  8. Synne says

    I just have to ask when you are going to post about you chocolate lava cake you mentiones some posts ago? It’s sounds amazing!!

  9. Paige says

    You should mold dark chocolate into a crayon form and ‘color’ on pieces of white chocolate with it, though i’m not sure white chocolate is vegan?

  10. Janelle says

    Words cannot express how awesome I think this blog is. As someone with a life-threatening egg allergy, related to others with the same, it’s so nice to see a blog so dedicated to helping people overcome dietary restrictions and enjoy a delicious and healthy lifestyle. You are my newest hero.

  11. Lauren says

    I still love crayons! Whenever I babysit, I’m usually the one to suggest coloring books, and I always join in on the coloring fun.

  12. Jen says

    I loved all arts and crafts when I was younger. I went through a phase when I really loved pastels. That was a very messy/fingerprinty phase.

    These rice crispy treats couldn’t be easier to make! I made a traditional batch about a year ago, with a big bag of marshmallows that I had to melt in a sauce pot. Yours are healthy enough to be an everyday treat. I should make them for my brother! It’s his birthday next week.

  13. bitt of raw says

    mmm i’d love to taste these out! i finally found a GF vegan rice cereal. there’s a few that are not labeled GF that have made me sick because they are made on equipment with wheat cereal.

    i used to love crayons until i found out they are pretty toxic. i helped the daycare i used to work at get some nontoxic soy based ones. i’m not sure if crayola has changed it’s act since this, as this was several years ago, but we careful to wash your hands after you color and before you eat that lovely crispy treat.

  14. bitt of raw says

    not sure if this is a repost since the other one is missing….

    mmm i’d love to taste these out! i finally found a GF vegan rice cereal. some that are not labeled GF can be made on equipment with wheat and make me sick.

    i used to love crayons until i found out they are pretty toxic. i helped the daycare i used to work at get some nontoxic soy based ones. i’m not sure if crayola has changed it’s act since this, as this was several years ago, but we careful to wash your hands after you color and before you eat that lovely crispy treat.

  15. Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free says

    I liked crayons, but I was more of a marker person….I liked the way it rolled!

    And what do you mean by “Does anyone remember gelly rolly pens?” I still use them!!! Like everyday! They’re my favorite! And yes, I do use them to take notes and do my homework!!! LOVE them 😀

  16. Veggie V! @Veggie V's Vegan Adventure says

    I used to love crayons, too! The sharpener was the best. But I think it only came in the 64 count box. I always had the 64 count box, even though the supply list required a much smaller box. Ah…one of the perks of being an only child 😉

    I have an idea for your recipe tester dilema. Maybe you could make a few recipes available at the beginning (or end) of the week, and whomever wanted to test them could do so. Then, they could email you their results, or post it as a comment in a special blog post just for tested recipes. I’m guessing you are leary of posting untested recipes for the world to see, but maybe you could put something in the title like, “Chocolate Molten Lava Cake for One – WIP, ” with the WIP standing for Work In Progress. Just a thought…

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I was thinking of something like that too… except I’m too lazy to make up a new blog lol. So maybe just a page that people can click on.

      Also, am I showing up on your fb list now? I don’t know why I wouldn’t be there… I did like your page! 🙂

  17. Aine @ Something to Chew Over says

    These look so good! I love all Rice Krispies treats 🙂

    I was more of a colouring pencils kind of girl!

  18. Moni'sMeals says

    This works for me! I am a sucker for cripy treats!

    I did love crayons and coloring books when I was young (still do actually!)

    Great recipe Katie, love the chocolate you added to these. 🙂

  19. Ellen says

    Did I like crayons when I was little? I love them now! I still draw people birthday cards using them.
    I think crayola should come out with the Katie crayon-it could be chocolate colter and scented and hopefully vegan for you, just in case;)

  20. Shelby says

    I HATE the smell of crayons but I love using them! I even have my own coloring book that my little brothers can’t use!

    Crispy treats are my favorite dessert (besides carrot cake of course) and this chocolate version is just blowing my mind! So tasty!

  21. Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) says

    I used to love crayons when I was a kid…until I ate some, got really sick, and ended up getting my stomach pumped! 😛

    Rice crispy treats are my FAVE!! I definitely need to get some puffed rice so I can make these!! I remember making some from Oh She Glows a while back and randomly blending everything together and it was EVEN BETTER! You should try it it’s sooooo good!! Oh and I LOVE all the PB in this recipe! Sounds like my heaven! 😀

    LOVE YOU!! <3

  22. Alexandra (Veggin' Out in the Kitchen) says

    I may have to try these!! Like I’ve said before, I’m not a big fan of regular rice crispy treats, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the chocolate variety – everything is better with chocolate! 😛

    Crayons, colored pencils, gel pens… anything that can be used to color with, I love! 😀 They bring out the five year old in me 😉

    <3 <3

  23. Jess says

    OMG Yum!
    I just made this with some smashed up brown rice cakes instead of the crispeys and i used a little tahini and coconut oil instead of nut butter 🙂 I dont think i used enough wet incredients but I blended all the incredients together with my mixer which really turned up the rice cakes but ANYWAYS it came out kinda crumbly istead of like a bar because i didnt want too add LOADS of tahini, but it tasted great! I’m gonna put some sultanas and desicated coconut in it tommorow and smash it together abd eat it for breakfast 😛

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Haha that really sounds awesome! I love getting inspired by other recipes and then completely disregarding all the directions and doing my own thing… that’s how some of the best concoctions are made! Yours sounds really fun :).

  24. Jess says

    OH also i used carob instead of cocoa. I find carob has a sweeter flavour..but anyways 🙂 haha come to think of it i really changed your recipe..but i was very inspired by it!

  25. SheilaBmarie says

    These are so much better than regular rice crispy treats!!! I just made some, they’re not even ready yet, but i keep opening the freezer sneaking samples out! Patience? I have none.
    I used Rice Chex (crushed), liquid sweetener, Hersheys Special Dark cocoa powder, half melted banana/half crunchy peanut butter.
    My 30 minutes isnt up yet, but I would definitely say that the end result is a workable combination, If I eat the whole batch before-hand, I would say freezing is not a necessary step 😀

  26. Rebecca says

    I love and still do love crayons. At work, some of us girls will start to color when we’re not really busy. And in college during exams, my roommate and I went out and bought new crayons and books and watched movies to relax.

    I’ve had a craving for rice crispy treats too-thanks!

  27. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says

    I LOVE rice krispy treats and make them in all flavors and ways…butterscotch, choc chip cookie dough stuffed, topped with peanut butter chocolate, you name it, I love them! I am a huge fan and yours are calling my name. YUMMY!

    Crayons, markers, art projects…that was the stuff of my childhood. Getting a new box of Crayola 64’s was the highlight of my back-to-school experience and markers, too. And new folders and notebooks. Loved it all! And now Skylar does. Fun re-living it with her 🙂

  28. Lindsay @ biking before bed says

    I was also a victim of the marker colored nose:) I think my favorite Crayola color was dazzle dazzle rose. If you are ever in the Philadelphia area I would highly recommend the Crayola museum. It’s like a crayon fantasy land. And the gift shop is amazing.

  29. Tara says

    I love crayons and rice krispies – both childhood favorites! i always loved buying the really big packs of crayola crayons in all kinds of crazy colors. My favorite was periwinkle!

  30. Alyssa says

    I’m 42 and still love crayons! Thankfully I have kids, so I can justify my crayon habit.
    When I teach at a college, I have the students use the nice-smelling markers. It makes them SO happy! Which makes me happy.

  31. Robin says

    These look super delicious. When I was little I loved to eat ricecrispies, especially the marshmallow flavour, and i loved crayons too. I used to have a huge collections, and could spent hours doodling with them.

  32. Kathy says

    The crispy treats look yummy and delish!
    I love crayons, but colored pencils are a heart-taker for me. I just think they’re more neat, and the colors aren’t as dark but then again, I was never really good at coloring with crayons!

    Ooh, and I saw your Pinterest account. You actually repinned one of my posts ^^

    http://milk-and-tea.blogspot.com

  33. Marianne says

    I’m all about the pencil crayons – they are like, the ultimate for colouring, shading, drawing, etc. So much more versatile than crayons and markers. I loved that we got to use them so much in art class 🙂

  34. Carissa says

    I loved crayons. I had the 96 box and I’d get mad if people didn’t put them back in the slot they were in. My mom used to peel back the paper to sharpen them and I hated that, too! I guess I was a picky child… And those gel pens! There were so many cool colors! After awhile they would start to skip when I wrote with them, probably cause they were old, and then I gave up and went back to ballpoint.

  35. LizAshlee says

    I love rice crispy treats…I don’t know if I prefer chocolate or original more…which is odd, I would think I would have gone with chocolate. 🙂

    I still love to color!! 🙂

    Happy Monday!

  36. Kate (Bread & Chocolate) says

    Ok, the temptation of your beautiful photos is killing me! We need a CCK shop, so I can order a batch of rice krispy treats and all your other chocolate creations!

  37. Kaitlyn@TheTieDyeFIles says

    The crayons were such a cute addition to the shoot! I used to love crayons (only Crayola, of course) until I discovered colored pencils. They were so much neater and more professional-looking for the 7 year old artist in me!

  38. Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says

    Ohh chocolate covered rice krispies sound incredible! Sometimes I get an intense rice krispy craving so this will be perfect! And I used to love getting a new box of crayons when the school year started- I remember being so excited to get the 64 crayon box or the 101 crayon box (with the built in sharpener) haha oh man, so many memories!

  39. Katharina says

    So I just made these and I had to make more of the nut butter mix because that alone was so delicious! They are sitting in the freezer now and I can’t wait to try them 😀 I’m using puffed cereal since that’s what I have on hand, and I’m glad that I finally found a great use for them.

    XOXO!!!

  40. Jessica says

    Hi Katie,

    I made these last night for a coworkers birthday. I usually get scared when I make healthy treats for people who might not necessarily appreciate them, so I added a tablespoon of coconut oil in hopes to make them a little “naughtier” (figured because “normal” rice crispy treats call for butter, this would work).

    I would like to report that they are awesome. Better than real rice crispy treats. 🙂

  41. Kerry says

    I just made these, and they are delicious! I followed your recipe exactly, and they came out perfect – SO much better than a regular rice crispy treat! Next time I think I’ll try using your banana butter in these. I love the peanut butter – banana – chocolate flavor combination. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

  42. Sondra says

    I loved crayons when I was a kid, but what I really loved was those double-sided scented markers with the pointy end on one side and the stamp on the other. I used to have a package of like 50 different colors and scents… I kid you not they had at least 3 different chocolate scents- tootsies (a kind of caramel color) peppermint bon bon (smelled like mint chocolate chip ice cream, bright green) and VELVET FUDGE (which is a really fancy name for a kids marker don’t you think?) I used to “draw” a bakery and make my little sister pay me to buy my goods- which of course meant I’d draw her a cookie, she’d give me a quarter..

  43. Megan says

    Made these yesterday! They are so good. I’m having a hard time keeping my hands off of ’em! I was out of Rice Crispies, so I improvised with Cherrios a bit crushed up. Not as good I’m sure, but still delish. Actually, I could have eaten the filling alone! And I’m wondering how it would taste doubled and eaten like fudge? Hmmmmm….

  44. n says

    Hey, these look good! what size pan is best for this recipe? how many does this recipe make? Im wondering if I need to double it to take it over to a friends house for dessert 🙂

  45. lily says

    i don’t know if anyone has suggested it, but i just made a batch of these with lots of shredded
    coconut added, and they were absolutely delicous!

  46. Mary says

    I made these using PB2 peanut butter. I substituted oatmeal in place of the rice crispies. Absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

  47. MegP says

    It might be hard to get through University as a vegan but not when you have these!! I just re-pinned this recipe on Pinterest but I’ve probably made these more times then I can remember in the past three years, they also frequently arrive as carepackages from my mom in the mail since we both can’t get enough!!

  48. Allie says

    My pb/choc/agave mixture seized up in the microwave, and I didn’t even heat for very long. So the mixture wouldn’t pour over the krispies….it was super clumpy and now the bars need to be eaten with a spoon because they are so crumby! Did I do somehting wrong? (The taste was super yummy though!)

  49. Hungry Heather says

    Deeelish! I made this with sugar-free organic rice puffs and natural creamy PB. They haven’t gotten to the squishing step. Lol! They go great with Almond Breeze almond/coconut milk.

  50. Bird says

    This recipe is amazing, I’m in love, it’s going to be the most perfect warm weather treat. I have made it twice and perfection. I found that adding chocolate chips in with the cereal and then pouring the stuff over it all gives you little extra bites of chocolate that are divine. Thank you for this Katie!

  51. Lisa says

    I just wanted to let you know that I made this this evening with seven-grain puff cereal and the whole family loves them. You have a great blog — I look forward to trying more recipes! Thanks!

  52. Lori Hoch Stiefel says

    Holy moly! This recipe just sent me to chocolate heaven and I am NEVER coming back! Followed the recipe exactly except I didn’t use peanut butter. I had made a batch of crazy nut butter (4 cups altogether of almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews, lightly toasted and blended in the vitamix) earlier in the day and I used that instead. I really don’t want to share it with my kids, or the guests I am having over for dinner. That’s okay, right?

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