4-Ingredient Healthy Rice Krispie Treats made with crispy rice cereal, almond butter, honey, and butter. This simple no-bake dessert is the perfect health-conscious treat for summer, school lunches, afternoon snacks, and special occasions that necessitate a nice crunch. People of all ages will surely melt over these rice krispies treats.
If you’re on the prowl for a summer treat that requires zero baking and lights up your dopamine pathways like a Christmas tree, this easy no bake rice krispie treat recipe is for you!
The concept of these 4-ingredient rice krispie treats is similar to the Crunchy 4-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies and the Crispy Rice Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies I posted last summer.
We have a crunchy, perfectly sweet treat with the richness of almond butter and that delectable crisp that is just so hard to resist!
My partner and I both agree that they’re better than regular rice krispie treats.
They’re just so addicting!
To the extent that I found myself hovered over the pan the evening I made them, eating a whole row with a strong inclination to keep going. 😉
This easy almond butter rice krispie treat recipe is far from your standard school lunch box recipe.
What Makes This Recipe Different?:
This easy no-bake dessert recipe is lower in sugar than traditional rice krispie treats, and includes healthy fats.
Traditional rice krispie treats are made using marshmallows and butter, a combination that brings that amazing salty sweet combo and produces an amazing chewy yet crunchy treat that is just a classic sweet treat.
While this rendition of the classic recipe is not chewy (due to the lack of marshmallows), I love that the almond butter adds depth of flavor and nuance to the mix.
Let’s discuss the four simple ingredients needed to make these amazing crispy treats.
Healthy Rice Krispie Treat Ingredients:
Crispy Rice Cereal: The main ingredient in rice krispie treats is crispy rice cereal. It is crunchy with little air pockets, which generates an amazing texture.
I use Barbara’s Bakery Brown Rice Crisps Cereal, which is in the regular cereal aisle at the grocery stores here.
Do note that there is a difference between puffed rice and crispy rice cereal. Puffed rice is much softer, whereas crispy rice is nice and crunchy and airy.
Unsweetened Almond Butter: Taking the place of gooey marshmallows, almond butter is part of the glue that holds these treats together. It is sticky enough to be adhesive, adds fat content (delicious), and hardens in the refrigerator so that the treats solidify and are sliceable.
If you prefer a different nut or seed butter such as peanut butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, sunflower seed butter, etc., feel free to make the replacement. Just be sure that whatever you use is nice and thick and well-stirred.
Honey: The sweetener we use to keep it natural and refined sugar-free! In addition to being sweet and having a great taste, honey is nice and sticky and works with the almond butter to act as the glue that holds these beauties together.
All we need is ⅓ cup for the whole batch, which I find to be plenty sweet. Use up to ½ cup of honey for even sweeter treats. I love that the honey makes a delicious snack to quench your sweet craving yet replaces marshmallows, which contain high-fructose corn syrup.
I’m willing to bet pure maple syrup will work as a replacement (or any liquid sweetener for that matter), but I haven’t tested it myself.
Butter or Coconut Oil: Adding creaminess and lubrication to the rice krispies to make them taste rich and also easy to cut, melted unsalted butter or coconut oil plays a crucial role in spite of there not being very much of it.
Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt enhances all of the flavors, bringing the whole treat together into one cohesive bite of deliciousness. All you need is a tiny sprinkle!
Optional Additions:
Make my dairy-free chocolate ganache to add a chocolate layer to these almond butter rice krispie treats. To do so, make the ganache then simply pour it over the rice krispie layer just before refrigerating the treats. Allow them to set up for the same amount of time (3 hours or longer).
If you love ground cinnamon in your cookies, you’ll also love it in these! Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon if you like it.
Bring warmth and fancy depth of flavor to the rice krispies by adding 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. A splash of vanilla extract is entirely optional but adds a nice twist.
If you’re into chopped nuts, add up to ½ cup to the rice mixture. You can even give it a trail mix vibe by adding dried fruit and chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. Get creative with fun variations of this favorite dessert.
How to Make Healthy Homemade Rice Krispie Treats:
Add the almond butter honey, and butter (or coconut oil) to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring well in between, until everything is melted and gooey, about 60 seconds total. Note: if you don’t own a microwave, heat these ingredients in a large pot over medium heat on the stovetop.
Stir in the crispy rice cereal and gently fold everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well-combined.
Line a 9-inch pan with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray) and transfer the crispy rice mixture to the prepared pan. Spread it into an even layer and cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until the treats have completely set up.
When you’re ready to eat them, pull the bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice into squares. Serve and enjoy!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze these treats in a sealable bag for up to 3 months.
If you love no bake desserts, also try these out!
More No-Bake Dessert Recipes:
- 6-Ingredient No-Bake Cookies
- No-Bake Paleo Lemon Bars
- 3-Ingredient No-Bake Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- No-Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- Keto No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- No-Bake Kitchen Sink Cookies
Enjoy the best rice krispie treats!
Healthy Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond butter**
- ⅓ cup honey
- 5 Tbsp butter or coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- Pinch sea salt
- 4 cups crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Add the almond butter honey, and butter (or coconut oil) to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring well in between, until everything is melted and gooey, about 60 seconds total.
- Note: if you don't own a microwave, heat these ingredients in a large pot over medium heat on the stovetop.
- Stir in the crispy rice cereal and gently fold everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well-combined.
- Line a 9-inch pan with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray) and transfer the crispy rice mixture to the prepared pan. Spread it into an even layer and cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until the treats have completely set up.
- When you’re ready to eat them, pull the bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice into squares. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I made your recipe exactly as written and the finished product has way too much almond butter. Thinking 1 cup would have been enough. Not sure I can cut into bars.
Hi Millie! If you refrigerate the bars, they will slice very easily after they have set up in the refrigerator 😉 Just follow the instructions and you’ll be all set. xo
Could I add chopped almonds and shredded coconut to this recipe?
I think both would work great! I would add about a 1/2 cup of both. 🙂 Let me know how they turn out! xo
This sounds so delicious. I was wondering, can you freeze these as you can with traditional Rice Krispie treats?
Hi Jen! You absolutely can! In fact, that’s what I do when I have leftovers. Hope you enjoy! xo
Would pure maple syrup work instead of honey?
Hi there! I haven’t tested it myself, but I believe pure maple syrup would work just fine. Honey does tend to be thicker and stickier, which is helpful for binding the ingredients together, but I’m betting maple syrup will work too. 🙂 Let me know if you try it!
Would Tahini work well as a substitute for the nut/seed butter in this recipe?
Hi Cindy!
I haven’t tested it with tahini yet, but it should work as long as your tahini is nice and thick (the same consistency as almond butter). In the past, I’ve gotten very thin tahini as well as very thick tahini so it seems like there’s kind of a mixed bag when it comes to the consistency. If you think your tahini has a similar consistency to well-stirred almond butter, it will work great! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!