Vegan recipes for a kinder lifestyle

Cherry Peppermint Rice Crispy Treats

Two of the favorite flavours of the season, cherry and peppermint, are combined to make these rice crispy treats festive, fun and super yummy! They’re also very easy to make and a nice change from cookies.

After a year of lockdown overindulging in sugar laden baked treats I really wanted a break this holiday. Less prep and baking, less calories and lighter treats. I was inspired to make these no bake cherry and peppermint treats after finding Dandies vegan peppermint marshmellows for sale at my favorite online vegan store. I haven’t make rice crisp squares for a long time so I decided to give them a try.

Cherry and peppermint are very complimentary flavours and make these treats festive and special, perfect for the holidays. It did require me buying a few specific ingredients, but these treats are completely worth the little bit of extra effort, and will make your holidays even sweeter and fun.

Making Cherry Peppermint Rice Crispy Treats

Making these yummy treats is very easy. The process is the same as making regular rice crispy treats although the ingredients are slightly different. I use vegan butter and Dandies vegan peppermint marshmellows which comes in a cute 227 gram bag, the perfect size for making this small batch recipe. If you have a large family or party to feed you will probably want to double the recipe. Peppermint Dandies can be found at your local vegan or health food store, or online. Cherry candy canes can easily be found at any large supermarket.

Once you have your ingredients, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Then you add in the rice crispies and crushed candy canes. While mixture is still hot, press into a prepared pan and that’s it! Let them cool and then cut into 16 small squares.

This is a small batch recipe but you can easily double it if you are feeding a family or want more for gifting and sharing. They also go very quickly and are so delicious you might want to keep them all for yourself!

A new holiday favorite

The best part of Christmas are the traditions and recipes that we remember and cherish through the years. Creating new favorites and traditions is a part of that and finding new recipes as well. These festive rice crispy squares have become one of my favorite Christmas recipes and I hope they will become a favorite of yours as well. Enjoy!

Cherry Peppermint Rice Crispy Treats

Course: Dessert, Treats
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Keyword: cherry, christmas recipes, holiday recipes, peppermint, rice crispy squares, rice crispy treats, vegan holiday desserts
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Cooling Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 16 small squares
Calories: 65kcal
Author: unarosevegan
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 227 g vegan peppermint flavored marshmellows
  • 2 1/2 cups rice crispies cereal
  • 1 cherry favored candy cane crushed
  • 1 peppermint flavored candy cane crushed

Instructions

  • Crush candy canes by breaking them into small pieces and placing them in a heavy duty freezer bag. Break them into smaller pieces by pounding them with a rolling pin or a mallet. After they are in small pieces roll them with a rolling pin to further crush them. Once crushed pour into a small mixing bowl and set aside.
  • Melt the vegan butter over medium high heat in a pan. Stir it while it melts to prevent burning.
  • Once the butter has melted, add the marshmallows and stir until they have melted.
  • Once the marshmellows are melted remove from heat and add the rice crispies and crushed candy canes. Stir well until everything is well mixed.
  • While still warm press into the prepared 8×8 pan. Press down firmly and make sure the squares are even. Let cool.
  • Once cooled, cut into 16 small squares. Serve and refrigerate or freeze for later.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Square | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.82g | Fat: 1.06g | Saturated Fat: 0.77g | Sodium: 29.43mg | Potassium: 6.48mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 6.68g | Vitamin A: 43.5IU | Vitamin C: 2.91mg | Calcium: 0.81mg | Iron: 1.41mg