You can make perfectly crispy and delicately chewy marshmallow cereal treats without any dairy. These dairy-free Rice Krispie Treats can be made using coconut oil or plant-based butter. They are a perfect no-bake dessert for anyone who is lactose intolerant.
If you are looking for a delicious dairy-free rice crispy treat recipe, you've come to the right place. We took our award-winning Rice Krispie Treat recipe and swapped out the butter with coconut oil (or plant-based butter).
As with the traditional recipe, the coconut oil melts with the marshmallows and is then stirred into the cereal. In about 10 minutes you can have a pan of these treats on the counter cooling. About 30 minutes later, you can enjoy an ooey-gooey, crispy, and chewy snack.
So, let's make some treats.
Ingredients
- Rice Krispies Cereal - We recommend using Kellogg's Rice Krispies as they will give your treats the best texture. If you use store-brand cereal, just be sure to taste it to make sure it isn't too hard.
- coconut oil - I chose to use Virgin coconut oil to make these non-dairy Rice Krispie treats. I personally love the slight tropical coconut flavor that the oil imparts on the treats. If you prefer, you can use Refined Coconut Oil which has a much more neutral flavor. No one will ever know the treats were made with coconut oil.
- OR plant-based butter - You can also use your favorite plant-based Vegan butter instead. If you want to make Vegan treats, be sure to check out our Vegan Rice Krispie Treats recipe to see what vegan marshmallows to use.
- marshmallows - To make these treats, we like to use Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows because they produce perfectly chewy treats. Campfire Marshmallows are good too. Some store-brand marshmallows are very sticky once melted and are difficult to blend with the crisp rice cereal. If you do use them, you may need to add up to an extra cup of cereal.
You can use mini or large marshmallows. See our marshmallow conversion chart for details about measuring marshmallows.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
- extra-large mixing bowl - You want to use a bowl that allows you room to mix the cereal and marshmallows together.
- medium-large (3 or 4-quart) saucepan - I like using a non-stick pan so the marshmallows don't stick too badly.
- 9x13-inch baking pan - If you use a non-stick pan and grease it with butter, the treats will easily slide out of the pan. If you use a glass pan or aluminum pan, you might want to line it with parchment paper or non-stick tin foil.
- silicone spatula - If you grease a silicone spatula (or Spoonula) with butter or baking spray, the cereal treat mixture won't stick. You can also use a wooden spoon but I'd grease it too.
- optional, zip-top bag or disposable pastry bag - Use this or a spoon to drizzle the white chocolate over your treats.
Instructions
Grease an extra-large mixing bowl with butter. Pour your Rice Krispies Cereal into the bowl and set aside.
Spoon your coconut oil or vegan butter into a medium-large saucepan and set it over LOW heat.
Add the marshmallows...
and stir.
Allow the coconut oil and marshmallows to heat, stirring occasionally.
Once about 75% of the marshmallows have melted, remove the pan from the heat.
Stir until melted, smooth, and creamy.
Pour over the bowl of cereal. Scrape all the marshmallows out of the pan.
Fold the melted marshmallows into the cereal until combined.
Pour the cereal treat mixture into a greased square pan.
Gently spread it into an even layer in the pan. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes to cool.
Remove the treats from the pan and cut into squares.
Yes, you can melt the coconut oil or plant-based butter and marshmallows in the microwave.
Place them in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Heat on high power for 1 minute, then allow the bowl to rest in the warm microwave for 3 minutes.
Then, remove the bowl and stir. It might take a bit of stirring to incorporate the coconut oil into the marshmallows. Just keep stirring until they come together.
If needed, you can heat it for an additional 15 seconds, let the bowl rest for a few minutes, then stir again.
Check out our Microwave Rice Krispie Treat Recipe for a step-by-step tutorial with pictures.
Variations
Right after you spread the treats into the pan you can add sprinkles on top. You can even mix them into the cereal treat mixture to add more color and crunch. See our Sprinkle Rice Krispie Treats Recipe for details.
You can also stir crushed freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, or apples into the cereal treat mixture for a deliciously fresh-tasting no-bake dessert. See our Strawberry Rice Krispie Treat recipe for quantities.
We have created dozens of recipes that include mix-ins like Pistachio Rice Krispie Treats, Peanut Butter and Jelly Rice Krispie Treats, Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats, and more. Check them out on our Traditional Flavors category page.
Tips
To make the very best dairy-free treats, do NOT overheat the marshmallows. You want your marshmallows to melt slowly. If they get too hot, they will cause your treats to be too hard.
Do not press the cereal treat mixture too firmly into your pan or your treats will be flat and hard also.
Our favorite tip is to pour the warm melted marshmallows over the cereal in a mixing bowl instead of mixing the cereal into a hot pan. This will ensure your treats taste fresh. A hot pan can soften your crisp rice cereal making for stale-tasting treats. Yuk!
Substitutions
You can use any cereal you like to make dairy-free treats but the recipe quantities will change depending on the size of the cereal. We have created marshmallow cereal treats using dozens of different cereals. Check out our Kid's Cereal Treats recipes for the specific ratio of cereal to marshmallows and butter. Just swap out the butter with coconut oil or plant-based spread in each of these recipes.
Storage
Store these treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze your dairy-free treats in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Check out our How To Freeze Rice Krispie Treats for more information.
Related Recipes
Recipe
Dairy-Free Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- 1 extra-large mixing bowl
- 1 medium-large saucepan
- 1 silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- 1 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan
Ingredients
- 4 ⅔ cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil or plant-based butter
- 10 ounces marshmallows
Instructions
- Grease the extra-large mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, and a square baking pan with coconut oil, plant-based spread, or baking spray.
- Pour the cereal into the mixing bowl and set aside.
- Spoon the coconut oil or plant-based spread into a medium-large saucepan.
- Set the pan over low heat and allow it to begin to melt.
- Pour in the marshmallows and stir to combine.
- Allow the marshmallows to heat, stirring often, until about 75% have melted.
- Then, remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until all of the marshmallows have melted into a creamy mixture.
- Pour the marshmallows over the cereal.
- Fold the marshmallows into the cereal until well blended.
- Pour the dairy-free cereal treat mixture into the greased pan.
- Gently spread the mixture into an even layer in the pan.
- Set the pan aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the treats to cool before cutting into 16 squares or 12 rectangles.
We love creating easy Rice Krispie Treats recipes to share with you and hope you find our tips and instructions helpful. ___ - 
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