Healthier White Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats

This is the recipe for the best healthier holiday rice krispie treats! They are easy to make, a delicious treat, and have lower sugar, and better ingredients. This white chocolate peppermint version of the famous rice krispie treat is kid-friendly and absolutely divine!

Perfect for parties, in treat bags, or holiday cookie boxes, and definitely the best in a lunch box or mid-day treat, this recipe has a beautiful holiday twist on the classic version that everyone knows and loves.

You Will Love These Simple Rice Krispie Treats

There are so many reasons to love these rice krispie treats. Most notably, they are melt-in-your-mouth good! Furthermore, the kids won’t be the only ones begging for one of these desserts, you will be craving them all day long, too!

They are the best rice krispie treats. Hands down, you are going to be addicted to this sweet holiday treat and you can thank me or be mad at me later. Haha. This recipe will definitely be on repeat in my house all holiday season long.

This recipe couldn’t be any easier. I know how you feel when you say, “I have no time to make food from scratch”. However, this recipe is perfect for busy moms because you can make it in one pot within 15 minutes or less.

The ingredients are better. I know that kids crave dessert, or at least most of them do. That is why I created a healthier version of the traditional rice krispie treat with health in mind.

Why Are They Healthier Than Traditional Rice Krispie Treats?

Let’s start with the first ingredient, butter. This recipe calls for vegan butter instead. It provides the same texture and flavor as regular butter without dairy. Perfect for vegans and easy on the stomach.

All of the ingredients are from health food stores and I highly recommend that you purchase your items from one, too, if you can. Grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Mothers all have a commitment to not using harmful ingredients such as artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, GMOs, rBST, and artificial color dyes. In other words, I feel better about the rice krispie cereal and the marshmallows coming from these stores.

The krispie cereal I like to use is a brown rice flour version which brings more fiber into these Healthier White Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats. Otherwise, I like to stick to Trader Joe’s “Crispy Rice Cereal” which has only 3 main simple ingredients.

The best swap of them all is the white chocolate layer. I use Lily’s white chocolate chips for this recipe and I love that they care about our health. These chocolate chips are sweetened only with stevia which means there is no added sugar. And, the best part is that you cannot tell because they taste just as good.

The Simple Ingredient List

There’s nothing like a recipe that only has 5 ingredients! This is the perfect recipe for a busy mama!

Vegan butter-I typically purchase this from Trader Joe’s, however, any grocery store carries it. If you can have dairy, feel free to use regular butter for this recipe. Just keep in mind that vegan butter will produce the same creaminess and flavor that dairy butter will.

Rice Krispie Cereal-I highly recommend finding an alternative to the traditional cereal. You can find brown rice versions at almost every store. I like to purchase mine from Sprouts or Trader Joe’s.

Marshmallows-Again, I recommend purchasing these from a health food store that stays away from harmful ingredients. Also, Trader Joe’s has peppermint marshmallows during the holiday season which is a great option for this recipe.

Vanilla-This ingredient provides the perfect touch of vanilla and ties everything together nicely. Use real and pure vanilla extract for the best quality flavor.

Lily’s White chocolate chips-If you are looking for a dairy-free version, you can omit this ingredient. Otherwise, I highly recommend this brand because they are only sweetened with stevia. Alternatively, you can use any brand of white chocolate chips.

Coconut oil-This ingredient is used to help melt down the white chocolate for the top layer.

Pure peppermint oil-This is an all-natural mint flavoring for the topping and the rice krispie layer.

Instructions for the Rice Krispie Bottom Layer

Step one: Line an 8×8 glass baking dish with parchment paper or grease it with coconut oil or butter. Set it aside.

Step two: Add vegan butter to a large pan and heat on medium-high. Immediately add the marshmallows and vanilla and stir constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted and everything is creamy.

Step three: Remove the pan from the heat and add the rice krispie cereal. Mix it all up with a spatula until everything is totally incorporated. Transfer the cereal mixture to the lined pan. Using your hands, carefully press the mixture into an even layer. Now make the white chocolate top layer.

Instructions for the White Chocolate Top Layer

Step one: Add a glass bowl to the top of a small saucepan that has about 1.5 inches of simmering water in it. Place the white chocolate chips, coconut oil, and peppermint oil into the bowl. Mix it until everything is melted and totally creamy.

Step two: Remove the pan from the heat and pour the melted chocolate over the top of the leveled rice krispie treats. Smooth into an even layer with a spatula.

Step three: Put the rice krispie treats into the fridge for an hour before cutting and serving. This will allow the topping to harden and the bars to hold together.

How to Serve These Rice Krispie Treats

If the rice krispie treats have only been in the fridge for about 1 hour, go ahead and remove the dish, cut them into 12 squares, and enjoy! However, if they have been in the fridge for longer than 1 hour, allow the treats to sit on the counter for 15-30 minutes, and then slice them into 12 squares and enjoy!

How to Store These Treats

Place the squares into an air-tight container and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. Allow them to sit out for about 15-30 minutes before eating them for the best consistency.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Michelle