Last week I needed to bring gluten free desserts to my daughter’s school. As I was thinking about what to make, I remembered the Strawberry Lemon Crispies I recently enjoyed at a local restaurant. The owner, a family friend, brought it for the kids and to my surprise, the bar was happily sprinkled with bright dried strawberries and lemon zest. Fruity, sticky, and delicious, it was just the taste of summer when I was a kid.
For this easy twist on a classic, I crushed up freeze-dried strawberries, a Trader Joe’s staple in my house, and sprinkled lemon zest over the cereal mixture. This nostalgic dessert is virtually recipe-less, as nearly every brand of crispy rice cereal has a recipe printed on the box. It couldn’t be simpler.
strawberry lemon rice crispy treats
Creates approximately 12 bars
6 tablespoons butter
1 16oz mini marshmallow bag
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
7 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries (crushed)
Zest of 1 lemon
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or butter. You can also line the pan with parchment paper and leave a little overhang to make it easier to remove the bars.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add marshmallows and continue stirring until melted. Once the marshmallows are completely melted, stir in the vanilla extract and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, measure the cereal into a large mixing bowl. Crush freeze-dried strawberries (easiest to do this while still in the package) and add about 1/2 cup to the bowl. Stir the lemon zest over the cereal mixture. Next, pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and mix until well coated.
Scoop the cereal mixture onto a baking sheet and press into an even layer. You can also use a spatula, but my kids think it’s fun to use a potato masher (gently!). At this point, I also like to sprinkle a little more strawberry powder and lemon zest on top, purely for aesthetics.
Cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing into bars.
Note: Traditional Kellogg’s Rice Krispies are not gluten-free because they are made with malt, but many store brand Krispy Rice cereals are gluten-free. created by natural paths crispy rice cereal This is also vegan, so you can also use vegan butter or marshmallows (I trader joe’s marshmallows).
What are your go-to Rice Krispie treat add-ins? For years, mine have been brown butter and sea salt. Do you have any other twists on childhood classics? I have all ears!
PS Lazy ice cream and everyone’s favorite strawberry cake.
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
