What are rice crispy treats, really? Marshmallows are simply gooey pillows of sugar that bind cereal to create crunchy chewy treats. This recipe for dairy-free caramel rice crispy treats uses a caramelized condensed milk with sticky brown sugar to create the same effect without marshmallows. As an added bonus, the flavor is richer and has the sweet depth of caramel.
Dairy-Free Caramel Rice Crispy Treats are a Sweet New Classic
This fun recipe for dairy-free caramel rice crispy treats was created by Anita Archibald. She submitted it for The Spring Fling Dairy-Free Recipe Contest that we cohosted with So Delicious about a decade ago. Her creative presentation of a “rice bike” (pictured below) earned her an honorable mention award. We’ve recently updated the directions and have a few additional notes in the FAQs below.
Can I Use a Different Oil or Butter Alternative?
Yes, you can use your favorite oil for recipes. Even coconut oil will work, but it will cause the crispy treats to set up more firmly as it cools. Dairy-free buttery sticks (sometimes called plant butter) add to the caramel flavor, in our opinion. So I wouldn’t hesitate to swap it for the olive oil.
Is there a Substitute for the Corn Syrup?
The best substitute for the corn syrup in these dairy-free caramel rice crispy treats would be golden syrup. It’s a little thicker, but performs well and has a natural caramel-like flavor. Honey could be used, but it will affect the flavor a bit. Agave nectar is another option, but some brands tend to be a little thin and it doesn’t work quite as well as corn syrup for stickiness.
Can I Make these Crispy Treats Ahead? How should I Store them?
You can make them a day ahead. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They won’t go bad, but will start to go stale after a few days. For longer storage, you can actually free these dairy-free caramel rice crispy treats in an airtight container or individually wrapped. They will get quite hard once frozen, so you will need to let them soften at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before eating.
Special Diet Notes: Caramel Rice Crispy Treats
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose the milk alternative and crispy rice cereal that suit your dietary needs. Some brands of crispy rice cereal are not gluten-free and a few are non-vegan as they contain honey.
- 2 cups dairy-free unsweetened milk alternative (see Milk Alternative Note)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup corn syrup
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 9 cups crispy rice cereal
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and milk alternative until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture for a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced to about 1 cup.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, and let the sweet condensed milk alternative cool for 15 minutes. Strain it into a jar or bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.
- Grease a 9x13-inch (or larger) pan and then line it with parchment paper.
- In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the 1 cup prepared sweetened condensed milk you made.
- Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Bring the mixture back to a boil, and boil for an additional 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pot from the heat and quickly stir in the crispy rice cereal until evenly coated.
- Immediately spread the mixture into your prepared pan, pressing it in lightly to even it out.
- Let the caramel crispy mixture cool completely before cutting it into squares or any desired shapes.
Bike Presentation: To make cute crispy treat bicycles, cut the caramel rice crispy treats with a biscuit cutter to make circles for the wheels, and cut triangle seats from the leftover crisp treat pieces. Use gummy worms to make the bike frame and fenders. Cut jelly beans in half for bike lights and use round hard candies for bike bells. Use dollops of icing or melted dairy-free white chocolate for the glue.