Get ready for a whole week of Easter Treats! First up, Brown Rice Crispy Treat Easter Eggs, both gluten-free and vegan!
Aren’t they cute!?!
Somehow Easter has surpassed Christmas in our house. Noah is obsessed with the easter bunny and all easter brings. I don’t know about you, but the Easter bunny creeps me out a bit! Last year I kept my distance, but Noah couldn’t keep his eyes off the guy!
Easter can be tricky to manage nutritionally, sugar laden, artificially dyed candy by the boat loads! I’m not a mom who is overly restrictive with myself or my family, but I try my hardest to keep the holidays healthier. Our easter bunny brings a lot of dark chocolate, little toys and books…and this year he’s bringing these decorative brown rice crispy treat easter eggs!
I found the recipe at Eating Bird Food, a beautiful and inspirational blog on healthy eating. I altered the original recipe just slightly and changed the form of the traditional rice crispy treat into an easter egg by using a plastic egg as a mold. A little messy, but incredibly easy to do! I saw the original idea on The Pioneer Woman blog, so creative!
This was the first time I have tried using brown rice syrup in a recipe. It is super sticky (which makes this recipe work so well) and mildly sweet. I will definitely be trying it out in other recipes soon! Puffed or crispy brown rice cereal (similar to Kellog’s Rice Crispy Cereal, but made with brown rice) can be found at Whole Foods or your local health food store, other brands that make it are Erewhon and Barbara’s.
- ⅔ cup brown rice syrup
- ¼ cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups crispy brown rice cereal
- all-natural cooking spray
- ½ cup enjoy life dark chocolate chips
- naturally dyed sprinkles
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan over very low heat, melt together brown rice syrup, peanut butter, coconut oil and vanilla extract until creamy and pourable.
- In a large bowl add brown rice cereal and pour in brown rice and peanut butter mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Spray a small plastic easter egg with all-natural cooking spray. Scoop mixture into easter egg and close firmly, molding rice crispy treats into an egg shape. Place on parchment paper and store in a cool area to harden. Let set for at least an hour.
- Once eggs are hardened, melt chocolate in a double boiler. Dip rice crispy eggs into chocolate and return to parchment paper. Add sprinkles and let chocolate set.
- Enjoy!
