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Last week, I needed to bring a gluten-free dessert to my daughter’s school. I was trying to decide what to make when I remembered the strawberry-lemon crispy treats we’d enjoyed recently at a neighborhood restaurant. The owner, a family friend, brought some out for our kids, and, to our surprise, the bars were delightfully flecked with bright bits of dried strawberries and lemon zest. Fruity, gooey, and delicious, they tasted just like a childhood summer.
To make this easy twist on a classic, I crushed up freeze-dried strawberries, which are a Trader Joe’s staple in our house, and zested a lemon over the cereal mixture. Since nearly every brand of crispy rice cereal has the recipe printed on the box, this nostalgic dessert is practically a no-recipe recipe. Couldn’t be simpler.
Strawberry-Lemon Rice Krispies Treats
Makes roughly 12 bars
6 tbsp butter
1 16-oz bag mini marshmallows
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
7 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
Zest from one lemon
Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with either non-stick spray or butter. You can also line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of an overhang, to make it easier to remove the bars.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and keep stirring until melted. Once the marshmallows are completely and totally gooey, stir in the vanilla extract and remove from heat.
Meanwhile, measure cereal into a large mixing bowl. Crush up freeze-dried strawberries (it’s easiest to do this while they’re still in the package) and add about 1/2 cup to the bowl. Zest the lemon over the cereal mixture and stir. Then pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and combine until well coated.
Scoop the cereal mixture into the baking pan and press into an even layer. You can use a spatula but my kids think it’s fun to (gently!) use a potato masher. At this point, I also like to sprinkle a bit more strawberry dust and lemon zest on top, purely for looks!
Cool at room temperature for at least an hour before slicing into bars.
Note: Traditional Kellogg’s Rice Krispies aren’t gluten-free because they’re made with malt, but many store-brand crispy rice cereals are gluten-free. Nature’s Path makes crispy rice cereal that’s also vegan, and you can use vegan butter and marshmallows as well (I like the Trader Joe’s marshmallows).
What’s your go-to Rice Krispies treat add-in? For years, mine was brown butter with sea salt. Got any other twists on childhood classics? I’m all ears!
P.S. Lazy ice cream, and everyone’s favorite strawberry cake.
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