February 13, 2023

Champagne and Strawberry Rice Crispy Treats

Happy Valentine’s Day, my sweets! To celebrate, I have a recipe for you that’s sweet and pink- what more could you want? It’s strawberry rice crispy treats, made with the added flavor of champagne and cashews. They’re vegan and gluten free, the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and no marshmallows are needed. They’re a wonderful way to show some love- give to your partners, family, friends, or show a little self-love and make yourself a batch today.

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Are Marshmallows Vegan?

Although the soft and fluffy sugar pillows might not seem pretty harmless, marshmallows are not vegan. They’re not even vegetarian! Marshmallows contain gelatin, which is made with the tendons, ligaments, bones, and skins of animals, typically from cows and pigs. Those are boiled in water to create the thick and glue-like gelatin, which is added to marshmallows, puddings, jello, ice cream, candies, and even non-food products like shampoos and medications. A good alternative to gelatin in recipes is agar agar, which has a similar gelling quality but is made from seaweed instead of animals. There are a few brands of vegan marshmallows where no gelatin is used- Trader Joe’s sells one, as does the company Dandies. You can find some great vegan marshmallow options here.

Looking for Vegan Strawberry Recipes? Try one of these!

Looking for Gluten-Free Vegan Dessert Recipes? Try one of these!

How to Make Champagne Strawberry Rice Crispy Treats

Although traditional rice crispy treats use marshmallows to stick the puffed rice cereal together, you don’t actually need it. We made these rice crispy treats with corn syrup, sugar, and vegan butter to serve in place of the marshmallows and bind the cereal together. But to start it off, we need to reduce our sparkling rose. Champagne, or sparkling wine, is not necessarily vegan. Interestingly it’s often because of the use of gelatin, which is the same reason marshmallows aren’t vegan. You can find a few good brands of vegan champagne here, or you can search the brands you’re interested in on Barnivore to find out if they’re vegan or not. For this recipe you will need a cup of Rose to keep with our pink theme. Put your sparkling wine on a saucepan on the stove, and bring it to a boil, cooking it down until there is only about a quarter cup remaining. This gives you a concentrated champagne flavor without adding too much moisture, which might result in soggy rice crispy treats (and no one wants that). To the reduced wine we will be adding sugar, corn syrup, and vegan butter, and boiling it together for just one minute. The sticky sugar mixture will dry and harden, acting like a glue to bind all the cereal together.

Speaking of the cereal, you will need 6 cups of puffed rice cereal, along with some cashew pieces and a bag of freeze-dried strawberries for this recipe. You want to crush the strawberries a little, so they are in smaller pieces but not to the point of being powdered. I didn’t do so in this recipe, but if you wanted to add chocolate chips in as well that would be delicious, even more so if you can get your hands on some white chocolate chips- I would go for 1/4-1/2 a cup. Mix it all together, and pour the sugar mixture on top. You’ll want to stir well, using a folding motion, so all of the cereal gets coated well with the sugar. Anything without sugar won’t be sticking to your treats. Then transfer all of it to a baking sheet lined with wax paper (or parchment paper, if that’s what you have). Use a silicone spatula to press and flatten all of the puffed rice into a compact single layer. For a little bit of floral magic, you can garnish with edible rose petals or powdered rose leaf. And now the hardest part- you really have to wait. Unlike rice crispy treats held together with marshmallows, these strawberry rice crispy treats won’t set until they’ve had the time to cool and harden fully. You might want to set them aside until the next day, if you have the patience, or at least give them a couple hours in the fridge. Once cool to the touch, they can be sliced, eaten, and enjoyed. Extras should be stored in an airtight container, and will be find for a few days at room temperature.

Champagne and Strawberry Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients

6 cups puffed rice cereal
1.2 oz. package of freeze-dried strawberries, crumbled slightly
½ cup cashew pieces
1 cup pink sparkling wine
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
2 tbsp. plant-based butter

Instructions

Place the cereal, freeze dried strawberries, and cashew pieces in a large bowl and mix. Line a 9x12 inch glass baking dish with wax paper and set aside.
Place one cup of sparkling wine in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine reduces to ¼ cup. Keep an eye on it, or you risk the wine burning. Once the wine is reduced enough add the sugar, corn syrup, and plant-based butter. Let the sugar and butter melt, stirring, and bring the mixture up to a boil. Let boil for one full minute, and then remove from the stove and pour over the puffed rice mix.
Stir well, until all of the rice cereal is coated with the syrup- make sure there aren’t patches of dry cereal on the bottom. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking sheet and use a silicone spatula to pack down the cereal into a flat, even layer. Leave the dish on the counter, or move to the fridge. Allow it to cool fully before cutting, otherwise it will not hold together. Cut into even pieces, and enjoy!

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