A nutrient packed superfood crispy treat modeled after Rice Krispie treats! This is what you eat when you've cheated all day and need big bang for your nutritional buck.
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Why Healthy Superfood (Rice) Crispy Treats
I set out to make rice crispy treats with no Rice Krispies, then I realized I can't call them Rice Krispie treats because they're not that. They are, however, modeled after Rice Krispie treats, but that's not what you're getting in taste or nutrients.
I'm not going to tell you these are just like the real thing, because they're not. And to be honest, these are probably more for the "I like to be healthy" crowd because they taste like exactly what they're made of: hemp seeds, chia seeds, pine nuts or sunflower seeds, butter and marshmallows. If you're not familiar with these ingredients, you won't really notice the hemp seeds in taste but their nutrition is wonderful, and the chia seeds don't have much taste either but they provide a crunch. The taste will come mainly from the pine nuts (or sunflower seeds if you substitute), butter and marshmallows.
So don't expect them to taste like Rice Krispie treats and you won't be disappointed. If you do want actual Rice Krispies, check the Recipe Modifications to see how to make them healthier.
Gestational Diabetes Diet
These are awesome because they have a great ratio of protein to fat to carbs. They're so great, in fact, that you could enjoy one as a snack if you really wanted to. But that's only if you're not really that hungry because the portions are small.
They'll satisfy a sweet tooth or they'll make you feel better when you've eaten like crap all day.
Recipe Modifications
For simple, healthy (ish) Rice Krispie treats with added protein, use these measurements:
- 6 Tbsps Unsalted Butter
- 4 cups Marshmallows
- 3½ cups Rice Krispies
- ¾ cup Hemp Seeds
- Optional - ¼ cup or less Pine Nuts
The pine nuts and/or sunflower seeds will be the predominant flavor. The more you use, the stronger taste it will have.
You can substitute ingredients and make any variation of treat. I didn't try all of these variations so you'll have to eye it. You're looking for the mixture to be full and on the thicker side. If it seems the least bit soupy you'll likely need to add a bit more seeds or nuts; otherwise, the treat will be like one big marshmallow with seeds in it.
- Use only hemp seeds.
- Use only hemp seeds and chia seeds.
- Substitute the pine nuts with sunflower seeds.
- Throw in some Rice Krispies so they'll taste like Rice Krispie Treats and decrease the amount of sunflower seeds/pine nuts.
Texture
The recipe provided makes a stuffed and dense(ish) treat - a texture exactly like the Rice Krispie Treats sold in stores. Look at the picture to see what I mean.
I like my treats to be less packed and more flexible, so to achieve this I would reduce the pine nuts to ¼ cup and increase the hemp seeds to 1½-2 cups. Other variations are listed below.
Nutrition Highlights
Talk about a powerhouse treat, right?! Thanks to the superfoods these treats have a terrific balance of macros with amazing iron and high fiber! A few highlights are below.
- Iron helps healthy fetal brain development and natural sources of iron (found in food) do not constipate like iron supplements do. It also helps protect against your getting anemia while pregnant, preeclampsia, preterm birth, Baby's stunted growth, etc.
- Vitamin C helps Baby's collagen and your tissues.
- Magnesium is present too! It helps lower blood sugar. Click here to read about it.
- All of this information was taken from Lily Nichols' book Real Food for Pregnancy. If you're interested in better managing GD, check out her other book Real Food for Gestational Diabetes (ebooks available for both).
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Recipe
Healthy Superfood (Rice) Crispy Treats
- 3 Tbsps Unsalted Butter (omit additional salt if using salted butter)
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 2½ cups Mini Marshmallows
- ¼ cup Pine Nuts or Unsalted Sunflower Kernels
- 1 cup Hulled Hemp Seeds
- 6 Tbsps Chia Seeds
- Heat the butter, salt and marshmallows in a medium sized pot on low heat. Allow the butter to melt completely. The marshmallows will melt but you won't see them melting. Two minutes after heating them, stir the mixture and you'll see they're melted.
- Add all seeds and/or nuts and stir until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a small cookie sheet or casserole dish lined with wax paper. Spread it evenly. Use the wax paper to smooth and shape.
- Allow to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator to expedite cooling. Cut into six even servings.
Trina and Tina
So yummy!