These crispy chocolate rice cake bars are made with only 6 simple ingredients and super easy to whip up. They’re crunchy, chocolatey and the perfect healthier treat for both adults and kids! Vegan + gluten-free.

Introducing your new favorite sweet treat: crispy chocolate rice cake bars! They’re basically a twist on my vegan rice krispy treats, but with melted chocolate instead of the brown rice syrup. And let me tell you, they’re so delicious! I guarantee you’ll be hooked after just one bite!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s gluten-free and can easily be made vegan + nut-free.
• It’s completely customizable… feel free to make this recipe your own!
• You only need 6 main ingredients!
• It’s the perfect healthier treat for both adults and kids!
• It’s crunchy, crispy and chocolatey… what more could you want in a sweet treat?!

Ingredients Needed

• rice cakes – you’ll need 8 rice cakes crumbled up for this recipe. My favorite brand is the Lundberg Farms Lightly Salted Organic Brown Rice Cakes, but feel free to use your favorite brand/flavor.
• nut butter – use your favorite nut butter for this recipe! Almond, cashew, or peanut butter are all great options. Look for a brand with just two ingredients – nuts and salt. You don’t need the extra oil or sugar. If you need a nut-free option, tahini or sunflower seed butter would be great options.
• chocolate chips – make sure to grab dairy-free chocolate chips if you need this recipe to be vegan. I love Enjoy Life chocolate chips, which are vegan and allergen-friendly, but I also like Lily’s dark chocolate chips for a low sugar option.
• brown sugar – for some sweetness we’re just using 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. I find that brown sugar brings a deep, caramel flavor to these bars. Coconut sugar would be a good substitute.
• mix-ins – this is where the fun happens! Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins to this recipe. Some ideas that I recommend are goji berries, chopped nuts, seeds, white chocolate chips, shredded coconut, cacao nibs and marshmallows.
• vanilla extract – a nice flavor enhancer. 
• flaky sea salt – the flaky salt adds a really nice topping to these rice cake bars, but feel free to skip this if you don’t have any flaked sea salt on hand. My favorite brand is Maldon flaked sea salt.
• white chocolate chips – this is optional, but I highly recommend melting and drizzling some white chocolate on top of these bars. My favorite brand is Lily’s white chocolate chips. Skip this to keep this recipe vegan!

How to Make

In a large bowl, combine the crumbled rice cakes and mix-ins (nuts, white chocolate chips, etc.). Next, in a small bowl that’s microwave-safe, combine the nut butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals until it is melted and smooth. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the rice crisp mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to an 8×8 freezer-safe dish that’s lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 30 minutes. 

In another microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips (if using) in 15-second intervals until smooth. Remove the bars from the freezer after 30 minutes and drizzle the melted white chocolate over them. Sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top and return the pan to the freezer for an additional 10 minutes to set. When ready, slice into squares and enjoy!

Best Rice Cakes to Use

The most nutritious rice cakes to purchase will be whole grain brown rice cakes. I like to use the Lundberg Farms Lightly Salted Organic Brown Rice Cakes for this recipe, but they also have a variety of flavors like salted caramel or cinnamon toast that would probably be delicious. Quaker Oats also has a wide variety of rice cake varieties to choose from like butter and chocolate.

Involve Your Kids

This recipe is super simple and doesn’t require any sharp knives or the stovetop; which makes it the perfect recipe to involve your kids in!

Get them in charge of measuring and mixing all the ingredients together. If you have older kids then they could help with melting the chocolate and cutting the bars to serve. Everyone will love these healthy and tasty ingredients, so don’t be surprised when you catch your kiddos portioning some ingredients into their mouth rather than the bowl! 😉

How to Store Leftovers

You can store these crispy chocolate rice cake bars in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature, 5 days in the fridge or up to one month in the freezer. 

More Healthy Treats to Try

• Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
• Easy Healthier Butterfingers
• Almond Joy Bars
• Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
• Chocolate-Covered Snickers Stuffed Dates

Be sure to check out the full collection of healthy dessert recipes on EBF!