Strawberry Brown Rice Crispy Bars

This may just be the perfect Valentine’s Day treat! It’s simple, it’s festive, and it’s slightly healthier than your average rice crispy bar thanks to brown rice crisps! To add a Valentine’s Day touch to this traditional recipe, I’ve added crushed freeze dried strawberries to the mix! I love this combination! The freeze dried strawberries give off just the right amount of strawberry flavor without completely overpowering the marshmallow goodness we all love. They also turn the marshmallows a lovely light pink color also making them perfect for sharing this Valentine’s Day!

ingredients:

3 tbs Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (can substitute with margarine)

6 cups mini marshmallows

2/3 cup freeze dried strawberries, crushed

6 cups crisped brown rice

*optional: 1 scoop collagen powder (I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides)

directions:

Lightly grease a 9” x 13” baking dish with coconut oil or coconut oil cooking spray.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the margarine. Once melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until completely melted. Add crushed freeze dried strawberries to the melted marshmallows and stir until combined. Marshmallows should be slightly pink colored. If adding collagen powder, add now and stir until combined. Add brown rice crisps to marshmallow mix and stir until just combined and all the crisps are coated with marshmallow.

Immediately remove from heat and pour mixture into the greased baking dish. Using the back of a lightly greased spatula, press the crisped rice mixture into the baking dish. Cool and enjoy!