I'm reposting this recipe by Kelly Bailey Newlon since it's a staff favorite and frankly I'm craving Rice Crispy Treats and don't want all the garbage that's on store shelves. -- Brian
We love treats! In particular, old school treats that can be tweaked into new school fuel for training are our favorites.
Few things are more nostalgic to make than rice crispy treats. They have great flavor and are chewy, crunchy and down right tasty. And, with so few ingredients, they are hard to beat on the easy scale.
We decided to bring this classic treat up to 2019 and see what we could do with it. Most of our clients are gluten free, dairy free, and about half are vegan. It can be a challenge to meet all of these dietary restrictions, but it's one we wanted to tackle!
We are fortunate to live in Boulder, CO, where we can source just about every cool new product on the market. If you are not so lucky in your home town, we suggest hitting up Amazon to get what you need.
First, we replaced the traditional white rice cereal with organic, non-GMO brown rice cereal. Here’s the deal with rice ... ALL rice starts out as brown rice. No joke! Rice goes through a milling process to remove the husk, bran and germ. Rice has a longer shelf life once this process is completed, but most of the nutrients are stripped.
Next, we sought out vegan marshmallows over “regular” marshmallows that contain gelatin, which has animal protein. If you don't have issues with animal protein, stick with organic marshmallows and forgo the vegan version.
We switched the butter to coconut oil. Any "healthy" oil you want to use is honestly fine. Pick your favorite.
So far, we have the cereal, marshmallow, and fat, but we wanted more. “How could we take these babies to the next level for our athletes?” we asked ourselves. So…we added Beta Red and chia seeds! In addition to being the ultimate pre-workout formula for endurance, Beta Red increases oxygen delivery to improve recovery.
Turmeric is a fat-soluble spice that works well with this recipe. It is best known as a superstar for reducing inflammation. We use organic, non-GMO turmeric. We have also tried carrot powder, various greens powders, etc. in this recipe with great success. All are amazing, easy to add to the fat (while it is melting) and have killer benefits. Plus, if you have kiddos, they look darn cool.
The chia seeds are a great sticky fiber and help clean out our system.
Honestly, there are endless possibilities to create with this recipe. If you’re feeling really crazy, follow the recipe as is and add crispy bacon and red pepper flake for a sweet-and-spicy, protein-packed treat. You won’t be disappointed!
RAD Rice Crispy Treats
¼ cup coconut oil
10 oz marshmallow (vegan or regular)
2 tablespoons chia, flax and/or hemp seeds
6 cups rice cereal (we like brown rice cereal)
1 scoop Beta Red Original Pre-Workout Formula
3 Tbsp Tumeric Paste
In a large pot melt the coconut oil on low heat. Add dried vegetable powder or turmeric and combine. Add marshmallows and mix well. Slowly melt marshmallows on low heat being careful not to burn.
When nearly melted, turn off the heat and add the cereal and the seeds. Mix well and pour out on greased sheet tray or pan. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on top and gently smooth out until flat and even. Let set before cutting. Once cut, feel free to wrap and freeze a few so you have them on hand whenever you feel the need. This recipe is easily doubled if you would like to make a giant batch.
This post was written by Kelly Bailey Newlon, co-founder of Real Athlete Diets. RAD creates delicious performance-oriented food and brings it to you. If you are lucky enough to live in Boulder, CO you can order individual meals from RAD on their website. You can also find RAD traveling around the country to feed folks at races, athlete camps, clinics and workshops.
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