Chocolate Heart Rice Crispy Treats (vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free)

The most perfect treat for your sweetheart isn’t in a heart-shaped box…it’s these Chocolate Heart Rice Crispy Treats! Crispy, crunchy almond butter chocolate bars drizzled in more chocolate and sprinkled with festive toppings will make your loved ones swoon!

I adapted this recipe from my No-Bake Almond Butter Brown Rice Crisp Treats. These are for sure one of the most-loved desserts on my site, and we had so much fun making a sweet and romantic version for Valentine’s Day! I’ll be making these with Jade and her friends at school this year and I hope they all love them as much as we do. It can be hard to come across Valentine’s treats that are refined sugar-free and vegan, so I love having these on hand to celebrate the day of love.

The Best Vegan Dark Chocolate

I always recommend Hu Dark Chocolate gems! They have a super clean ingredient list and taste amazing. You can use the code ELAINE for 10% off! Any of your favorite chocolate chips would work here, just make sure to double-check the ingredient list if you’re wanting them to be vegan and free of refined sugar. You could even make your own chocolate if you’re feeling ambitious! The health benefits of chocolate come from antioxidants called flavanols found in the cocoa solids (as opposed to the cocoa butter). There are many claims about the health benefits of chocolate flavanols including increased blood flow to the arteries and heart, lung health, decreased risk of diabetes, and even lowered blood pressure!

Brown Rice Cereal for Heart Rice Crispy Treats

Look for a gluten-free chocolate (or regular) brown rice crisp cereal to make these crunchy Cupid Crispies. I love One Degree Organics gluten-free sprouted chocolate brown rice crispy cereal. It’s lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, so it’s refined sugar-free but still has such a good sweetness. You can find One Degree Organics at most Sprouts, Natural Grocers, or Whole Foods.

Almond Butter in Rice Crispy Treats

All of the crunchy cereal in these treats is held together with one of my favorite ingredients ever: almond butter! I REALLY love almond butter and I even make my own sometimes. Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. They’re a good source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium. They even provide iron and calcium too! Look for creamy, raw almond butter that’s unsweetened and unsalted. My favorite is from Trader Joe’s (such a great price point there too). A new jar works best since it’ll be nice, smooth, and runny!

How to Make Heart Rice Crispy Treats

We created these heart-shaped treats by pressing the crispy batter into a parchment paper-lined 8×8 pan and then drizzling chocolate on top! You could also garnish them with freeze-dried raspberries, like we did here, or your choice of toppings! Chopped nuts or seeds, coconut, or sprinkles would all be fun and delicious. Your treats are ready to be cut after some time in the freezer. I use these heart cookie cutters to punch out adorable hearts! You could use any cookie cutter shape you like to make seasonal treats…or just cut them into simple squares and enjoy!

These Heart-Shaped Rice Crispy Treats are gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free! Try sunflower butter for a nut-free version. If you make these treats for your sweetheart, I hope you’ll post about it and tag me on Instagram! I love seeing your creations.

More Healthy Chocolatey Treats

Homemade Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Granola
Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
The Best Vegan and Refined Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa
Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Easy Two-Tier Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

Sweet Potato Brownies

Vegan and Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Donuts with Ganache Glaze

Salted Tahini Chocolate Date Smoothie

No-Churn Vegan Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Creamy Vegan Mint Chocolate Smoothie

Easy Creamy Vegan Chocolate Oatmeal

Salted Tahini Date Chocolate Smoothie

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

No-Bake Fudgy Quinoa-Chia Bites

All Valentine’s Day Recipes!

Vegan Chocolate Heart Rice Crispy Treats (vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free)

Author: Elaine Gordon
Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 10
Yield: 5 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

The most perfect treat for your sweetheart isn’t in a heart-shaped box…it’s these Chocolate Heart Rice Crispy Treats! Crispy, crunchy almond butter chocolate bars drizzled in more chocolate and sprinkled with festive toppings will make your loved ones swoon!

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup vegan, refined sugar-free dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup runny unsweetened, unsalted creamy raw almond butter (a new jar works best here) (use tahini, sunflower seed butter or pumpkin butter for a nut-free version)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups gluten-free chocolate (or regular) brown rice crisp cereal (I love One Degree Organics gluten-free sprouted chocolate brown rice crispy cereal – it is lightly sweetened with coconut sugar keeping it refined sugar-free)
1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt

Optional Garnishes

1/4 cup vegan, refined sugar-free dark chocolate gems, melted [use code ELAINE for 10% off Hu dark vegan chocolate]
freeze-dried raspberries, crushed

Instructions

Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe glass container. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir well to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted chocolate and coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute. Next stir in the brown rice crisp cereal and salt until well combined.
Pour mixture into prepared pan, and use a spatula to flatten the top so it is even and well compact. Alternatively, you could place a new sheet of parchment paper overtop the treats and then use the bottom of a glass to press the mixture down without it sticking to the bottom of the glass.
Add any optional garnishes. I like to add a healthy drizzle of melted chocolate and then sprinkle the crushed freeze dried raspberries overtop to make them extra decadent and festive for Valentine’s Day.
Place pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once frozen solid, use Valentine’s Day cookie cutters to cut into 4-5 heart shapes and serve. If you are having difficulty let the pan sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before cutting them into heart shapes. You will be left with some scraps (which my kids and I happily eat!).
The rice crispy treats can be stored covered in the freezer for up to one month. The treats will soften at room temperature within 10-20 minutes. I prefer eating them straight out of the freezer.