meg-made: Gluten Free Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

A week or so ago we had a little bunny party for Madeleine's 2nd Birthday.

Amongst the bunny snacks, carrot fudge and cabbages, I did make a few non-bunny related treats too.

This recipe appeared in my Pinterest feed a few days before her party that instantly went to the top of the list!

How have I never made these before!?

The recipe I followed was from Eats Well With Others, however I did halve the recipe, because I hadn't measured ingredients needed at all and it would have made an absolutely MASSIVE batch!

Which, wouldn't have been a problem in hindsight, but still, this amount still makes a very generous tray-full!

I used pink and white marshmallows, which gave them a perfect peachy colour, which just so happened to be in theme. Coincidence? Unlikely!!

Other than needing to make the caramel first, it is not a difficult recipe at all, and it is totally worth doing the first step, the salted caramel is the perfect balance for the sweetness.

To make these gluten free, you just need to make sure you get the GF marshmallows and then use GF crispy rice cereal like this one here:

Ingredients for salted caramel

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 cup water
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

Ingredients for the rice bubbles/krispie treats1/2 cup unsalted butter
10 oz marshmallows (probably 2 large bags)
9 oz crispy rice cereal (an entire box)
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Method

1. In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Turn the heat to medium and cook, swirling every so often to make sure it is cooking evenly, until deep amber. This takes about ten minutes in total. I make mine with a little pot of water and a silicone pastry brush nearby, and brush down the sugar crystals regularly.

2. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream, whisking constantly. Return to low heat and continue to cook, stirring, until totally combined.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and sea salt. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the treats.

4. Prepare a tray with greaseproof paper/al foil.

5. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Cook until it starts to brown, stirring frequently. It shouldn't burn, but just start to get a slight brown tinge.

6 Add in the marshmallows and cook until melted, stirring constantly. The butter will take a while to mix through with the marshmallow, so stir thoroughly.

7. Mix in the salted caramel. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice cereal until thoroughly combined.

8. Pack the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Set for an hour, and chill slightly before serving to ensure a great crunch!