We love a sweet treat (who doesn’t?) but increasingly I’m noticing that treats are becoming more of a regular thing than an occasional, “treat.” In fact, I could pretty much refuse to personally give my children a single treat and they’d still end up with plenty. Between grandparents, special events, birthday parties, class parties/birthdays, etc. they are getting these sorts of treats quite regularly. Most of these commercial sweets however are full of things, like refined sugars and unnecessary chemicals and colours that don’t add any nutritional benefit to my kids at all.
So, as a way to ease my concerns a little, I decided we'd attempt to make more of our own sweet treats using healthier alternatives. Still sweet, still a yummy treat, but one that can be slipped into the lunchbox guilt free. You can click on the links in the Ingredient list below to read more about why these ingredients are not only better than the alternatives, but provide health benefits as well.
Healthy Choc Rice Bubble Treats Ingredients:
Step 1: Add the coconut oil, rice malt syrup, honey (optional) and cacao to a small saucepan and combine over low heat.
Step 2: Add the puffed rice and chia seeds into a large bowl and then combine with the melted wet ingredients. Stir it all through until you have an even mixture.
Step 3: Press firmly into mini muffin moulds for individual serves, or a baking-paper-lined slice tin and refrigerate until firm and set.
They will stick to a non-stick muffin tin so to get them out of the mini muffin moulds, I ran a hot knife quickly around the outside edges. To avoid the sticking, you can instead use the baking-paper-lined tray and cut into bars or squares or use a silicone muffin dish if you have one. (Possibly spraying your tin with oil first might help but I opted not to)
Healthy Choc Rice Bubble Treats Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Puffed Rice (we didn't use commercial "Rice Bubbles" as they contain sugar. This is 100% puffed brown rice. Available in the health food section of supermarkets here)
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil (100g)
- 1/2 cup Rice Malt Syrup (170g)
- 1/4 cup Honey (85g) (I added this thinking it may not be sweet enough with just the rice malt syrup but next time we make these we'll leave it out)
- 1/4 cup of Chia seeds (45g)
- 1/4 cup of raw Cacao powder
Step 1: Add the coconut oil, rice malt syrup, honey (optional) and cacao to a small saucepan and combine over low heat.
Step 3: Press firmly into mini muffin moulds for individual serves, or a baking-paper-lined slice tin and refrigerate until firm and set.
They will stick to a non-stick muffin tin so to get them out of the mini muffin moulds, I ran a hot knife quickly around the outside edges. To avoid the sticking, you can instead use the baking-paper-lined tray and cut into bars or squares or use a silicone muffin dish if you have one. (Possibly spraying your tin with oil first might help but I opted not to)
You will find that the treats are a bit sticky to the touch and get stickier the warmer they are. To send in the lunchbox, I've been popping them inside a little silicone dish so they can be held without sticky fingers. We found that they held their shape and form well and didn't fall apart at all.
Taste-wise, we find them to be somewhere between a rice-bubble bar and a chocolate crackle. They have their own unique rich chocolate taste and a serving size this big is plenty to cure that sweet craving.
Store in an air tight container in the fridge for weeks or freezer for months.
Healthy Choc Rice Bubble Treats Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Puffed Rice (100% puffed brown rice)
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil (100g)
- 1/2 cup Rice Malt Syrup (170g)
- 1/4 cup Honey (85g) (optional)
- 1/4 cup of Chia seeds (45g)
- 1/4 cup of raw Cacao powder
Method:
Step 1: Add the coconut oil, rice malt syrup, honey (optional) and cacao to a small saucepan and combine over low heat.
Step 2: Add the puffed rice and chia seeds into a large bowl and then combine with the melted wet ingredients. Stir it all through until you have an even mixture.
Step 3: Press firmly into mini muffin moulds for individual serves, or a baking-paper-lined slice tin and refrigerate until firm and set.
Enjoy!
Here are some variations to this recipe, using similar ingredients that you could also try:
- Healthy Rice Bubble Slice Recipes [Sugar Free Kids]
- Healthy Chocolate Rice Bubble Bars [The Organised Housewife]
- Healthier Coco-Pop Bars [Bake Play Smile]
Here are some more Recipe ideas of ours you may want to try with the kids:
Happy cooking,
Debs :)
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