Are Rice Krispies Gluten Free?

Curious if Rice Krispies are gluten free? I will answer all your questions about Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and other brands of crispy rice cereal so you can avoid getting glutened. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

I’m often asked if Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal is gluten free, and the short answer is no, the crispy rice cereal is not gluten free.

You may be wondering why a cereal made with naturally gluten-free puffed rice is not gluten free and therefore not safe for someone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to eat.

I will answer all your questions in this article, and show you what cereals I use instead to make gluten-free rice crispy treats of my own.

Are Rice Krispies Gluten Free?

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal is not gluten free because it contains malt flavoring, which is a flavoring derived from barley. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and, you guessed it, barley. 

It’s unfortunate that Kellogg’s added gluten (barley) to what should have been a naturally gluten-free “rice” cereal, but alas it did.

You might recall that Kellogg’s once came in a gluten-free version of Rice Krispies; however, Kellogg’s discontinued production of the cereal in March 2015 citing “manufacturing constraints.”

Are Rice Krispies Treats Gluten Free?

Unfortunately, this means that packaged Rice Krispies treats, which are made from Rice Krispies cereal, are not gluten free either. They, too, contain barley.

Gluten-Free Rice Cereal Options

Don’t give up on rice cereal and Rice Krispies Treats just because you can’t eat gluten.

There are still plenty of alternative puffed rice cereals that are gluten free and safe for you to enjoy, including:

• Erewhon Brown Rice Cereal – This brown rice cereal is certified gluten free and tastes just like Rice Krispies except without the malt flavoring. I often use this brand when making my gluten-free rice cereal treats.
• One Degree Veganic Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps – While these are not certified gluten free, they are labeled gluten free and contain no gluten ingredients. These brown rice puffs are a bit larger than you might be used to, but I promise you’ll love the way they taste. I often use One Degree Brown Rice Crisps when making my gluten-free rice crispy cereal treats.
• Nature’s Path Crispy Rice Cereal – This brown rice cereal is certified gluten free, organic and non-GMO certified. It is a great substitute for Rice Krispies.
• Barbara’s Organic Brown Rice Crisps Cereal – Barbara’s makes gluten-free brown rice crisps that work well as an alternative to Kellogg’s Rice Krispies. It’s not certified gluten free, but the box says the product is “verified to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten,” which is the FDA required minimum in order to label a product gluten free.

Are Marshmallows Gluten Free?

The other key ingredient in traditional Rice Krispies treats is marshmallows… and the good news is that, yes, marshmallows are generally gluten free, but you must check labels because there are some exceptions.

Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows do not contain any gluten ingredients; however, they are not vegan. In fact, most marshmallows contain pork (porcine) gelatin.

The good news is that there are vegan and gluten-free marshmallow options, including the following brands:

• Dandies™ vegan marshmallows – You will experience a slight texture different with vegan marshmallows, and they are a bit harder to work with, but if you’re vegan, it’s a great option.
• Trader Joe’s – Trader Joe’s brand marshmallows are gluten free and vegan, and they’re cheap too.

Make Your Own Rice Krispies Treats Without Gluten

You can easily make your own gluten-free rice crispy treats without gluten (and without Kellogg’s Rice Krispies).

Simple gather a gluten-free brown rice cereal of choice, marshmallows and butter (or vegan butter spread, like Earth Balance).

Next, melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave for a few seconds, then add the marshmallows and continue microwaving the mixture until the marshmallows are completely melted, about 60-90 seconds (mix halfway through).

Vegan marshmallows may take longer to melt in the microwave and they don’t melt as evenly. 

Next, add your brown rice cereal to the melted marshmallow mixture and mix well. It’s sticky – but you got this!

Now you’ll want to add your sticky mixture to a greased casserole dish. Press down the mixture as best as you can with your spatula, but then use wax paper to help you press the mixture solidly in place by hand.

Allow the mixture time to cool and set in place.

Once cool, you can cut the treats into squares and eat!

If you love chocolate, add a chocolate drizzle on top of your crispy rice treats. Why not?

Simply melt one cup of chocolate chips along with one teaspoon of avocado oil (any vegetable oil okay) and then use your spoon to gently drizzle the chocolate all over the treats.

That’s more like it – agree?

I could not wait for the chocolate to set in place (it firms up as it cools), so I dug in right away. You can see the chocolate isn’t quite set – but that’s okay – it still works!

If you allow the chocolate to cool, this is what your gluten-free rice crispy treats will look like:

Yep, these crispy rice cereal treats are 100% gluten free and safe for you to enjoy!

Curious about what other cereals are gluten free? Read List of Gluten Free Cereals – Tested for Hidden Gluten to find out. Also check out my article, Are Corn Flakes Gluten Free?