Nutella Crispy Treats (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

Today I was headed to a friend's place to spend some time with her and her darling baby daughter. As I crossed through Hollywood on the 101 North what had been a sprinkle in Downtown LA immediately became a torrential downpour, I could see maybe about 20 feet ahead of me and knowing I was about to hit a dip in the freeway prone to flooding I exited immediately. This presented me with a new dilemma. There is a perception out there that Angelinos freak out at the sight of a few drops of rain, what is not also explained is that somehow, despite the fact that this happens every year, this town was not built with proper drainage! The Cahuenga pass was flooded with water up to my car door with these muddy geysers shooting up out of the drains. I'm not even sure the physics of the situation but I was white knuckle driving till I made it to the clear roads.

So you ask "what is the point of this?" Perhaps I'm just trying to justify my emotional cooking impulse that followed. But these Nutella Crispy Treats need little rationalization other than that they are simply delicious and can be prepared in just a few minutes. I was able to prepare them for my friend in about 10 minutes with the use of one bowl and baking pan.

You can make Rice Krispie Treats using Rice Krispies however you must be sure to use the ones that specifically are gluten free. Regular Rice Krispies have "malt flavoring" and therefore are not gluten free. And the cool part is the gluten free variety is actually made using brown rice. However they are not always easy to locate.

I use Cocoa Pebbles in this recipe because they are always gluten free... also for the record Fruity Pebbles are also gluten free.

Now onto the issue of marshmallows. Marshmallows contain gelatin and so they are not vegetarian. I once checked out a package of kosher marshmallows in the hopes they would be gelatin free and they had fish gelatin in them *shiver*.  If you use Marshmallow Creme, I recommend the Jet Puffed brand, it is gelatin free and still makes delicious crispies...

OK, so here is the recipe you have all been waiting for!

Nutella Crispy Treats

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 (7 oz) container marshmallow creme
• 1 cup Nutella
• 6 cups Cocoa Pebbles 

Directions:

1. In a large pot melt butter, turn off heat, add marshmallow creme and Nutella. Stir thoroughly. (You can also do this using a large microwave safe bowl.)

2. Add Cocoa Pebbles slowly and stir till all coated. 

3. Butter 9X13 baking pan and press mixture into pan. Cover and set in fridge to set. 

4. Remove from fridge and cut into serving size pieces. 

Now try not to eat them all. These are slightly more delicate than regular rice krispie treats so I recommend storing in fridge when you aren't eating them! 

xoxo - Iris