Strawberry Lemon Rice Crispies – bright lemon and sweet strawberry bring great flavor to a classic rice crispie, perfectly pink for Valentines, or any day!
Yesterday was World Cancer Day.
Yesterday was the day I spent the morning with my dad and the head of oncology at our hospital. Hearing a new cancer diagnosis, with an accompanying recommendation of a laryngectomy. Dad will have his voice box removed permanently, and with it, the cancer. Hopefully permanently.
Surgery is scheduled for this Thursday. Which is a good thing, because I will not be able to think of anything else until then.
I want to say Thank You, again. Thank you to all of you who continue to pray and send good thoughts, ask about Dad and ask about me. You all have made this experience much more bearable. Sometimes, even happy.
I think it is appropriate that I originally made this recipe as a Thank You for someone who has been a huge lifesaver to me.
My strawberry lemon rice crispies are dessert number two in my Vegan Valentines series, and they are one of my favorite recipes for rice crispy treats. Bright lemon flavor and sweet strawberries throughout – a unique flavor for a crispy treat – a good one.
Strawberry Lemon Rice Crispies
dairy, egg, and gluten free, vegan
makes 9-12 squares
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
10 oz package marshmallows (Dandies vegan!)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons beet juice (optional for color)
5 cups rice puffs
3/4 cup freeze dried strawberry pieces
INSTRUCTIONS:
Melt coconut oil in saucepan, add marshmallows. Stir over medium heat until melted.
Add beet juice, lemon juice and zest.
Remove from heat, add rice puffs and strawberries, stir until combined.
Press into prepared pan – 9×9 square makes tall rice crispies!
I’m making a batch of these to bring to the nurses Thursday. I know many by name now.
printable Strawberry Lemon Rice Crispies recipe:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 10 oz package marshmallows (Dandies vegan!)
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons beet juice (optional for color)
- 5 cups rice puffs
- ¾ cup dehydrated strawberry pieces
- Melt coconut oil in saucepan, add marshmallows. Stir over medium heat until melted.
- Add beet juice, lemon juice and zest.
- Remove from heat, add rice puffs and strawberries, stir until combined.
- Press into prepared pan - 9×9 square makes tall rice crispies!
Diane says
These look really good…not only gluten free but also vegan 🙂 But wanted to ask you about the Strawberries,
you said dehydrated. Do you mean like dried fruit, like a raisin is dried fruit or do you mean some other process? Did you purchase them or did you dehydrate the berries yourself (I’m hoping you purchased them and would share what brand you used). Thanks very much.
Kristina Sloggett says
oh, you know Diane – I have used dehydrated that I made in my dehydrator, but usually when I make this recipe, I actually use FREEZE DRIED strawberries that I buy from the store. the crunchy ones, you know what I mean? they don’t really stay too crunchy – they soften in this recipe – but they have so much concentrated flavor!
hope that helps, I am updating the recipe to reflect this. 🙂
Diane says
Oh! That’s wonderful because those are much easier to find! So looking forward to giving this recipe a try. Thank you so much for the reply.
Chelsey Jahn says
Hi! I just stumbled upon your recipe and was wondering if fresh strawberries could be used in place of dehydrated strawberries? Thanks!
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Chelsey, I have made these only with dehydrated; not sure how fresh berries would work here – if you dry them really well (if you are going to chop them, pat them dry after chopping) they will probably be okay, the moisture might make the cereal chewy? and the rice crispies will probably have a shorter “shelf life” but, come on – how long do they last anyway? 🙂 let me know how it goes if you try! Kristina
Rosa says
Kristina, I too stumbled upon your page from Pinterest. My heart goes out to you and your father. We went through a similar situation with my grandmother, many years ago. Here voice box was removed after being diagnosed with throat cancer. She was so strong about losing her voice yet it was so hard for me to see her initially struggling with how how to best communicate. But being the mother of 11 and grandmother of 20+ it did not take long to master a new way to communicate…lots of notes, animated expressions and hugs! I wish you and your father the best! …and thanks for the recipe.
Kristina Sloggett says
THANK YOU Rosa, for this kind and hopeful message! Dad is doing SO well with his speech therapy, and is writing on handheld white boards and texting like crazy on his phone!
I have always known that a good attitude goes a long way and has a huge impact on so much, and I have seen just that this year with my dad – it sounds like your grandmother is the same positive kind of person!
thanks again for reaching out, and with such a hopeful message. my best to you!
Magic and Mayhem says
These look delicious, and I love that they’re made red and flavored naturally. Thank you!
Hugs for the diagnosis and upcoming surgery. We were there last year, when my 14 y/o was diagnosed with parotid (salivary gland) cancer (the first surgery was the day after her birthday). It was a very tough summer but after 2 surgeries and a very long wait for the 90 day follow up CAT-PT scan, she was declared cancer free. We’ll have to monitor her for the next few years, but all looks good.
Sending love and light.
~Alicia
Kristina Sloggett says
thank you SO much, Alicia – I so appreciate your thoughts. I am hopeful, and hearing stories like your daughters keep that hope alive – very happy to hear she is doing well!
thank you,
Kristina
Richa says
I will be praying for your Dad and you too Kristina. Hope everything goes well.
Take care.
Kristina Sloggett says
thank you, Richa!
Rosemary says
Kristina,
I just stumbled across your recipe on Pinterest and came away with a blessing. All the people praying for you and you’re dad during this hard, hard, time comforted me and I’m not in your situation. I do know that prayer makes such a huge difference though. One year ago this month my sons girlfriend found two weeks before her 18th birthday that she had a type of bone cancer most common in kids 10 and younger . The doctor told her during one of the first visits the he want sure she would survive. Her reply? ‘Yes I will. Good told me I would.’ She has been through chemo, stem stern cell harvest, more chemo, surgery to remove the tumor, more chemo, stem cell transplant, more chemo, radiation….and she is cancer free. She turns 19 this week and boy does she have a testimony!. I will be praying for your dad to have a speedy recovery and to adjust quickly to this new set of circumstances. I will also be praying for you both to have the physical, mental, and spiritual strength you need throughout this journey.
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Rosemary,
thank you. thank you SO MUCH.
hearing stories of young people (kids, really, who should never have to deal with cancer!) with such amazing attitudes and positive outlooks, wow – that is just so heart warming. and I truly believe in the power of positive thinking, it does so much in the healing process. I am happy to hear she fought and won – that is wonderful news and I send positive energy her way, and your way!
thank you for the prayers, for all aspects, yes. it does take mental, emotional and spiritual strength as well. Bless you.
thank you so much,
Kristina
[email protected] Girl says
Hi Kristina,
I just came across your post on the California Strawberries’ FB page and wanted to let you know I’m praying for you and your dad. I lost my daddy to cancer and recently lost my mom and I was very comforted by folks reaching out to me on my little tribute to her on my blog. It just reminds me how love and caring is truly the answer in this world.
xoxo Jodi
Kristina Sloggett says
thank you SO much, Jodi – that means so much to me. I am very sorry for your losses, truly. thank you for reaching out – it really does make such a difference to just receive positive messages from friends – even online ones 🙂
thanks so much, Kristina