Nutrition
Ingredients
- 175 grams Edamame Protein Puffs (I used Smart for Life), this is approximately 2 1/4 cups
- 196 grams Vegan Mini Marshmallows (I used Dandies)
- 3 tbsp Coconut Almond Butter
- 6 tbsp PB2 Performance Almond Protein Powder
- 2 tbsp Soy Milk
Instructions
- Melt almond butter in a pot.
- Stir in the almond powder and soy milk. This is not going to end up very liquid but that's ok because the marshmallows will help with that.
- Add mini marshmallows, stir continuously until they melt and form a big goo collection. Keep stirring until the almond butter and almond powder is well mixed throughout.
- Add in the edamame puffs and stir well.
- Dump mixture in dish and spread out evenly.
- Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Equipment
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Notes
- Swap out the Soy Milk for Oat Milk or another dairy-free milk.
- Swap out soy crispies (edamame puffs) with Pea Protein Crisps.
I found these magical little things called edamame protein puffs a few months ago, and since I found then, my life has not been same! They have a similar texture to puffed rice, so I really like to use them anywhere I would normally use puffed rice. This includes things like chocolate crunch bars, rice crispy treats, any kind of chocolate confections where I would want a crunchy texture. You can also use them for some extra texture on top of smoothie bowls or in your cereal!
A funny thing about the edamame protein puffs that I’m now deeply obsessed with – the last time I shared a rice crispy treat recipe on Instagram, the brand I normally buy (SmartforLife) sold out on Amazon within a week or two, and is still out of stock! I’m not saying it’s definitely because of my recipe, but I mean…. what are the odds? So I had to look around for a new brand, and came across KYSU. I ordered from there, got my goods and can now confirm that this is a legit site if you’re trying to order some! They have been kind of tricky to find because everyone calls them different names – soy protein crispies, soy puffs, edamame puffs, edamame protein puffs – either way, they’re all basically the same. The KYSU ones are called soy protein crispies; they have original flavor and also have a Coco flavor (I’m VERY excited about this)! I have since bought multiple bags so that I never run out again!
I think high protein “rice” crispy treats are the perfect protein snack to have around – these taste just as good as store-bought, but have an awesome amount of protein, so you can satisfy your snack tooth without sacrificing your calorie/protein goals! They are super easy to make; they literally take less than five minutes from start to finish. I have an original style recipe for high-protein “rice” crispy treats, but in these ones, I used almond butter and some high-protein almond flour. I think they turned out even better than the original, because they have a little bit more flavor to them! These would also be great if you have picky kids (or if you identify as a picky kid) that really likes junk food and you have a hard time getting them to eat anything with protein in it. This is a just really sneaky way to get an a bunch of protein in!
Ingredients
- Edamame protein puffs – you might also see these called soy crispies, protein soy crispies, edamame crispies, soy puffs, etc. I used SmartforLife edamame puffs when I made these the fist time. At the time of this post, they are currently sold out on Amazon and also their website. Another option I found, bought and can confirm to be good is KYSU. You are likely not going to find these in stores; they are a pretty specialty product, so I would just check online first before wasting time at the stores looking for these magical little balls of wonder! These are actually pretty cheap on a gram of protein per dollar basis, and you can use them in lots of other things than just these “rice” crispy treats. I think if you’re on the fence about buying them, but are trying to eat more protein, you should definitely get them; they’re fun to use!
- Vegan Mini Marshmallows – I always use Dandie’s but if you have another vegan marshmallow brand that you prefer, feel free to use that. I like using the mini marshmallows because I think they melt easier and take less time. But if you only have regular-sized marshmallows, those will definitely work too! Also, if you’re newer to plant-based/vegan eating, most marshmallows have gelatin which is why we get vegan marshmallows! 🙂
- Almond Butter – used this really good coconut almond butter that I had in the fridge, but any almond butter or any nut-butter, in general, will work just fine. Typical rice crispy treat recipes use butter, but were using a nut butter here to replace the fat and add a little bit more flavor then you would get using butter. If you just want the OG flavor, check this recipe out instead:
- Almond protein powder – I used PB2 Performance Almond Protein Powder. If there is a different nut- flour that you prefer or if you wanna use PB2 or PBFit Peanut Butter powder, that’ll work too. Even if you have a favorite protein powder that you really enjoy the flavor of, that could work here too!
The main thing we’re trying to do here is add extra flavor that we like without compromising the macros. - Soy Milk – I use soy milk to add a little bit of moisture since we’re using so much almond powder. You don’t have to use soy milk for this, you could use any nondairy milk and that would work great. Make sure to not use too much though. It’s going to feel like it’s not enough but if you use too much, your edamame puffs will get soggy and not taste as crispy as you’re used to having in rice crispy treats. Trust me, I know 🙂
Instructions
- In a decent size pot, melt your almond butter, or at least get it a little bit more liquidy. I like to do this on low-medium heat, so nothing burns. Stir continuously (this also helps avoid burning).
- Stir in the almond powder and the soy milk. This is not going to end up super liquidy, but that’s OK. The marshmallows are going to help with that when they melt. We do not want to add too much soy milk or the edamame puffs will get soggy and your rice crispy treats won’t come out very crispy at all.
- Add marshmallows to the pot. Stir continuously until they start to melt and form a large goo collection. Keep stirring well until all the almond butter and almond powder is mixed throughout the entire marshmallow conglomeration. This is to make sure that you have an even flavor distribution and you don’t end up with big pockets of almond chunks.
- Once the marshmallow mixture is very pliable, add in the edamame puffs (or soy crispies) and stir well.
- Dump this mixture into a 9″ x 9″ dish and spread out evenly. If you’re concerned with the sticking, you could spray a little bit of oil on the bottom and sides of your dish, but I haven’t had issues with the rice crispy treats sticking.
- Allow for at least 15 minutes of cooling before you cut these.
Silly Little Haiku
Gelatin is gross
Just use vegan marshmallows
I like Dandie’s best
Author
Protein Deficient Vegan
