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^[2]Have you seen them yet? Kellogg’s® has finally taken the plunge into the gluten-free food market with their new gluten-free version of the classic Rice Krispies® cereal. We found it at our local grocery store this week. It was located in the regular breakfast cereal aisle, nestled right between the regular gluten-containing Rice Krispies cereals. We’ve been avoiding all Kellogg’s cereals since going gluten free because they all have malt flavoring made from barley in them. (I’m sure you already know that, but for anyone who may be new to the diet: Barley Malt is off-limits for anyone with celiac disease.)

^[3]I received a couple complimentary boxes of the new Rice Krispies Gluten Free to try this spring. I was excited to try it (partially because it’s always nice to get free gluten-free food in the mail), but I didn’t really think eating it would give me too much thrill. I mean it’s just a plain cereal, right? Well, I have to tell you when I heard the familiar “snap, crackle, and pop,” I did get a little excited. Maybe I was just being nostalgic, but it really did take me back to when I used to eat them as a child. You know…before the kids’ cereals all got added sweeteners, artificial colors, and a prize in the box. These were just how I remembered them. Including the fact that you have to eat them quickly or they will get mushy and soggy! So, I am enjoying them again — quickly, with almond milk and a little fruit.

Nutrition. My kids liked it, but weren’t as excited about it as I was. They probably thought it needed a little more sugar. I like the fact that it’s not so high in sugar! (Sugar is listed as less than 1 gram per 1-Cup serving.) More good news on the cereal box: simple ingredients and added vitamins and minerals. I’m not a dietitian or nutritionist, but look at the ingredients: “whole grain brown rice, sugar, contains 2% or less of salt, BHT for freshness.” And remember when the big cereal companies started using flours enriched with all kinds of vitamins and minerals? Well, they added those vitamins and minerals to this cereal, too. Check out the Nutrition Facts label ^[4] on the Rice Krispies web page ^[5] for the details. I was also happy to see that it says right on the box that it is produced in a gluten-free facility, so I didn’t have to worry about cross-contamination. (That was on the sample boxes I received. It did not have that statement on the box I purchased in the grocery store. A mistake by Kellogg’s, if you ask me.)

^[6]Rice Krispies® Gluten Free Treats®. Since they sent me two boxes, I decided to make Rice Krispies Treats, too. I used Kellogg’s classic recipe ^[7] with a couple modifications. I’ve made crispy rice treats in the past with other brands of gluten-free crisped rice, but my kids never liked them. This time, they devoured them. I, personally, didn’t notice a big change in taste or texture, but my husband and the kids said they were crispier and better. If you are new to making Rice Krispies Treats, I offer a few tips:

• Always use fresh marshmallows. Old ones take longer to melt, and over-cooked marshmallows get really tough and difficult to stir.
• I prefer to use the mini marshmallows because they melt faster and are easier to work with.
• Instead of buttering or spraying the 9×13 pan, use parchment paper to line the pan.
• If you are adding chocolate chips, freeze them for a couple hours first. They will be less likely to melt while you’re adding them in. Work quickly! I find it easiest to just press the chips on top of the treats after pressing them into the pan.
• You can make these dairy-free. The recipe says not to use any butter substitutes, but I did it anyway using Earth Balance Buttery Vegan Sticks ^[8]. It worked great. I also used the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips ^[9] which are dairy-free.

Where Can You Buy Rice Krispies Gluten Free? There is a product locator ^[10] on the Kellogg’s website, but it didn’t work for me. I kept checking to see where I could buy the gluten-free Rice Krispies, but it still says it isn’t in my area. However, I did indeed find it at our local Wegman’s ^[11]. I suspect it’s available at other grocery stores in my area as well. So, check it out at your local grocery store in the regular cereal aisle. And let me know what you think. You can also buy a case of 4 boxes on Amazon ^[12], if you can’t find it locally.