by Cara
I’m not even kidding when I say that this gluten-free vegan Kit Kats candy makeover has been 2 years in the making. Over the past 24 months I have been retiring the idea that there is a gluten-free wafer-like food item that is easily accessible to most people that could be placed inside the mid section of these candy bars. That is until a few days ago.
Rice Chex!
Now I know some of you have your opinions about Rice Chex and if it is a serious issue, use Nature’s Path’s Oaty or Heritage Bites (they are GMO free but not gluten-free) or you can even try them with their Corn Flakes. I haven’t tried it withthe corn flakesyet but I assume it would give a nice little crunch. For me, I don’t make it a habit to eat cereal for breakfast (I’m way too obsessed with my waffles) so the thought of 6 pieces of Rice Chex in my homemade Kit Kat Bars doesn’t make me bat an eyelash. But that is just me. Do whatever you need to do to make these gluten-free vegan Kit Kats possible though!
Homemade (gluten & dairy-free) Kit Kat Bars
- Author: Fork & Beans
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 20 bar slices 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For Fluffy Chocolate Middle
- 1 c cashews
- 1/4 c raw cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp agave
- 3/4 c water
- 2 Tb melted coconut oil
Additional ingredients
- Rice Chex cereal
- 2 c melted non-dairy chocolate
Instructions
- For the Fluffy Chocolate: simply place all of the ingredients into a high speed blender until smooth and fluffy (takes 3-5 minutes). Place in the fridge while you are assembling everything else until needed.
- In an 8×8 parchment paper-lined pan, coat with a thin layer of chocolate.
- Line with Rice Chex cereal as seen in the picture above.
- In the 3rd layer, thinly coat with the fluffy chocolate middle. In order to even spread the mix, use the back of a spoon and GENTLY spread with an easy hand.
- Freeze for a good 20 minutes.
- Coat with another layer of Rice Chex. You don’t have to, but I found it helpful to try to line them up as perfectly as possible, this way it was easier to cut straight through the vacant spots.
- Coat with the last layer with a thin layer chocolate (do not throw out the remainder chocolate–you will need it for dipping later) and place in the freezer. **Do not allow it to completely freeze because you will need to score the chocolate.
- Wait until the chocolate has *just* started to freeze and take a knife to mark where you will be making the incisions. Remember, I went along the lines of the empty gaps of the Rice Chex and made long vertical marks.Cut about half-way through. Freeze for another 20-30 minutes at least. If at any point the candy begins to melt again, simply place back into the freezer.
- Remove parchment paper out of the pan and cut through the candy completely.
- Melt the remainder chocolate if needed (make sure it’s not piping hot!) Quickly dip the sides of the candy pieces into the chocolate for every piece and allow to set on a of parchment paper. Freeze again until set and then EAT!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 14mg
- Fat: 13.6g
- Carbohydrates: 26.5g
- Fiber: 2.9g
- Protein: 3g
I can rest now.
YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:
- Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes
- Witchy Guacamole Dip
- Pomegranate Syrup “Slasher” Pancakes
- DIY Unicorn Sprinkles
About Cara
Based in Chicago with her husband and son, Cara is the creator behind the site Fork and Beans: A place where kids can have fun with their food.
Previous Post: « Homemade Lemon Drop Candies
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Reader Interactions
Comments
These are really mouth watering items. Thanks for sharing
AmandaHELP!!!
I’m making these for my wife’s 40th birthday TOMORROW, and I couldn’t find any cashews ANYWHERE! I went to 3 different stores yesterday, and gave up, thinking I needed the cashews for the gf, vegan fudge I’m also making.
Is there any way I can substitute the cashews, or omit them?
Thanks!
- Trish
I didn’t read through all the comments, so I’m not sure anyone made this comment… Could this recipe be made in ice cube trays so that you get individual treats? I suppose you still have to cut them out individually, it’s just that I can’t see me lining up the Chex and cutting evenly.
Amazing recipe except for the ‘Agave’ – which is a processed product rammed with fructose, which is terrible for us – poison. Just use good old sugar, which our bodies can metabolise, or corn syrup (which is glucose and fine). Sugar substitutes are nearly always way more bad for you than simple sugar.
Wow these look delicious I must try these! Might end up eating the whole tray though…!
- MarieRoxanne
You can try Shredded wheat for a vegan version!
I made this recipe yesterday! (I did tweek it a little bit because my kids are allergic to nuts) and everybody at home loved it!! Thank you so much for this recipe.
I linked the recipe on my “english language” blog and took the liberty of translated it to spanish and linked it in my “spanish language” blog too.
I just love it so much, I want every body to know… (I gave you all the credit, of course) I hope you don’t mind 🙂- Laura Catron
What did you use as a substitute for the cashews?
- Jaime
From a website I just looked up:
VITAMIN D IN CHEX CEREALSby Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
VRG Nutrition AdvisorWhen vitamin D is added to foods, it can be either vitamin D2 which is derived from yeast or vitamin D3 which is derived from lanolin from sheep’s wool. Usually packages of foods that are fortified with vitamin D specify whether it is vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. Some packages of Chex cereals simply list vitamin D as an ingredient. We contacted General Mills and learned that the vitamin D in Chex cereals (Rice Chex, Wheat Chex, Corn Chex, Honey-Nut Chex, Chocolate Chex, Strawberry Chex, and Cinnamon Chex) is vitamin D3 and does come from lanolin. Honey-Nut Chex also contains honey and Chocolate Chex, Strawberry Chex, and Cinnamon Chex contain milk.
- niv
Hi Cara – my son would love love to eat these but cant tolerate cashews. Will almonds be a good substitute?
Thanks
- Niv
I would love to make these for my son who has always wanted to try Kit Kat, but cant. Can the cashews be substituted with almonds? He cannot do most nuts except almonds and peanuts.
Thanks
- Cara
If you use almonds, I say soak them overnight so they blend smoothly. Or try it with peanuts–that might even be super tasty to make a peanut-y Kit Kat. Or, and my last option, would be tofu–it would make a real silky smooth chocolatey mousse. Let me know if it works out! xo
Recipe looks delicious.
D3 is Vitamin D (just like Vitamin B6, B12, etc). Many fortified cereals, such as Chex, have it. However, Chex must use lanolin-derived D3 versus a vegan source. Lanolin is an animal byproduct because it is a waxy substance derived from sheep’s wool.- Crystal
These look great. Can you recommend a substition for the coconut oil? I don’t use added oils, and am hoping there’s some way to work around that! Thanks. They look super yum!
- Debbie
Did you know that Rice Chex isn’t vegan? It contains D3. 🙁 http://www.generalmills.com/ColorBoxImage.aspx?ImageId={D1096771-4BF8-48C6-A169-F3663644CBD7}&Width=800&Height=292
- Cara
Eek! Thank you for letting me know. I’m not a vegan though I do avoid dairy so I don’t necessarily know all the secret ingredients that are actually vegan. I just changed the title to make it more appropriate. Thank you again 🙂
- Heather Lane
and we should be Boycotting General Mills because they use GMO’s and are fighting against labeling GMO’s.
- Deb
No soaking the cashews first just wondering thx
- Cara
You can do either, Deb. I didn’t soak mine and it worked out just fine but that is also because I have a high-speed blender that grinds up anything 🙂
- Christen
sorry, you lost me at rice chex… too overly processed 🙁
- Cara
You win some, you lose some 🙂
I made a version of these with Puffins. Thanks for the inspiration! http://lymieeatingcoconut.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/caturday-and-kit-kats/
- Cara
Love the idea of using Puffins!
- Jo Anna F.
Found three Puffin varieties that are vegan-friendly per Barbara’s FAQ’s: Puffins, Peanut Butter
Puffin Puffs Fruit Medley, Puffin Puffs, Cocoa Crunch. I’m not familiar with these cereals but I really want a Kit Kat experience again after all these years! Am thinking the cocoa one might sub for the Chex? Any advice? http://barbaras.com/faq/
- Paula
This is awesome and it must taste great; however, I wish they wouldn’t make chex cereal with bht in it!
- Jill
I might try it like this: Make the fluffy chocolate center stuff then mix in some chex cereal (like rice krispy treats). Then use a cookie scoop and scoop them on to a parchment lined pan and freeze. Then make the chocolate stuff and once the cereal balls are frozen dip in chocolate, refreeze then ready to eat.
- Kelsey
GENIUS idea. I will be trying this recipe your way very soon 🙂 Anything that I can mix and plop in the freezer for an easy treat is a win!
- Sara Johnson
Looks like a lot of work, but I’m pinning this in case I get a craving! 🙂 They look yummy!
- Melissa
I wonder if the fluffy middle would turn out ok without the cashews? I’m allergic 🙁
- V
Is there an alternative to the coconut oil?
- Crystal B.
YOU ARE BRILLIANT! My FAVORITE candy (and whachamacallits)!!! 🙂
I think I would like rice chex kit-kats even better than the original! The look yummy. But instead of my making them, I think you should just send them along 😉
Oh holy crap! This is amazing! So creative using Rice Chex for the middle. I will be making these very soon.
Well done and so worth the wait!
Well now that’s a hellagood idea!
You’ve just made my day! I can’t wait to try these.
MMM…GMO be damned, I want me some of these. 🙂
Genius!!
I eat rice checks every so often and think that is a GENIUS idea! You are so smart!
- Michelene O'Neil
Awesome! Think these are great! Can’t wait to try this!
- meghan watkins
what do we do for the outside layers of chocolate? I don’t see ingredient list for that or do we use the same fluffy chocolate for every part?
- Cara
That is the melted chocolate, Meghan 🙂 You are using the remainder chocolate to dip the bars into the sides to coat.
You don’t know how much I’ve been missing Kit Kats. This is TOTALLY going on the list. THANK YOU!!!!!
These look utterly amazing and completely dangerous. Yum!
- Pam
Don’t see the instructions for the “fluffy chocolate middle”. Do the cashews need to be soaked? Do you just whip them all up in a good processor?
- Cara
Silly me 🙂 The instructions are there now. You can soak the cashews, especially if you don’t have a high speed blender however I didn’t soak mine and it turned out perfect. xo
- Jackie (sitting next to your momma)
awesome! love it, i’m licking my screen! 🙂
- Cara
Save some for the others! 😉
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