• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Beyond Flour
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • All Recipes
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
×

Home » Recipes » Desserts

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars

Published: Mar 16, 2021

Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

Sharing is caring!

  • Yummly
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
Jump to Recipe -

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars, on a white square plate.

Puffed Wheat Squares are a super popular bar back home in Winnipeg. These Puffed Rice Bars are a super accurate - Gluten-free - version!

Note: This recipe was first posted on my original blog, Celebration Generation, on Jan 10, 2013. It was transferred over to this blog on 3/16/2021

With the new year still somewhat fresh on our calendars, you may be looking at finding "healthy" alternatives for desserts and snacking.

Well, the bulk of this bar comes from the puffed rice, which is very low in calories, anyway.

I know, I know... it's a stretch - but I feel a bit guilty blogging dessert recipes, with all the talk of resolutions out there!

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars, on a white square plate.

I was feeling homesick and nostalgic lately, and decided to make a batch for my husband.

Puffed Wheat Squares are actually a super popular bar back home in Winnipeg, and it seems to be mostly a Canadian Prairies thing.

You know how you can get Rice Crispy squares pretty much anywhere - even in the gas stations?

It's the same way with these bars, back home in Winnipeg.

A close up view of large squares of puffed rice bars.

Puffed Rice Squares

While I loved puffed wheat bars, back in the day... my body can’t handle wheat anymore.

So, I came up with this gluten-free version of my old favourite!

Just like the original bar, these are super quick and easy to make, and are definitely "comfort" food.

Just make sure you get the soft “puffed rice” cereal, not rice crispy-type cereal!

A close up view of large squares of puffed rice bars.

How to Make Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars

Generously grease a 9x 13″ baking pan, set aside. Pour puffed rice into a large, heatproof mixing bowl.

A large mixing bowl full of puffed rice cereal

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa, and salt. Heat over medium until butter melts.

A two part image showing butter and syrup in a saucepan, then cocoa being mixed in.

Once butter melts, turn the heat up a bit and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.

A two part image showing the chocolate caramel being cooked, and the vanilla extract being added

Pour hot chocolate mixture over puffed rice, stir (carefully!) until all of the rice is coated with chocolate.

A two part image showing the chocolare caramel being added to the puffed rice cereal, and being mixed in.

A two part image showing the chocolate caramel being mixed in with the cereal. In the first image, the caramel is only partially mixed in. In the second, it coats all the cereal.

Dump mixture into prepared baking pan.

Using lightly greased (or slightly damp!) hands, gently press mixture down into the pan, until a bit more compacted and relatively flat.

A two part image showing the chocolate cereal mixture being poured into a glass baking dish, and it being spread around the fish.

I tend to wuss out and use an oven mitt and a sheet of parchment paper. Hot sugar is no joke!

A two part image showing an oven glove and a sheet of parchment being used to flatten the bars, and the bars in the pan, nicely smoothed out.

Anyway, the firmer you press, the firmer the final bar will be. Use a light hand for a more tender bar.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars, on a white square plate.

More Canadian Recipes!

Looking for more recipes from the ‘great white north’? Look no further!

Chow Chow Relish
Gluten-Free Bacon Poutine Pizza
Gluten-Free Beaver Tail Recipe
Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars
Gluten-Free Butter Tarts
Gluten-Free Cod Au Gratin
Gluten-Free Cod Cheeks & Dressing
Gluten-Free Chicken Mushroom Tourtiere
Gluten-Free Imperial Cookies Recipe
Gluten-Free Nanaimo Bar Brownies
Gluten-Free Schmoo Torte
Gluten-Free Tourtiere

Looking for even more Canadian recipes? Check out our full Gluten-Free Canadian Recipes list!

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

A close up view of large squares of puffed rice bars.

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars, on a white square plate.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars

Puffed Wheat Squares are a super popular bar back home in Winnipeg, and it seems to be mostly a Canadian Prairies thing... and you can make a very accurate gluten-free version!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Cooling Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 20 mins
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Canadian
Servings: 12 People
Calories: 287kcal
Author: admin

Equipment

  • 9 x 13 Baking Dish

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Puffed Rice Cereal
  • ½ cup Butter
  • 1 cup Corn Syrup
  • 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
  • ⅔ cup Cocoa Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Generously grease a 9x 13″ baking pan, set aside. Pour puffed rice into a large, heatproof mixing bowl.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa, and salt. Heat over medium until butter melts.
  • Once butter melts, turn heat up a bit and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.
  • Pour hot chocolate mixture over puffed rice, stir (carefully!) until all of the rice is coated with chocolate. Dump mixture into prepared baking pan.
  • Using lightly greased (or slightly damp!) hands, firmly press mixture down into the pan, until compacted and relatively flat. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 5mg

Related posts:

A plate of gluten-free raspberry coconut squaress.Gluten Free Raspberry Bars A plate of gluten-free Nanaimo Bars - A fudgey brownie, topped with a rich custard buttercream and a layer of chocolate ganache.Gluten-Free Nanaimo Bar Brownies Close up view of a plate of gluten free butter tart squares.Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars A plate of frosted chewy gluten free lemon bars, garnished with mint leaves.Gluten Free Lemon Bars
« Gluten-Free Do-Si-Dos
Gluten-Free Cod Cheeks & Dressing »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paula

    July 11, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    What is the brand of puffed rice that you used?

    Reply
    • admin

      August 03, 2021 at 6:02 am

      I just use whatever brand I can find. When my normal grocery stores don't have it, I'll go to one of the heath type grocers.

      Reply
  2. Jacqui

    January 25, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    6 Oz of puffed wheat does y seem right. Is that a typo?

    Reply
    • admin

      January 26, 2022 at 9:29 am

      6 oz puffed rice is correct, not sure where you see 6oz puffed wheat?

      Reply
  3. Kristen Schmidt

    February 12, 2023 at 12:22 am

    5 stars
    I used 6 cups of cereal to get the right consistency - great recipe!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Marie Porter


Author of the "Beyond Flour" series of gluten-free cookbooks, autistic polymath, and cat mom.

More about me →

Join us on Social Media

Facebook logo, a white F on a blue background. Instagram icon - a stylized white camera image on blue background. Pinterest Logo - White on red background. Twitter logo - a white stylized bird icon on an aqua background.

More Than Poutine: A Uniquely Canadian Cookbook.
Learn to sew with spandex

META

Site Admin

Logout

Entries Feed

Comments Feed


Most Recent Posts

  • Two oblong ceramic ramekins of gluten-free cod au gratin. Cod is in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with crushed chips, more cheese, and savoury.
    Cod Au Gratin
  • A close up photo of ahi tuna crudo, with mango, avocado, jalapenos, and a citrus vinaigrette, served over cucumber slices.
    Tuna Crudo
  • A single mini Easter pavlova, topped with green coconut and cadbury mini eggs and a pink Peeps marshmallow.
    Easter Pavlovas
  • Pink, yellow, and blue chick shaped homemade peeps on a bed of green coconut.
    Marshmallow Peeps

We'd love to have you subscribe to our newsletter!

Footer

About

  • About Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Newsletter

  • Sign Up

    for emails and updates

Our Other Blogs

  • Autism Rants
  • Celebration Generation
  • Low Carb Hoser
  • Spandex Simplified

Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. While I’ll only ever link to items that I, personally, wholeheartedly recommend, I do need to put that disclosure out there!

Copyright © 2020 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme