Starbucks Copycat Dream Bar Recipe
Starbucks’ has done a fantastic job of offering gluten free snack and meal options in their shops. In the past it was difficult to find good gluten free food while traveling and dining out with friends. I am so thankful that there are more and more options, and good options at that. In fact, Starbucks has this tasty will little “Dream” bar loaded with crispy rice cereal and marshmallows and of course is conveniently located right on the counter where you check out. And if you have been road tripping in the car for hours and you stop in for a coffee, that little dream bar will practically jump into your hand. Very clever Starbucks! At first bite, I noticed that these “Dream” bars tasted very similar to my own recipe for crispy marshmallow bars. I decided that I could tweak my recipe just a bit to make these same bars at home. And so I went to work whipping up a batch of these very dreamy dream bars. But first I had to get my hands a good crispy rice cereal that was gluten free. The hunt was on!
At first glance you may think Rice Krispies cereal is naturally gluten free. Wheat is not listed on the ingredient list. Awe, but that gluten can be sneaky and sure enough it is hidden in the malt flavor. So what to do if you are craving good old fashioned Rice Krispie bars? For awhile Kellogg’s had a gluten free Rice Krispie cereal out on store shelves, but it is no longer and truthfully, it did not taste the same as the regular cereal. Thankfully, there is another option! I searched far and wide, but have found the best tasting gluten free crispy rice cereal which is made by Malt O’Meal in which I purchased at Walmart.
This is the easiest recipe! Begin by buttering an 8 x 8 pan. Melt butter and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl for two minutes, stirring every minute. A helpful trick that I have learned is to spray the spatula with cooking spray before I stir this gooey marshmallow concoction, so that it does not glob onto the spatula.
Immediately, pour the Malt O’Meal Crispy Rice cereal into the mixture until well mixed.
Then add in the extra miniature marshmallows.
Once combined, press into the pan and let cool. Lastly, cut into squares and enjoy! Admittedly, sometimes this marshmallowy goodness doesn’t even make it into the pan. Oops!
- 1/4 cup butter
- 4 cups of marshmallows, plus an additional 1 1/2 cups of miniature marshmallows
- 5 cups of gluten free crispy rice cereal
- Begin by buttering an 8 x 8 pan. Melt butter and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl for two minutes, stirring every minute. A helpful trick that I have learned is to spray the spatula with cooking spray before I stir this gooey marshmallow concoction, so that it does not glob onto the spatula. Immediately, pour the Malt O'Meal Crispy Rice cereal into the mixture until well mixed. Add in the additional 1 1/2 cup of miniature marshmallows and stir until combined. Once combined, press into the pan and let cool. Lastly, cut into squares and enjoy!