Chocolate Peppermint “Oreo” Crispy Treats
Since posting about our party menu, complete with dessert bites of pumpkin bread, snickerdoodle blondies (recipe here), and peppermint oreo crispy treats, I have had a few requests for that crispy treat recipe. It really is quite a simple one. However, while the first two batches were successful in taste, they were a bit crumbly in my opinion … so I wanted to make sure I was posting a recipe that would work best.
You see, it was my first time experimenting with Marshmallow Fluff (the brand), and boy was it a gooey mess! As a kid I did use mashmallows and even Jet-Puffed Marshamallow Creme, but never remembered it being quite so glue-like.
Regardless, this recipe turns out delicious, and the crispy treats are even better after a day, as the peppermint flavor infuses itself throughout the treats upon sitting. I like to stash the bars in the freezer, where they stay nice, cool, and crispy … but that’s just me. Also, since I made this recipe, (ahem) just a few times, I did some experimentation and even made a vegan version with Susan’s Ricemellow Creme (a gift from Dairy Free Market!), experimented with coconut oil, and mixed up the chocolate for dark loving fans.
This is a bit of a seasonal delight, since minty Oreos are not usually sold year-round. I used the Peppermint (Candy Cane) Joe Joe’s from Trader Joes, which are incredible, and I have a little secret. Last year those cookies went on clearance after the holiday for a $1 a box, so I kept the holiday love going for months! Keep an eye out and stock up if you like these beauties!
No minty sandwich cookies? You can stick with regular Oreo-type cookies too, and if you still like that minty taste, add some extract! I haven’t trialed the extract as of yet, but have included a general amount as a suggestion in the recipe.
Chocolate Peppermint “Oreo” Crispy Treats
This recipe is Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and optionally Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, and Vegan.
- 14 to 15 Peppermint-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (Candy Cane Joe Joe’s, Mint Oreos, etc.) or Regular Chocolate Sandwich Cookies + 1 to 1-1/2 Teaspoons Peppermint Extract (to taste)
- 10 Ounces Chocolate Chips or your favorite Chocolate Cut into Chunks (I used 1 bag (about 1.5 cups) of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips – love that they are mini and free from dairy, soy, gluten, etc.!)
- 1/3 Cup Dairy-Free Margarine (I used Earth Balance Soy-Free) or 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
- 10 Ounces Marshmallows or Ricemellow Creme (for vegan), or a 7 to 7.5 Ounce Jar of Marshmallow Creme or Fluff
- 4 to 5 Cups Crispy Rice Cereal (I used Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal)
Gently crush the cookies. I placed them in a baggie, and firmly pressed down on each cookie to break them into chunks sized to my liking, without making a mess! Set aside.
Melt the chocolate – I do this in a bowl in the microwave in about two 30 second intervals, stirring vigorously after each heating to get those last chips melted. Do not overcook your chocolate! Set aside.
Place your margarine or coconut oil in a medium to large saucepan, and melt over low to medium-low heat (my stove doesn’t even function at low heat). Add the marshmallows or creme and continue to stir as they melt in. This will take about 5 minutes to get a nice smooth mixture. Stir in the chocolate until smooth.
Add the crispy rice creal and sandwich cookies, stirring until thoroughly combined. I start with 4 cups, but ended up using the full 5 cups with the Ricemellow Creme and marshmallows.
Press firmly into a greased baking dish. An 8 x 8 dish will make taller, full-sized crispy treats, while a 9 x 13 will make thinner, bite-sized crispy treats. Allow to cool before cutting into squares – I fridge (or freeze) them, especially when using the coconut oil, which makes for a firmer, crunchier, crispy treat and helps the chocolate to quickly set up.
Note: The chocolate gives these a different texture than your traditional rice crispy treat. I like it this way, but if you want that gooey crispy treat texture with a chocolatey taste, skip the chocolate chips, but add in 2 to 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (to taste) and/or use cocoa crispy rice cereal. Adjust cereal amount up if needed.
Gluten-Free: Erewhon offers gluten-free crispy brown rice cereal (which I used), and I believe there are some other brands. Though I haven’t found minty GF chocolate sandwich cookies, there are some great chocolate sandwich cookies (sans mint) that are great from companies like Kinnikinnick, Mi-Del, and Josef’s.
Yields, oh I don’t know, a pan full of crispy treats cut to the size you are craving
21 thoughts on “Chocolate Peppermint “Oreo” Crispy Treats”
These look delish!! YUM!!!
Oh, the many ways you can fix up the traditional rice crispy treat. Looks great!
Oh those look lovely!
Enjoy!
Whoa! Hold the boat…there are minty-flavored Oreo’s? I must hunt these down! These look chock-full of deliciousness 🙂
How in the world do you come up with these fantastic ideas??? It’s crazy how many interesting recipes you have…my boyfriend would kill for some of these.hahaha He’s a mint and oreo kind of guy!!
thank you for giving a million and one tweaks and tips on this recipe! I always create my recipes for the strictest of diets, vegan, gluten, and soy free. And then people can un-do what they wish or can to it. And I soooo appreciate when someone who doenst have to be vegan or GF or SF provides a recipe that encompasses the strictest of (food allergy) needs! You rock.
The oreo chunks in the middle of the bars…wow. And the thick-ish yet gooey-ish looking texture. OMG memories of my childhood that as a GF SF vegan are hard to come by…yay for this one, Alisa!
Oh how pretty! My favorite part is that you can see the layers of the cookie as you cut it! 🙂
WEll, it is about time. I kid I kid. Can’t wait to make these…
Oh, I love joe joe’s and the candy cane ones are my fave…The closest TJ’s is 2 1/2 hrs away so my mom mails them to me or when we get to TJ’s we stock up. I freeze them so I can have them all year…Salivating!!
These looks super delicious and would be wonderful to bring along to a holiday party! Love it!
these look GORGEOUS! i’ll have to pick up some joe joe’s in the states and bring them back to try out this recipe 🙂
Wow, those look amazing, Alisa!!
What a great idea, and they look terrific, too!
These look wonderful–love chocolate and peppermint! Have a wonderful holiday and Merry Christmas!
I also remembered marshmallow fluff as being less glue-like but then I bought some about a year ago and was shocked! These look amazing. thanks for the tip on the Peppermint Joe Joe’s! I love TJ’s oreo cookies.
Merry Christmas Alisa!
Oh these krispy treats sound so good. I too am a fan of peppermint with my treats this time of year. I add peppermint extract to my hot cocoa daily. Happy Holidays! Does that pan serve one, ha!
This looks delicious. I was just checking out the pictures and I was heading to the ingredients thinking how can I make this vegan and you are already one step ahead of me! Awesome, thanks!
Seriously one of my favorite desserts now. I love peppermint! Your blog is wonderful. After my son was diagnosed with a milk allergy and I realized that I’d have to stop eating dairy as well I thought I was going to have a melt down giving up chocolate, but these treats and your cookbook has saved me and I now feel confident that I can actually be dairy-free and survive. Thanks.
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