Chocolate Almond Crispy Treats

My biggest complaint about being gluten-free is not having something easily accessible to satisfy my sweet tooth.  These Chocolatey almond buttery treats are SUPER easy to make (no baking required) and satisfy my need for a dessert or sweet snack.  This recipe is a modification of a recipe I found on the Oh She Glows blog a few years back and I have been making it often ever since.  They truly take about 15 minutes to make  and you can be sure they will take a lot less time to disappear!

Serves approximately 6-8 (assuming 2 per person)

Ingredients:
2 cups crispy rice cereal (I like Erewhon)
1/2 cup smooth natural almond butter
2 Tablespoon brown sugar or raw cane sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips


Line a large plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the almond butter, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and sugar. Microwave on high for about a minute or until chocolate is melted. Stir well and immediately add the cocoa powder. Stir until combined, then stir in the rice crisp cereal until coated well.

Wet hands thoroughly and shape the mixture into about 1 1/2 inch diameter balls, pressing mixture together firmly into balls so they will hold together. Wet hands after each ball is formed so the mixture will not stick to your hands. Place the balls onto parchment paper and freeze for 5 minutes. You can store them in the freezer or move to the refrigerator after setting.  Let the sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before eating.