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Indulge in a decadent twist on a classic favorite with these Vegan Turtle Crispy Rice Squares! They’re a chewy, crunchy, and gooey dessert loaded with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Made completely dairy-free, these gluten-free treats layer crispy rice cereal mixed with rich vegan chocolate, luscious caramel, and crunchy pecans. Perfect for parties, lunchbox treats, or satisfying your sweet tooth!

two turtle crispy rice squares stacked on top of one another on a piece of parchment paper.

Table of Contents

This was my fourth attempt at making these Vegan Turtle Crispy Rice Squares! 😅 Not because they’re hard to make, quite the contrary actually, but because I wanted to make sure they were perfect! With layers of crispy chocolate, gooey caramel, and crunchy pecans, they’re a nostalgic crispy sweet treat. If you like turtle desserts, you’re going to love these! 🐢🍫

close up of two turtle crispy rice squares stacked on top of one another on a piece of parchment paper.

The Ingredients

Crispy rice cereal. There are numerous brands other than Rice Krispies that make crispy rice cereal. I know Whole Foods has a few different options, but I used this one.

Chocolate. I used dairy-free chocolate chips but you can use dark chocolate or your favorite dairy-free milk chocolate chips.

Coconut oil. Coconut oil is used in both the crispy rice as well as in the caramel topping to help it solidfy and hold together.

Caramel sauce. Typically caramel sauce isn’t vegan as there’s dairy in it, but I used my favorite store-bought coconut caramel sauce for this recipe and it definetly added that ooey gooey caramel topping I was looking for!

💡 You may also try my homemade vegan caramel sauce in this recipe!

Pecans. I had a bag of whole, raw pecans that I used for another recipe, so I just broke them into smaller pieces with my hands, but you may also buy pre-chopped pecans to cut out a step in recipe prep. I happen to like larger and smaller chunks of pecans.

pulling apart turtle crispy rice squares to reveal the gooey caramel.

How To Make Turtle Crispy Rice Squares

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium-large microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and melt them in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, or you may also use the double boiler method. Add the crispy rice cereal to the bowl with the melted chocolate and gently fold in the crispy rice cereal until all the cereal is coated in melted chocolate. Transfer the mixture to the pan in an even layer, flattening the top. Place the pan in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

If the pecans aren’t already chopped, do so now, either breaking them into smaller pieces with your hands or using a nut chopper.

Next, melt the caramel sauce with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour and spread the melted caramel over top of the crispy rice and then immediately sprinkle the chopped pecans over top. Also sprinkle flake salt over top if desired. Place the pan in the refrigerator until the caramel is set, about 30-45 minutes, then slice and enjoy! Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge.

a close up of a turtle crispy rice square on a piece of parchment paper.

Why You’ll Love This Turtle Dessert

Quick & easy. With only 5 ingredients, these Turtle Crispy Rice Squares are so easy to make! We’re talking 10 minutes of work 😃! Then all you need is a little patience to allow them to set up before slicing and devouring.

No baking required. I love a good no-bake dessert! No need to turn on the oven for this one! 😅

A treat for everyone! Whether you’re dairy-free or not, vegan or not, everyone will love these delicious chocolate caramel pecan treats!

two turtle crispy rice squares on parchment paper.

Recipe Variations

Use a different cereal. You can try a different crunchy cereal if you’d like, such as corn flakes. Corn flakes would add a flakier crunch and a buttery base flavor. If you do use a corn flakes cereal, it’s best if it’s slightly crushed to help the treats hold together.

You can also use an O-shaped cereal like Cheerios, or maybe even a plain, loose granola could work.

Try puffed quinoa instead! I use crispy puffed quinoa (affiliate link) in a lot of my recipes, from my Crispy Quinoa Cacao Cookies to these Creamy Avocado Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Bars, it adds a crispy, nutty flavor and a protein boost. Crispy puffed quinoa (affiliate link) is light and crispy, similar texture to rice cereal.

a hand holding a turtle crispy rice square with caramel dripping off.

FAQ’s

Is there store-bought vegan caramel that works well?

I recently discovered this coconut caramel sauce and I LOVE it!

Do caramel candies work?

I made this recipe twice with vegan caramel candies and the recipe works, however, I found the caramel to be too hard on top making the turtle crispy rice squares hard to bite into and then they break all over the place making a big mess.

Can I make my own caramel instead of using store-bought caramel?

While you could try to make my vegan caramel sauce and use it in this recipe, I have not done so and can’t guarantee the same results.

What if the caramel is too runny?

If the caramel is too runny/gooey for your liking you can pop these squares in the freezer for a bit. Keep in mind that it will also make the chocolate crispy rice layer harder as well.

Can I use another nut variety besides pecans?

Sure! Traditionally turtle-flavored desserts are a combination of chocolate, caramel, and pecans, but if you don’t like pecans or can’t consume pecans for allergy-related reasons, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, or even hazelnuts would also be delicious!

Do these taste like marshmallow Rice Krispy Treats?

Not exactly. They are crunchier than the marshmallow crispy rice treats. They have more of a crunch bar texture.

Let me know what you think about these easy, fun, super scrumptious Turtle Crispy Rice Squares recipe down below in the comments section, as well as giving this recipe a five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating so that others can discover a dairy-free, gluten free caramel, chocolate, pecan crunchy sweet treat! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make them!