Homemade rice Krispie treats recipe made with just 4 simple ingredients! Thick and chewy no-bake treats perfect for any occasion.
Love easy no-bake desserts? Try these Peanut Butter Dessert Balls or Pumpkin Tiramisu!
HOMEMADE RICE KRISPIE TREATS
There’s something magical about the classic Rice Krispie treat — soft, chewy, and perfectly sweet. Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic snack or a quick dessert to whip up for any occasion, these homemade Rice Krispie treats are the perfect solution! With just 4 ingredients and a couple minutes, you can enjoy a batch of these irresistible treats that everyone will love.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Butter– You can use either salted or unsalted butter for this dessert. I like using salted butter to balance out the sweetness from the marshmallows!
- Marshmallows– Mini marshmallows are recommended for easier melting! An equal amount of weight regular sized marshmallows can also be used, just keep in mind that they will take long to melt. If I only have large marshmallows on hand, I like to cut them into small pieces.
- Vanilla– A splash of vanilla extract enhances the flavor—what’s a dessert without a bit of vanilla, right?
- Rice Krispie Cereal – For the best results, it’s ideal to use Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, though any off-brand cereal will work as well.
HOW TO MAKE RICE KRISPIE TREATS
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in the vanilla and marshmallows and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Continue stirring until the marshmallows are melted, making sure to remove the pot from the heat once they’ve fully melted.
- Stir in the cereal and additional marshmallows and desired additives, mix until everything is well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and gently press it down into an even layer. (Do not overpack the treats, you want to just gently press the mixture down.)
- Let the treats cool either at room temperature or in the fridge until they firm up.
- Once cooled and set, cut into squares and serve!
RICE KRISPIE TREAT TOPPINGS
Elevate these dessert bars by topping these treats! Try some of these topping ideas:
- Sprinkles– Mix in and top these treats with sprinkles! I love to add these according to the holiday!
- Chocolate– Top the bars with drizzled melted chocolate! Use either white, dark or milk chocolate. Melt and then drizzle or spread the melted chocolate on top of the bars.
- Candy– Add your favorite candy for added flavors! Add chopped Oreos, Reese’s cups, chocolate bars, Kit-Kats, or M&Ms. You can mix these into the treats along with the cereal or just add in on top of the bars before the bars harden.
TREAT VARIATIONS
There are so many different flavors of rice Krispie treats you can make! Here are some delicious ideas to try:
- Cinnamon Churro– Add 2-3 Tbsp cinnamon sugar along with the cereal for a churro flavored treat!
- Peanut Butter– If you like peanut butter, add some peanut butter with the marshmallows to allow it to melt and you will have peanut butter flavored dessert.
- Oreo– Add crushed Oreos along with the cereal for a delicious Oreo flavors rice Krispie treat!
- Chocolate– If you are a chocolate lover, swap out the classic Rice Krispie cereal for cocoa Krispies!
- Fruity Pebble– Switch out the classic Rice Krispie cereal for fruity pebbles cereal
- Smores– Add crushed graham crackers, extra marshmallows, and chopped Hershey chocolate to these treats for the delicious summertime treat!
- Hot Chocolate– During the holidays, make these hot chocolate flavors! Use cocoa rice Krispie cereal, a couple Tbsps. of hot chocolate, and chocolate chips.
- Pumpkin– Make pumpkin spice rice Krispie treats during pumpkin season!
CEREAL SWAPS
If you love to experiment in the kitchen, try swapping out the rice Krispie cereal for different styles of cereal:
- Lucky Charms
- Corn Flakes
- Cocoa Puffs
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- Fruity Pebbles
- Fruity Loops
- Oreo O’s
- Reese’s Puffs
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No, the Rice Krispie cereal contains gluten, but you can swap it out for a gluten free version, like the Nature’s Path Cereal!
You want to allow time for the marshmallow mixture to solidify so that the treats are easier to handle, and they hold their shape.
Yes! These treats are perfect to make ahead of time! The bars will keep for up to a week.
Be sure to keep these covered or in an airtight container to avoid them from going stale. You can store at room temp for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to a week!
This means you over melted your marshmallows. You want to be sure you melt the marshmallows on low heat and mix right until they melted and gooey and then remove from the heat. It is okay if some chunks of marshmallows are not fully melted!
This most likely means you are using old, stale, or dried out marshmallows! Be sure to use fresh marshmallows.
Yes, you can totally use marshmallow cream (fluff) instead of regular marshmallows. The rice Krispie treats won’t be as firm because fluff is creamier, but it will still work!
You can totally make these sugar free but using sugar free marshmallows! You can also just reduce the sweetness and use half regular and half sugar free marshmallows.
OTHER DESSERT IDEAS
Try some other delicious dessert ideas:
Homemade Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 10 oz mini marshmallows
- 5 cups rice krispie cereal
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and spray it with baking spray.
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in vanilla extract and mini marshmallows. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Stir the marshmallows continuously as they melt to prevent them from burning. Once fully melted, remove the pot from the heat and mix in the rice krispie cereal, additional marshmallows, and other other additives and mix until everything is well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press it down into an even layer.
- Let the treats cool at room temperature or in the fridge until they have firmed up. Once firm, slice them into squares and enjoy!
Leave a Reply