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Posted by Aimee439 comments Published: Sep 26, 2023Last Updated: Mar 19, 2024
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Get the secret tips and tricks to making the most PERFECT Rice Krispies Treats recipe. From using fresh butter and marshmallows to adding vanilla extract, this is our favorite dessert.
Love easy cereal treats? Try our recipes for homemade puppy chow (muddy buddies)! Or make a savory snack like this Taco Chex mix!
Why My Rice Krispies Treat Recipe Is Best
There are thousands of recipes for making this classic treat, and I’m putting it out there that my recipe is BEST. You may see some similar nowadays, but they all stem from my original add-ins. Why?
Only 4 ingredients
Thick and chewy
Vanilla flavor
Perfect ratio of cereal to marshmallows
We love that this classic treat can be changed up using different cereals too!
Chocolate– Cocoa Krispie Treats
Fruity– Fruity Pebbles Treats
S’mores– Golden Grahams Treats
Cheerios– Cheerio Treats
The Original Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie Treats have always been the key to my heart. Knowing how to make rice krispie treats has gotten me far in life.
I love crispy treats so much that I’ve created over a dozen flavors….from Fluffernutter Krispie Treats to Cinnamon Roll Krispie Treats.
I’ve even got these adorable TURKEY Krispie Treats and this Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treat for Thanksgiving!
But, in the end, it’s the classic, original, homemade RICE KRISPIE TREAT that draws me in.
The biggest question is how to spell it. Some people say Rice Crispy, Some say Crispy Rice, some say Rice Crispies. Either way, you get the point!
Ingredient Notes
Butter- use salted butter for this recipe. Just trust me! Don’t have any on hand? Use unsalted butter and a pinch of salt while melting. DO NOT use margarine.
Marshmallows- you’ll need 9 cups of mini marshmallows, keeping about 1 cup aside to add in at the end!
Rice Krispies Cereal- any brand of crispy rice cereal will work, just make sure it’s FRESH.
Aimee’s Secret Ingredient
Adding my homemade vanilla extract or any pure vanilla extract takes this recipe over the top.
More Rice Krispie Treat Flavors
Add in some flavored gelatin (or pudding mix) to the melted marshmallow for a unique twist! Cherry Krispie Treats!
Make Lucky Charms Treats for a St.Paddy’s Day dessert idea.
For best results, name brand cereal stays fresher longer and can hold up to the melted butter and marshmallows better
Always start with fresh marshmallows. If you use stale marshmallows in hopes that melting them will give you good results, you’ll be disappointed!
More mix-ins: fold in some m&m’s or Reese’s peanut butter cups for a delicious dessert idea.
Get the secret tips and tricks to making the most PERFECT Rice Krispie Treats recipe. From using fresh butter and marshmallows to adding vanilla extract, this is our favorite dessert.
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 5 minutesminutes
Additional Time: 1 hourhour
Total Time: 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Servings: 9large bars
Ingredients
6Tablespoonssalted butter
16ouncebag mini marshmallowsdivided
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
6cupsrice krispies cereal
Instructions
Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in all but 1 cup of the marshmallows. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until completely melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the cereal and the remaining 1 cup of marshmallows and gently stir until combined.
Pour into the prepared baking dish. Press GENTLY with your fingertips just until completely spread out (the harder you pack them in, the harder they are to eat).
Allow to set, about 1 hour. Cut and enjoy!
Notes
How many marshmallows do I need? One 16 ounce bag of marshmallows is about 8-9 cups. You’ll melt all but one cup of the marshmallows in the butter, reserving the last cup for adding with the cereal.
Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. This way you don’t have to worry about extra butter on your fingertips, or the other extreme of your bars sticking to the pan! Use binder clips to help the parchment paper stay in place.
Use fresh marshmallows. Seriously, they make a difference. Don’t grab that bag that’s been in your pantry for months and months thinking it will be okay since you are melting them. It won’t be okay.
Add my secret ingredient. VANILLA EXTRACT. Not imitation vanilla, but PURE VANILLA extract. It makes a difference in creating the illusion that you’re using homemade marshmallows.
DO NOT (I repeat) DO NOT press these bars into your pan firmly. Using your fingertips, GENTLY press them in just until they are spread out. The harder you pack them in, the harder they are when it’s time to eat them!
The trick to pressing them in your pan without sticking to your hands is to run your fingers in water, shake off the excess, and press. Voila. No sticking!
Store in an airtight container for two days. If they last that long, I’d be shocked!
Make these gluten free by choosing a crispy rice cereal labeled Gluten Free (and check your marshmallow labels too just in case).
Can you freeze rice krispie treats? YES! I slide them on a parchment paper lined sheet into a ziploc freezer bag. Thaw on counter until soft again!
If you melt the marshmallows too fast, it might result in a Rice Kripsy treat that is harder and crunchy than chewy. Take your time and let the butter and marshmallows melt slowly. Use an 8×8 or slightly smaller pan. Use a small and deep pan if you want thick and chewy rice Krispy treats.
Once you've cut up your extra rice crispy treats, stack them in an airtight container. Place a sheet of wax paper in between each layer to keep them from sticking, then seal the top. You can store the container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze the treats for up to 6 weeks. Enjoy!
If you want to store them for longer than two days, try freezing them. To Freeze: Allow these gooey Rice Krispie Treats to cool completely and cut them into squares. Freeze in an airtight container, or wrap each square in a piece of plastic wrap and place them in a gallon freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months.
It's Cheaper – The ingredients in this recipe cost me $5.01 and made 16.1 ounces of rice krispies, roughly 30 cents per ounce. I bought an 8-piece box at the store for $4.43 cents, with each piece weighing 0.78 ounces. That's about 70 cents per ounce.
The substitute breaks down like this: combine an inverted sugar (like syrup or honey) with a nut or seed butter to create a sweet adhesive for your Rice Krispy treats. Not only does this sticky mix work as a proper swap for marshmallows, but it also brings its own unique flavor to your crunchy bars.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of vanilla flavor, enhancing the overall taste of the treats. Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the other ingredients. Rice Krispies: The star ingredient, these crisped rice cereal pieces absorb the melted marshmallow mixture and provide a crispiness.
How do you make rice crispy treats not fall apart? If your final product is falling apart, it could be because you're trying to cut when the dessert is too warm. Or, you may have added too many marshmallows. Place them in the fridge to firm up and try to slice again.
Do Rice Crispy Treats Need to be Refrigerated? No.I recommend keeping these Rice Crispy Treats in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerating will make the marshmallow in them super hard, so I advise to leave them at room temperature.
Guideline for Homemade Treats: Homemade Rice Krispies treats generally last about 3-4 weeks after the expiration date of the cereal when stored properly. Ensure that the storage area is cool, dry, and dark to maximize their shelf life.
- Beef or pork gelatin may be used in all varieties of Kellogg's® Rice Krispies Treats® bars, including Kellogg's® Rice Krispies Treats® made with Whole Grain bars. - Beef gelatin is used in Pop-Tarts® Toaster Pastries. Because the gelatin is used in the icing, our unfrosted varieties do not contain any gelatin.
Let the rice krispies sit 5 min before pressing into the pan: Simply dump the rice krispies into the pan and let them sit a minute. This helps avoid a soggy or stale texture.
When you add it to the butter and marshmallow mixture, the sweetened condensed milk provides an extra-milky flavor and ultra-gooey texture. And Rice Krispies treats made with sweetened condensed milk stay softer for longer.
With Rice Krispies already having experienced significant delays in production because of the pandemic and the worker strike, Kellogg's is having difficulty keeping up with consumer demand. Only until the 2022 barley crop is ready will Kellogg's be able to bounce back.
There isn't a huge secret ingredient or earth-shattering method to making these the most amazing rice krispie treats you'll ever have; it's all in the butter/marshmallow/cereal ratio! The original recipe for rice krispie treats calls for: 3 tablespoons butter :: 4 cups mini marshmallows :: 6 cups cereal.
Most importantly, they don't melt nearly as well. Instead of becoming soft and gooey, they melt into a one giant blob. → Follow this tip: Save the older marshmallows for hot cocoa and s'mores, and pick up a fresh bag of marshmallows to ensure a really great batch of rice krispie treats.
Rice Krispies treats have recently gained popularity on social media for their use as a pre-workout snack. Because they primarily consist of simple carbs, they are a suitable choice for people performing moderate to high intensity workouts.
To address your question in a nutshell, the simple answer is that dogs should not consume Rice Krispie treats. Rice Krispie treats may not be harmful to dogs since the rice cereal by itself is not poisonous, but the other components of the delicacy are either unhealthy or potentially harmful for canines.
You can also do like Alton Brown and add in double the marshmallows. Another addition that can bring Rice Krispie treats to a whole other level, and make them softer and more moist, is sweetened condensed milk. In fact, it can keep these sweets from being too dry and chewy from the moment that you bite into them.
Well, that's what will happen if your marshmallow is exposed to heat that's too high, so keep the heat on low to avoid rock hard Rice Krispie Treats. Slow on low heat is the way to go for chewy results!
Alternatively, those greasy used butter wrappers work wonders in helping press your mixture down and keeping things stick-free. Be sure to press down firmly, but not too tight, so that your mixture is easy to cut but doesn't become hard.
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