Rice Krispie Treats

1. Melt butter and marshmallows. Fully melt the butter and then add in the marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are just melted and then remove from heat to avoid burnt or tough mallows.
2. Add other ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients into the melted marshmallow mixture. Stir gently, but ensure all the ingredients are well coated in the marshmallows to avoid any potential dry sections in the bars. Work quickly, though, so that the cereal gets coated before the marshmallow mixture firms up.
3. Press into pan. Very gently press the mixture into a pan. If the mixture is pressed into the pan with too much pressure, the treats will end up hard and dense.
4. Optional step — decorate! Add a drizzle of chocolate to the top of your bars. Before the chocolate sets, you can also add on some sprinkles. See below for more fun ways to jazz up your treats!

Rice Krispie Treat Variations

• Top with chocolate: Add white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or even colored candy melts. The chocolate can either be drizzled on the bars or spread into a smooth layer on top.
• Make ’em festive: Decorate them for different holidays (see our favorite Halloween krispie treats here!). The decoration can be as simple as adding festive sprinkles (think red and blue for the 4th of July, black and orange for Halloween, green for St. Patrick’s Day, pastels for Easter, etc.).
• Add coarsely chopped mix-ins: We love adding about 1 cup of coarsely chopped candies to our treats — Kit-Kat Bars®, Oreos®, Reese’s Cups®, chocolate bars, etc. 
• Check out this fun list for more variation ideas!

Why are my Rice Krispie Treats hard?

There are a few reasons: not enough marshmallows, old or hard marshmallows, heat was too high when melting the marshmallows, or the bars were compressed too tightly.

Here are my top tips for keeping your Rice Krispie Treats soft, chewy, and delicious.

• Keep the heat low. When marshmallows are exposed to high heat, they harden and that will make your bars rock hard. Keep the heat as low as possible and remove the marshmallows as soon as they’re melted. Remember to stir constantly as the marshmallows melt down.
• Use extremely FRESH marshmallows. The fresher the marshmallows, the softer and more enjoyable the Rice Krispie Treats will be. When purchasing marshmallows, feel the bags to find the softest marshmallows.
• Avoid compressing. Don’t push the mixture into the pan. Instead, place them in the pan and gently press them down. The less compacted the bars are, the better they taste and easier they are to eat.

How do you keep Rice Krispie Treats from sticking to your hands?

The “secret” here is cooking spray! Pour the mixture into the pan and then give both your hands a quick spritz with cooking spray (we like coconut oil-based cooking spray best, but any will work). Then, gently press the bars in and watch the magic happen — nothing will stick to your hands!

I don’t recommend (and it’s really not necessary) to refrigerate Rice Krispie Treats. If you’re in a huge hurry, the pan can be cooled in the fridge for a short time, but otherwise, I’d steer clear of chilling these bars.

 

Rice Krispie Treats are a dessert that is truly best the same day they’re made. These bars harden and become stale quickly, so I recommend eating them on day 1 or freezing the leftovers. Note there is a slight loss of texture when freezing and thawing.

 

QUICK TIP

How to freeze these treats: Wrap each treat individually in a square of wax paper and then wrap with plastic wrap. Place the individually wrapped treats in a resealable freezer bag, press out the air and freeze for up to 6 months. Enjoy a treat by thawing on the counter at room temperature for about 20 minutes.