The Best Rice Krispies Treats
Posted: 03/16/2020
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Crispy but still soft and chewy, these are the best Rice Krispies treats thanks to two important secrets!
I haven’t found many people in life who don’t love a classic Rice Krispies treat. Have you? They’re sweet, chewy, and so reminiscent of childhood.
I often make these for parties, picnics, and school birthday treats.
Maybe it’s a little bit because they’re SO easy to make, but it’s also because they’re widely loved, they don’t need refrigeration, and they’re not very messy.
I mean, that’s an all-around win, right?
About these Rice Krispies Treats:
Okay so yes, calling these the best Rice Krispies treats is a bold claim. And I know I’m not the only one on the internet making this claim.
So I’ll be real with you. They are the best. The absolute best. Don’t listen to ANYONE ELSE.
Kidding, a little, but I have tested, retested, and made these a thousand times. So I’ll say they are the best way to make them, in my experience, and I’ll let you make the final decision for yourself.
These bars still have the basic Rice Krispies ingredients (Rice Krispies cereal, marshmallows, butter), but my tips will make the yummiest, softest bars.
Here are my two secrets for the best Rice Krispies treats:
- Extra marshmallows. I put a few extra marshmallows in the the melted marshmallow mixture, but then I also stir in some with the cereal. This makes them extra fluffy and soft, plus those extra little bits of marshmallow are so fun!
- Light pressure. Meaning, when you press the Rice Krispies down into the pan, do so gently. This prevents them from turning into dense bricks. They’ll be light, fluffy, and so perfectly soft and chewy.
Bonus tip: Make sure to heat the marshmallows and butter over low heat, stirring constantly, and remove from heat as soon as the marshmallows have melted. This will help prevent your Rice Krispies treats from becoming hard.
How to make these Rice Krispies treats your own:
Obviously there are a thousand things you can do with Rice Krispie treats. While this recipe is the classic version, here are a few variations:
- Sprinkles! We almost always add some sprinkles to the tops of these for some fun color. Make sure to do it right away after you press the cereal mixture into the pan, or they won’t stick.
- Add chocolate to the marshmllow mixture. Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for irresistible chocolate Rice Krispies treats. (Or, PS, you could also use Cocoa Krispies!)
- Fruity Pebbles! Try my fun Fruity Pebbles bars!
- Add food coloring! That’s what you’ll do if you want to make my Rice Krispies treats Christmas trees, but you could add any color you like!
- Add candy. Because, why not? Try my Nerds Rice Krispies treats.
- Add a pretty chocolate drizzle. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon coconut oil in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring well between each interval. Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over bars. Let firm up completely before cutting.
Storage Tips
These are absolutely the best if you eat them the day they are made. They’ll still be good the next day, but they’ll progressively get more tough and dry the older they are. They’ll be okay to eat for up to a week, but they just won’t taste as good or have the same great texture. Try to finish them up within three days. I know you can do it.
Store leftover Rice Krispies treats in an airtight container at room temperature. Use wax paper or parchment paper between layers of bars to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Other easy no-bake dessert recipes:
Honestly, I’m a sucker for a good, easy, dessert. Here are some favorites:
- Chocolate Tart Recipe – this one looks super fancy but it is so easy to make!
- No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
- No Bake Lemon Berry Cheesecakes
- Banana and Chocolate Pudding Dessert Bites
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars – we can’t have these in our nut-allergy home anymore, but I love them so much!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
bars
Crispy but still soft and chewy, these are the best Rice Krispies treats thanks to two important secrets!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 7 cups mini marshmallows, divided
- 7 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray, or rub with butter. Measure out Rice Krispies; set aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter and 5 cups mini marshmallows over medium-low heat.
- When melted, remove from heat and immediately stir in cereal and remaining 2 cups mini marshmallows, until all cereal is coated with melted marshmallows. The mini marshmallows you add in will stay relatively whole.
- Pour into prepared pan and press down lightly into an even layer. Let cool and cut into squares. For best taste and texture, serve the same day.
- If desired, cover well and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Make sure to only press down lightly for the best texture! Spray your hands with nonstick spray, or use a piece of wax paper, or a butter wrapper to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1g, Calories: 94kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 55mg, Sugar: 9g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: Ben has no complaints when I make these! Who doesn’t love these?
Changes I would make: None are necessary!
Difficulty: Very easy!
