Looking for a quick (less than 15 minutes), easy (less than 5 ingredients) snack that everyone loves—try these Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats!
Thick and extra gooey make this the perfect treat or dessert recipe to have at your fingertips. Need to make them fancy? Dip half of the cut squares in white chocolate and drizzle the dipped squares with melted chocolate.
This recipe is so simple and can be modified for any occasion using candy or sprinkles.
How do you spell it?
Rice Krispy cereal is a Kellogg company product, thus the K spelling. The original recipe was concocted in 1939 at the company’s home economics kitchen as a fundraiser for a youth group. Because of the use of generic cereal, this treat can also be called rice crispy, or rice crisps, or even crispy rice. However, you want to spell it these marshmallow rice crispy treats are easy and delicious.
Marshmallow Conversion
There are now 4 common sizes of marshmallows, in addition to the jar of marshmallow fluff. The tiniest marshmallows are often only found dehydrated to be used in hot chocolate, don’t waste these specialty marshmallows for this recipe. The other 3 sizes are the jumbo s’more size (about 3” tall), regular (about 1” tall), and mini (about 1/2” tall). All three of these marshmallows can be used interchangeably. The regular and mini marshmallows often go on sale and also are available in the store brand for cost savings. As long as the marshmallows are soft they are good.
Tips for Great Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats
- Use a glass bowl if you can! Marshmallows are almost pure sugar and when they heat in the microwave it is common to pit and distort plastic bowls. (Do not use melamine bowls in the microwave.)
- Make sure you use a big enough bowl. When marshmallows are heated, they expand by at least fourfold. It is not fun to try to clean a hot sticky mess from the microwave.
- Use a 8-9” square pan so the treats are nice and thick. This makes the treats the thickness you get in a bakery.
- Line the pan with parchment paper so it is easy to remove the marshmallow rice crispy treats from the pan and cut into equal pieces.
- Use butter not margarine or vegetable shortening. Butter tastes good. I use salted butter, if you only have unsalted butter on hand—just add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
- For best results, use fresh marshmallows and cereal. Stale ingredients have a stale taste that doesn’t go away when you cook it.
- If adding candy pieces, mix them in with the cereal. But remember the candy is heavier than the rice cereal and will settle to the bottom. So gently stir just before adding to the marshmallow mixture so the candy pieces are well distributed.
- When pressing the marshmallow rice crispy treats into the pan, use a gentle hand. Just press to even the top, not to compress the treats into a solid mass that is hard to eat.
Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 9 large squares 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are the gooiest marshmallow rice crispy treats. Just 5 ingredients and easy to make in the microwave.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 16-ounce bag mini marshmallows (about 8–1/2 to 9 cups)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (don’t use imitation vanilla)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups rice crispy cereal
Instructions
- Line an 8-9” square pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray to make the treats don’t stick.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, marshmallows, salt, and vanilla and heat on high for 2 minutes. Stir and heat for an additional minute.
- Pour in the rice cereal and quickly stir with a long wooden spoon until everything is well combined.
- Spoon the treats into the prepared pan and gently press the marshmallow rice crispy treats to even out the top, being careful to not compress.
- Let cool for at least minutes.
- Using the parchment paper, lift the treats from the pan and cut them into squares.
Notes
Dip in melted white chocolate and drizzle with melted milk or dark chocolate.
Sprinkle the warm treats with seasonal sprinkles.
Add 1-2 cups of m&m’s, mini chocolate chips, peanut butter pieces, etc.
Try other similarly-sized cereal instead of rice crisp for chocolate or colorful marshmallow rice crispy treats.
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