Gooey, soft and filled with buttery marshmallows and crispy cereal, this is the best rice krispie treats recipe that turns out perfect every time! All you need are 3 simple ingredients for this no-bake dessert.
These rice crispy treats are perfect for a potluck, party or fun snack! Peanut butter rice krispie treats, scotcheroos and avalanche cookies are other favorites.
Table of Contents
Classic Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats (or is it rice crispy treats?) are nostalgic, simple and super kid-friendly. My kids love to help me make them as well as these peanut butter no-bake cookies, cake mix cookies, and no-bake cornflake cookies.
A rice krispie treats recipe is one of the best no-bake treats to have in your back pocket. They are quick, easy and both kid and adult friendly. These rice krispy treats are the BEST and the secret is to reserve some of the mini marshmallows for the end.
3 Simple Ingredients
Take your rice krispies cereal to the next level with melted marshmallows and butter! Every kid to adult loves a good krispie treat. Combined they make the world’s famous homemade rice krispies treat!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: This is a smooth and velvety texture. Melted unsalted butter doesn’t take long to do in a pan. Make sure it does not overheat or burn.
- Mini marshmallows: These take a little longer to melt together. Marshmallows will be the glue and stick everything together.
- Rice krispies cereal: The main ingredient! The cereal will help give it structure and a delicious snack to hold.
How to Make Rice Krispie Treats
Slowly cook, stir, and mix the ingredients together in a large pot. The marshmallows are ooey gooey, while the butter makes them silky smooth, and the rice krispies cereal gives it a base and structure form.
- Prepare. Line a 9×13″ (or 9×9″ for thicker bars) baking dish with foil and butter. Set aside.
- Melt. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until they begin to melt.
- Mix. Once the marshmallows are almost melted, stir in the cereal and the extra marshmallows. Mix until completely coated in the marshmallow mixture.
- Press and cool. Add mixture to a baking dish and push down with a spoon coated in butter or wax paper. Cool completely before cutting.
5 star review
“These really are the best, so gooey and delicious. I guess my baby in my belly loved them too cause she made me eat almost the whole pan alone.”
-Michelene
Tips for the Best Homemade Rice Krispie Treats
Here are some ways to make sure that you have the very best rice crispy treats!
- Butter your pan. My favorite method to avoid rice krispies sticking is to line my baking dish with aluminum, then butter the foil. I let the foil hang a little over the edges of the dish, so that I can easily grab it and remove them from the pan.
- Use low heat. In order to get that gooey and fluffy texture that makes them so delicious, it’s important to melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat slowly. It may take a little longer, but it will result in a perfectly soft rice crispy treat recipe. If you use too high of heat, you could end up with a hard texture.
- Mix in extra marshmallows at the end. What takes them from ordinary to extraordinary is to reserve about 2-3 cups of the mini marshmallows to mix in at the very end. This makes them super gooey and delicious.
- Let cool. It’s important that you let them cool completely and harden a bit before cutting. If you try to cut them while the butter and marshmallows are still warm, they won’t hold their square shape. I usually let mine cool for about 30 minutes prior to cutting.
- Use a plastic knife for cutting. I find it works best to cut the rice krispies into squares with a plastic knife.
Recipe FAQs
There are about 10 to 12 cups of cereal in a 12-ounce box of rice krispies. So to make this recipe, you’ll need about half a box of cereal. If doubling the recipe, you’ll use a full box. I love to have multiple boxes on hand so that I can easily whip them up whenever I’m in a pinch!
Most rice krispie treats don’t get soggy. They usually do become dry and hard if they are not stored properly. Cover the pan with the lid or plastic wrap tightly. When ready to serve, cut the treats into squares or shapes.
Sure! You can flavor your crispy treats with a splash of vanilla extract or even almond or peppermint. Adding sprinkles makes these festive and mini chocolate chips are perfect for chocolate lovers.
When licking hands isn’t acceptable, it’s a good idea to have a few tips to keep them free from the sticky goodness! I like to spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray before pressing them in the pan and you could also just spray your hands too with non-stick spray! If I remember, I keep the butter wrap and sometimes use that to press the treats into the pan.
Storage and Freezing
To keep them fresh, store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag. You could even wrap the squares in foil or plastic wrap to eliminate sticking. They will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze, individually wrap the squares in foil and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temp for about an hour or so before enjoying.
More Rice Krispie Treats Recipes
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Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons butter
- 16 ounce mini marshmallows
- 6 cups rice krispies cereal (about 1/2 a box)
Instructions
- Line a 9×13″ (or 9×9″ for thick bars) baking dish with foil and butter. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and then add 7-8 cups marshmallows. Once they are almost melted, stir in the rice krispies cereal and remaining 2-3 cups of mini marshmallows. Mix until completely coated with the marshmallow mixture.
- Add mixture to baking dish and press down with a spoon coated in butter or wax paper to compact and level out surface.
- Let cool before cutting. I find using a plastic knife to cut them works best.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I’m eager to make this ooey-gooey recipe.
Did you mean a 16 oz BAG of mini-marshmallows? – that equals 8 cups.
16 oz. equals only 2 cups.
Yes a 16-ounce bag (you’re saving some to mix in after) which makes them extra gooey. If you don’t like them as gooey, you can just use a 10-ounce bag :)
Turned out excellent! Everyone loved them
So happy to hear this! Thanks for the review!
I like to make these Rice Krispie treats because they are so easy to make . I often make the peanut butter one and then spread some Nutella on top, makes it taste like a Reese’s peanut butter cup only crunchy!
I have a 12 oz box of rice krispies and 1 10 oz bag of regular sized marshmallows. Will this work?
Yes, just use a little less rice krispies since you don’t have as many marshmallows :)
So tasty dessert! Love this!
my daughter loves this so much.
Delicious! Your recipe is spot on. We always use a higher ratio of marshmallows than the traditional recipe. But I had never thought to add extra marshmallows at the end. Fantastic idea! They were scrumptious!
Always a hit with the kids, and so easy to make! Definitely on repeat around here
This was such a hit with my kids. I will make it again and again.
So glad the rice krispie treats were a hit!