The Best Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

A classic treat you can make anytime of year when you need a quick no bake treat. These seriously are the best rice krispie treats recipe ever. Promise.

It’s been a long time since I have had a rice krispie treat. And probably longer when I have had a GOOD rice krispie treat. You know the kind where they are too tough, not enough marshmallow, just eh.

It seemed when the craving hit, the universe was just egging me on or maybe it was teasing me? I’m not sure. It seemed once the craving hit, no joke rice krispie treats were everywhere..Pinterest…TV…Ok maybe not everywhere but after one two many pins and commercials I had to make some myself. It’s a good thing they are a quick and easy dessert recipe to whip up. 

Rice Krispie treats are simple right? Melt butter. Add marshmallows. Melt those. Stir in rice krispie treats (do this off the heat please!). Spread into the pan. And done. You get to enjoy them. But I still have a few simple tricks for you to make these the best ever. 

Ingredients needed to make these rice krispie treats

The best part about making rice krispie treats is that it takes very few ingredients.

• Unsalted butter – I always recommend using unsalted butter because brands can vary on how much salt they add to their butter. So by using unsalted I can control how much salt is added. 
• Rice Krispies – I think this ingredient goes without saying! But yes you will need this classic cereal to make these favorite childhood treats.
• Marshmallows – You will need to have 2 bags of marshmallows (at least one of them should be the mini variety so you can stir in 2 cups of the mini’s at the end. If I have a large marshmallow variety I use that bag as the type to melt down as you will see in the photo, and then stir in mini marshmallows at the end).
• Vanilla extract – This might be a new ingredient you add to your treats but trust me on this. Adding vanilla extract just helps bring out the flavor of the marshmallows and I think is what makes them the best ever
• Salt – Yes salt is always important! A little salt is always helpful to balance out the sweetness.

Related: You might also like the rest of these 5 Ingredient Desserts

How to make rice krispie treats- step by step photos

More Marshmallows!

A trick for pressing them into the pan

Tips for making rice krispie treats

• Use unsalted butter – Salted butter can have varying amounts and might make these very salty in the end. Not what we want! So use unsalted butter. 
• Pan size– I used a 9×13 pan but if you want thicker treats then simply use a smaller pan. 
• Add extra marshmallows – Reserve some marshmallows to stir in at the end so you get some marshmallows that haven’t melted into the mixture. Of course you could always make your own homemade vanilla marshmallows. 
• Use saran wrap – These can be tricky to press down into the pan because of how sticky they are. So lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap and use that to press the mixture down into the pan. 
• Do not press down too much – You do need to press them down somewhat but if you press down too much you could create a rice krispie treat that ends up too dense. 

Rice Krispie Treat FAQ’s

Why did my rice krispie treats get hard?

This could be if you used stale rice krispies or stale marshmallows. Another reason might be you pressed down TOO much when pressing them into the pan. 

Do I need to bake rice krispie treats?

That’s the best part of rice krispie treats. No baking required! That means they are ready in a flash and a great no bake treat to make in the summer time. 

Do I need to refrigerate rice krispie treats? 

Nope! In fact that could contribute to them turning too hard as well. They will be fine and stay fresh at room temperature for about 2 days. 

Can I use a different cereal?

You absolutely can. Try using Lucky Charms, Cocoa Krispies, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Cheerios instead. 

How do I store rice krispie treats?

These will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 

If they last that long that is. 

More Rice Krispie Treat recipes

• Milky Way Rice Krispie Treats
• Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes

Tools needed to make the Best Rice Krispie treats

• Baking Dish- Either an 7×11, 9×9 or 8×8 
• Large Stockpot – I own a large Cuisinart stockpot that I love and have had for years!
• Mixing bowl (if your saucepan is big enough, I just melt my butter than throw everything in- if not I transfer to a large mixing bowl!)
• Sturdy silicone spatula to stir with!

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Classic Rice Krispie Treats

A perfect version of the classic rice krispie treat!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 9 minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 7 cups rice krispies
• ▢ 2 10-ounce bags of mini marshmallows divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Lightly spray x 9x13 pan or line with with aluminum foil. You can use a smaller pan if you want thicker treats.
• Melt butter in a very large pot on low heat.
• Open one bag of marshmallows and reserve 2 cups of mini marshmallows. Set these aside. These will be stirred in at the very end. 
• When butter is melted, add the remaining marshmallows (1 whole bag, and what's left of the second bag). Stir with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until melted.
• Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. 
• Stir in remaining 2 cups mini marshmallows and rice krispies. 
• Spread in pan (use a piece of saran wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray) and press into the pan.
• Let sit for 10 minutes.  Cut into squares and enjoy.

Notes

• Use unsalted butter - Salted butter can have varying amounts and might make these very salty in the end. Not what we want! So use unsalted butter. 
• Pan size- I used a 9x13 pan but if you want thicker treats then simply use a smaller pan. 
• Add extra marshmallows - Reserve some mini marshmallows to stir in at the end so you get some marshmallows that haven't melted into the mixture. Of course you could always make your own homemade vanilla marshmallows. 
• Use saran wrap - These can be tricky to press down into the pan because of how sticky they are. So lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap and use that to press the mixture down into the pan. 
• Do not press down too much - You do need to press them down somewhat but if you press down too much you could create a rice krispie treat that ends up too dense. 

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 15mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 830IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 3.3mg

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