My Perfect Rice Krispie Treats Recipe is one of my most popular creations. It’s the best rice krispie treats recipe, because it’s the perfect amount of marshmallow! Totally simple, gooey and buttery no bake recipe perfection!
So this might seem like a gimme. A no brainer. A “why is she even wasting my time right now?” Well, I might agree with you if I didn’t know better but…
These are THE Perfect Rice Krispie Treats!
Here’s the thing. I am a krispie treat junkie. I’ve never met a marshmallow cereal treat I didn’t like. And in the time I’ve been running this website, I have created my fair share of marshmallow treats, but it all started here with this most perfect rice krispie treat recipe of all time. This recipe has been duplicated across the internets many times over, which I love seeing, and is even featured in my book!
And while I do have tons of fun variations, it always comes back to this recipe. It’s on-its-own perfection, and I know if you make it just once you will be hooked! No browning butter necessary today. No sea salt or dulce de leche. Just krispie cereal, marshmallows and butter in the perfect portions to make my rice crispy treat recipe.
Crispy Treats OR Krispie Treats?
And while we’re on the topic, how do you spell this beloved treat? It is Crispy Treat or Krispie Treat? I feel like it’s a pretty mixed bag! I am fully going with the “k” spelling, but I know “c” has a huge following. These are the things that keep me up at night.
How to Make THE BEST Rice Krispie Treats
Ok folks, I am here to solve the worlds problems…everyone has had that “too hard” krispie treat. You know they one that scratches the roof of your mouth and leaves you with a scraped upper palate for 2 days? Not cool. And most likely you’ve had a too-soft krispie treat where there is too much butter or too many marshmallows making my poor krispie friends soggy and sad. Also not cool.
We’re talking krispie treat science today. The EXACT right proportions marshmallows to crispy bits.
Ingredients:
Let me first state, the the ingredients are pretty basic and universal to most crispy treat recipes, but it’s all about proportions!
- Crispy Rice Cereal. Basically Rice Krispies Cereal or any variation of the cereal, generic, fruity or otherwise.
- Marshmallows. I prefer to use mini marshmallows in my recipe because I find they melt quick and more evenly, but you can absolutely use larger sized marshmallows. BUT the magic is in the extra minis that you throw in at the end that don’t melt completely so I definitely recommend mini sized. I also made this handy Marshmallow Conversion Chart to help you figure out how many cups or ounces you will need if you aren’t using minis.
- Butter. I use salted.
- Kosher Salt. Add a pinch to this when you’re melting the marshmallows and magic happens, friends!
Tips On Krispie Treat Success
There are a few key steps to making your treats perfect…you know the perfect amount of soft and squishy, but it still holds it shape?
How To Prevent Krispie Treats From Getting Hard
- Don’t overcook the marshmallows. Once they are just melted remove them from the heat immediately. If you continue to cook the marshmallows they will get hard. Think of it like candy, the longer you boil sugar the harder the candy you get.
- Don’t over-stir the mixture once you’ve added the cereal. If you keep stirring you will break a lot of the cereal and it will get dense when you pack it in the pan.
- Make sure you don’t press the mixture into the pan too densely. If you press it down too firmly you will have very compact treats, and you are going for gooey and light!
- Store them properly and airtight! I will talk a little more about this below.
Add-In Ideas:
This is where you can get creative if you’re looking to switch up the classic!
- Chopped Candy. Use about 1 cup of chopped candy and mix this in when you add your extra marshmallows! If you are adding in any sort of chocolate candy it might melt a little bit with the heat of the melted marshmallows, but it will be ok!
- Other Cereal. You can use pretty much any cereal in place of Rice Krispies in this recipe. Try Froot Loops, Cocoa Krispies, Cinnamon Toast Crunch…so many possibilities!
- Vanilla Extract. To give your krispie treats a little hint of something special add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla into your melted marshmallows! Delicious!
- Cinnamon. A little cinnamon stirred right into the melted marshmallows makes these really good!
How To Store:
I think Rice Krispie Treats are always best the same day, BUT they can certainly be enjoyed for up to 3 days if stored properly. If you’re making them for the next day don’t cut them into bars. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, making sure it’s air tight and then cut on the day you’re serving.
If you do cut them and end up having leftovers, you can store them in a large zip-top bag, or a plastic or glass container that seals airtight! Keeping them airtight is the key!
I never recommend placing the krispie treats in the refrigerator. It will make them very hard.
Can You Freeze These?
Sorry, no. This is not a great recipe to store in the freezer. They get very hard and chewy.
Looking For More Rice Krispie Treat Recipes? Try These:
- Snickerdoodle Krispie Treats
- Fruity Pebble Krispie Treats
- Toasted Marshmallow Krispie Treats
- Cookie Dough Krispie Treats
Perfect Rice Krispie Treat Recipe
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Prep Time: 15 minutes -
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Yield: 16 bars 1x
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Category: Krispie Treats
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Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Cuisine:
Print Recipe
PinDescription:
The perfect rice krispies treat recipe is easy, gooey, and sweet! Loaded with marshmallows!
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 8 cups, plus 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 6 cups Crispie Cereal
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large pot over low heat melt butter. Once butter s melted add in 8 cups mini marshmallows, stirring constantly.
- Once the marshmallows are just melted remove from heat and stir in your cereal and salt until just coated in marshmallow mixture. Now stir in the remaining 2 cups of mini marshmallows.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and press in evenly.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes:
*Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, but I always prefer krispie treats the same day they were made!
Nutrition Information:
Keywords: rice krispie treats, rice crispy treats, marshmallows, cereal
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Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you're not alone, doesn’t it?
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I just made this recipe. I used my normal spaghetti pot, which is 6qt. Not sure if I need to use a bigger pot, but I had a really difficult time getting everything to mix together. The marshmellow mixture was sticking to sides and bottom of pot…it actually broke my thick plastic spatula! I made these for a friend, so hopefully they turned out good, but has anyone else had this issue?
Can the rice Krispy mix made in advance, so the mixture can be taken to school, where kids can make their own shapes?
You can make them in advance as long as you store them airtight. I wouldn’t make them more than a day in advance though. These are thicker krispie treats so I would make them in a larger pan so they’re a bit thinner making them easier for the kids to cut them out!
I’ve been making this recipe for years; I can’t go back to any others. There’s never been a time that I’ve made and shared them that others haven’t asked for the recipe or kids haven’t requested that more be made for next time. These simply are the best!
★★★★★
Hi Shelly! Can you use any cereal? And would the measurements be the same? I’m looking to make them with Lucky Charms but was just wondering if I should still use 6 cups!
★★★★★
Yep! Same measurements, although I haven’t tried thiws recipe with every cereal I think Lucky Charms would work fine!
If I am doubling the recipe, will one 12oz box of rice crispy cereal be enough to get 12 cups?
I have a question about the ingredient list. So do you need 10 cups of marshmallows total? Can I use the big marshmallows for the 8 cups that you melt initially with the butter? And then the minis for the remaining 2 cups?
★★★★★
Yes to bth of those questions!
THE Go To recipe for these treats! You can use 8×8 pan if desired. 1 Jumbo marshmallow equals a half cup, so 4 work perfectly for the 2 cups, plus a 10 0z bag of minis to equal 8 Cups. Total of 10 Cups but the minis melt faster so I use majority of them and cut up the jumbos for the rest. I always seem to have two different types on hand, so it works perfectly. I add about 1/2 t. of vanilla and use butter flavored spray for pan with kosher salt as mentioned. And add little bits… Read more »
Oh my god, these are the best rice krispie treats I’ve ever had! I’ve made them a few times before with vanilla and they were fantastic, but today I added a bit of cinnamon. I could eat the whole pan myself they’re so delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe! Every few weeks my family begs me to make them!
★★★★★
Love adding cinnamon! I made some Snickerdoodle Krispie Treats (here’s the link: https://cookiesandcups.com/snickerdoodle-krispie-treats/) that I bet you’d love too! So so glad you enjoyed these!
Would these hold up being molded into shapes and covered with royal icing? Looking for a recipe that will hold the shape of a train
yes absolutely! If you would like them even stiffer, you can add in an extra cup of cereal 🙂
This is the Rice Krispies treats recipe I’ve been SEARCHING FOR! Seriously perfect. Finally ooey gooey squares! I have made so many versions and this is the BEST
★★★★★
So so glad you enjoyed them!!
Made these today and they are by far, the BEST rice crispy treats I’ve ever made! Ratios are perfect!
★★★★★
Love hearing that!! So glad you liked them!
This is my favorite rice crispie recipe! So easy to make and so so delicious!
★★★★★
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I prefer salted butter, but you can use either!
i use a whole stick of butter because i ain’t got time to be cutting stuff that isn’t a rice krispie square.
If I don’t have the minis how many cups do I use when add in towards the end?