The 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…
You NEED The Perfect Rice Krispie Treats Recipe!
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.
Rice Crispy Treats OR Rice 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.
What Ingredients Will You Need For Rice Krispie Treats?
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
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 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.
What Else Can You Add Into Krispie Treats?
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 Rice Krispie Treats
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 Rice Krispie Treats?
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 -
Category: Krispie Treats -
Cuisine: Dessert
Description:
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 post over low heat melt butter. Once butter in 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!
Keywords:: rice krispie treats, rice crispy treats, marshmallows, cereal
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I too, have a weakness for Rice Krispy treats. They’re just perfection!
I always add more marshmallows than called for in basic krispies treats, and people wonder why they like mine better. 🙂 When do you add the salt?
I add mine in when I add the cereal in!
I add mine when the marshmallows are just melted. If I put the salt in with the cereal I sometimes get salty parts.
I love that you posted this…sometimes all you want is the classic, without all the bells and whistles!
Perfection!!
These are THE buttery gooey marshmallow treats I’ve been searching for forever! How smart to mix in extra mini marshmallows before pressing into the pan… I’ve made your circus animal Krispy treats before and oh my goodness!
Do you melt the extra 2cups of marshmallows that you stir in?
Nope! The beauty of these is the addition of the whole marshmallow throughout, which add to the softness!
Just made these!! Do you refrigerate to firm up or no? I was going to cut them in Easter egg shakes and dip them in white chocolate and decorate them
No like she said!
★★★★★
Looks scrumptious! What are the tricks for keeping krispy treats fresh? My husband is in the Navy and I bake goodies for his department. The current request is rice krispy treats but I am worried to make them the night before and have them become less than awesome the next day. One thing is for sure, I will definitely be making these for myself and the kiddos this week. Yum!
They are hard to keep fresh for sure. The only thing I might say is to let them cool and wrap the whole 9×9 pan of them in cling wrap, making sure it’s airtight.. and then let him cut them when he’s ready to serve!
I’ve had luck when adding a slice of bread to my bundle is treats. Same for cookies. Add more bread slices for larger bundles of goodies
These are absolutely perfect and shouldn’t be adjusted at all – Yum! I followed advice for storage and placed leftovers in a glass air tight container, already cut into servings, with a sheet of parchment paper between the layers and left at room temp rather than in refrigerator. Today is day two and they are still fine.
★★★★★
I love a good rice krispie treat! One question, when does the salt come into play in making the treats?
They truly do look perfect!
Those look so good. You’re right…sometimes simple perfection is best!
Mine are always to hard to stir in y he rice Kristen thanks for all the different ones.
Such a simple change-up to stir in extra marshmallows, but you’re a genius for thinking of it! I love these! I hereby declare you Queen of the Krispies 🙂
Yum! Looks super gooey: a necessity for rice krispie treats!
Mmmmm! I love those big chunks of gooey marshmallows in that shot!! These look awesome 🙂 And toasted marshmallows are totally my favorites in RKT too 🙂
Oooey gooey perfection!!!!
This really is every kid (and adults) dream dessert. A total classic!
In my first trimester all I wanted was a “perfect” rice krispie treat just like this… and now I think you brought that craving back!
I NEED this recipe in my life forever & always!!!!
Bang it!…if this doesn’t make me want to whip up a batch of these!
“Heaven. I’m in heaven. And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak…”
It’s like it was meant to be, I just bought a HUGE bag of mini marshmallows!!
Yep you are right these are perfect! My daughter just had one of these and said, “Mom these are the best rice krispie’s you have ever made. They are so chewy but they don’t fall apart!” I just had one too they are AMAZING I have finally found the perfect rice krispie treat recipe!!! Thank you I have been trying to find the perfect recipe for many years. The search is finally over!!! =)
omg so happy to hear this! They are my favorite too 🙂
Dang it – I made rice krispie treats today! I wish I had used your recipe! They look so much better than the ones I made.
aww, you’re too sweet!!
This does looke really good, but I’m afraid I still think using marshmallow fluff in Rice Krispie cake is wrong! As a child of the UK we didn’t have fluydd so we have a different type of recipe – you should definitely try it. in fact, I will divulge my family secret recipe to you…
http://talesofpiglingbland.com/2011/11/22/rice-krispie-cake/
This does looke really good, but I’m afraid I still think using marshmallow fluff in Rice Krispie cake is wrong! As a child of the UK we didn’t have fluff so we have a different type of recipe – you should definitely try it. in fact, I will divulge my family secret recipe to you…
http://talesofpiglingbland.com/2011/11/22/rice-krispie-cake/
Could we use fruity pebbles?
Sure!! I actually like to mix the Fruity Pebble and the Rice Krispies!
Yes! They are awesome. In fact you can use just ab any cereal. I jist made a batch w apple jacks. However, I crush up the apple jacks, bc otherwise it would be too hard. I call it Unicorn Vomit!
Totally craving these right now!
I always add less cereal than called for. If the recipe says 6 cups of rice krispies i use 5. Makes them amazing every time.
I love that these have pockets of intense ooey-gooeyness. ALways a good thing.
When it comes to homemade Rice Krispie treats, the extra mini marshmallows are key! I’ll admit I don’t mind the store-bought version (Gasp! I know…), but I whip up a batch myself every now and then. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. I like them both for different reasons. I’ll definitely use this recipe the next time I make them!
Made these over the weekend and they are the perfect Krispie Treats. I wrapped mine individually in cling wrap and they’re still perfect 2 days later.
Rice Krispie Treats are one of my favorite desserts! My mom made them for us as an after schol treat ALL. THE. TIME. so they make me feel all nostalgic! These look great, and I can’t wait to try them!
Do you use name brand cereal and marshmallows or have you tried off brand and they still taste the same?
I have to say that I typically always buy name brand. In a pinch of course the off-brand will be fine 🙂 My personal preference is the taste of Rice Krispies, but it probably won’t matter much to most 🙂
These are the BEST Rice Krispie Treats I have ever made! I can’t believe it never occurred to me to add extra mini-marshmallows. I will make them this way from here forward! Thank you!
I just made this, it was very good!!! I have a question though,
How to press the mixture evenly in the pan?? What do you use?
I just used greased fingers…or you could use a sprayed piece of parchment paper and press it evenly!
Made these last night – absolutely perfect!
I would love to make these tonight but I only have the big marshmallows not the mini. How would I convert that to keep the treats soft?
8 cups is about a bag and a half of mini marshmallows…and a bag of mini marshmallows is 10 1/2 ounces, I believe…so I would use about 15 oz of the large marshmallows to melt. As for the extra marshmallows that you add last, the only way to really achieve this is to use the minis, but you could cut the large ones into 4ths and do it that way. Hope this helps and hope they turn out.