Best Rice Krispies Treats
The absolute best recipe for Rice Krispie Treats! They are such an easy no-bake treat, but somehow also easy to mess up. (Say no to rock-hard Krispie treats!) I’ve got all the tips and tricks you need to make the gooiest, softest, marshmallow-stretch-iest Rice Krispie Treats of your life!
Servings: 12
Calories: 252kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
- 16 ounces fresh marshmallows 8 cups mini
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract optional
- 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper. I prefer to use parchment paper so that I can lift the bars out when they are done, for easy slicing.
- In a large pot, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter over medium heat until melted. Use a spatula to spread the butter up the sides of the pot a little bit.
- Add 16 ounces of fresh marshmallows. (Fresh meaning not a bag from the back of your pantry that you bought last year. Fresh marshmallows make for the softest rice krispies!) You can use large or mini marshmallows, they are the same. You will need 8 cups of mini marshmallows.
- Stir the marshmallows over medium heat. I like to use a rubber spatula that I've sprayed with nonstick spray, because things are about to get real sticky.
- When the marshmallows are completely melted and there are no lumps, remove from heat.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract. Stir it all together.
- Add 7 cups of crispy rice cereal. 1 cup of crispy rice is exactly 1 ounce, so you need 7 ounces total.
- Use the rubber spatula to stir it all together. Spray a new rubber spatula with nonstick spray if the other one gets too coated. Work quickly: as the marshmallow cools down, it makes it harder to stir.
- Pour the rice krispies into the prepared 9x13 inch pan. Get your hands wet, shake them off (you can also spray your hands with nonstick spray), and use your hands to GENTLY press the rice krispies into the pan. DO NOT press them down really hard. This makes your Rice Krispies hard to bite into! You just want to press them down into the shape of the pan. Be gentle!
- Let the rice krispies cool at room temperature for about an hour, or even less time if you don't mind ultra-gooey bars.
- Lift the parchment paper from the pan. Use a knife to cut the rice krispies into squares.
- Store any leftovers tightly sealed on the counter. They do not need to be refrigerated. They will last on the counter between 3-5 days before getting dried out. I do not recommend freezing rice crispies; the cereal gets wet and soggy from the moisture as it thaws.
Video
Notes
You can make rice crispy treats in the microwave! It's super easy. Add the butter and all the marshmallows to a large bowl, and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time. When the mixture is completely smooth and there are no lumps, continue with the recipe in step 6 by adding in the vanilla, salt, and other extracts, then the crispy rice.
You can fit this amount of rice krispie treats in a square 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan without adjusting the recipe. They will just be really thick! Or you can halve the recipe for a square pan.
How to store Rice Krispie Treats
Put your Rice Krispie Treats in a Tupperware or a ziplock. They’ll be fine on the counter for a few days, or you can freeze them if you like for several weeks (yeah right, like they’ll last that long).Do Rice Krispie Treats need to be refrigerated?
Nope! Your Rice Krispie Treats will stay soft and fresh for 3-5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Just try to make them last that long.Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1323IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 5mg