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This Rice Krispie Treat recipe is foolproof! They never come out hard or dry, and it is less mess than making them over the stove!
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Rice Krispie Treats are one of my kids’ favorite snacks, and I can’t blame them. I love this sweet treat too! However, sometimes they can be kind of a pain to make. I have been making rice krispie treats using this method for over 20 years and it hasn’t failed me yet! Not only is it easier than the stovetop method, they actually turn out BETTER. They are soft and chewy every time.
Secret to Perfect Rice Krispie Treats
Is there anything worse than hard, dry, crunchy Rice Krispie Treats? Why does this happen? The answer is in how the marshmallows are cooked. When you melt the butter and marshmallows over the stove, the marshmallows have a tendency to get too hot. If the marshmallows cook too long, the texture of the sugar changes and your treats will turn out hard and dry. Cooking them in the microwave allows you to control the temperature better and cooks it at a low heat. Another tip for keeping your crispy rice treats soft and chewy is to use fresh bags of mini marshmallows. Don’t grab the bag that has been sitting in the back of your cupboard. Trust me, fresh marshmallows make a huge difference in the texture!
Gluten-Free Tips
With some newly discovered gluten allergies in our family, we are always trying to be aware of gluten-free foods. If you are wondering if Rice Krispie treats are gluten-free, it depends on the brand of cereal. There is barley present in Kellogg’s brand, which contains gluten. Years ago there was a gluten-free Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal but it has since been discontinued. You can find generic brands of “crispy rice cereal” that are gluten-free. Malt-O-Meal is a brand that makes a gluten-free crispy rice cereal, and it works great in this recipe.
Sweet Variations and Add-ins
This is a no-frills, basic recipe, but feel free to take them to the next level and add anything you would like to them including:
- M&Ms: Colorful M&M candies add a pop of color and sweetness to your treats.
- Reese’s Pieces and/or Mini Peanut Butter Cups: Try some different Reese’s candies for a crunchy chocolate & peanut butter combo
- Candy sprinkles: Rainbow sprinkles make your treats visually appealing and fun.
- Cookie Pieces: Crushed Oreo cookies or other favorite cookies can be mixed in for a cookies-and-cream variation.
- Flavored Extracts: A few drops of vanilla, caramel, or butter extract can infuse your treats with extra flavor.
- Toffee Bits: Heath bar toffee bits or similar candies bring a buttery, toffee flavor and texture.
- Cereal Variations: Use different cereals like Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Krispies, Reese’s Puffs or Cheerios for unique flavors and colors.
- Holiday variations – Try adding candy corn at Halloween or Cadbury mini eggs for Easter!
Tips for Making Microwave Rice Krispie Treats
Making Rice Krispie treats in the microwave is quick and easy. Here are some tips to ensure they turn out perfectly:
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Make sure your marshmallows and Rice Krispies are fresh and not stale for the best results.
- Use a Microwave-Safe Bowl: Choose a large microwave-safe bowl to prevent overflowing and make stirring easier. If you don’t have a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the marshmallows and butter in a medium-sized bowl and place rice krispies in a large bowl.
- Microwave in Short Intervals: Heat the marshmallows and butter in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. This prevents overheating and burning. Remove from microwave when the marshmallows are JUST melted. Remember that microwave wattages can vary, so be attentive to prevent overheating, and you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Stir Well: Stir the marshmallows and butter mixture with a rubber spatula until it’s completely smooth before adding the cereal. This will help make sure your treats have a consistent texture.
- Coat Your Utensils: Grease your spoon or spatula (or hands) with butter or cooking spray to prevent the mixture from sticking to them.
- Work Quickly: Once you add the Rice Krispies, work quickly to combine everything. The mixture can set fast.
- Press Firmly: When transferring the mixture to a pan, press it down firmly with a greased spatula or your hands to create dense, chewy bars.
- Add Mix-Ins: If you want to add chocolate chips, nuts, or other mix-ins, fold them in quickly after mixing in the cereal. See more add-in ideas above.
- Let Them Cool: Allow the treats to cool and set in the pan for about 30 minutes before cutting into squares. This helps them hold their shape. Though these can be served immediately, they taste best when cooled to room temperature.
- Store Properly: Once they’ve cooled, store the Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Storage Tips
To keep your crispy treats fresh and chewy, you can cut them up and put them in an air-tight container, placing wax paper or parchment between each layer. This is the way we like to store them whenever we go camping or for a picnic, It cuts down on plastic wrap. You can also store them right in the pan with plastic wrap over the top, or you can cut them into squares and wrap each individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not necessary to refrigerate your Rice Krispie treats after preparing. Refrigerating them could make them get too hard or even dry out. They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days (see storage tips above).
When you microwave them, they don’t take quite as long to cool. They will cool down and harden a little after 10-15 minutes.
A 12 oz. box has about 10 cups, so for this recipe you will use just one cup less than a full box.
READ NEXT: Easy Dessert Recipes
More Rice Krispie Recipes You Will Love
If you are looking for Rice Krispie treats that are a step beyond the basic recipe, try some of these tasty variations!
How to Make Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie Treats (5-Minute Microwave Recipe)
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter if using unsalted butter, add a dash of salt to the recipe
- 16 ounces mini marshmallows
- 9 cups crispy rice cereal (i.e. Rice Krispies Cereal)
Instructions
- Place butter and marshmallows in a LARGE microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove bowl from microwave and stir. Return bowl to microwave and microwave another 30 seconds. Stir again until marshmallows and butter are completely melted together. You only want it JUST melted.
- Fold in rice cereal until well combined.
- Place mixture in a greased 9×13 dish and press down evenly (spray a little cooking spray on your hands to prevent sticking). Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t have a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the marshmallows and butter in a medium-sized bowl and place rice krispies in a large bowl.
- Add the melted marshmallow mixture to the rice krispies instead of adding the rice krispies to the marshmallows. See video for clarification.
- Though these can be served immediately, they taste best when cooled to room temperature.
I usually make these with my grandma so making these alone made me panic when I added the cereal. It was hilarious honestly, my fingers were a mess and I didn’t have enough room in the bowl, but they ended up coming out great! this is a great recipe, and exactly like the ones I had as a kid, love this!!!
A sweet, inexpensive treat ready in minutes with this no-fail recipe!
This is always a huge hit with my kids.
These make great after-school snacks for my kiddos! Love them, thank you!
Microwave is the way to go for rice krispie treats! Best way to make them!
I love Rice Krispies Treats and LOVE making them! The smell and texture are just so delicious!
So easy to make rice krispie treats this way! Our family loves them!
How fun! Rice Krispie Treats are my daughter’s favorite and I love how you made them in the microwave. This way it will be easier for her too!
It was so simple to make, can’t believe how great they turned out! Thanks for sharing 🙂
How much marshmallows do I need if I have a little bit of mini marshmallows and little bit of big ones?
You still need 16 oz total. So, whatever combination you can make with the two types. Hope this helps!
This tastes really good
What brand of marshmallows come in a 16 ounce bag? I have a dollar store brand that is only 10 oz. How many cups equals 16 oz?
16 oz is two cups of marshmallows! Hope this helps!
Hey i would just get possibly two bags.
Just want to mention that a buttered spatula bottom is best for pressing treats into pan.
It’s important to melt butter first, my cannabis butter stayed in clumps. I had to over melt the marshmellow mixture. Otherwise nice and easy!
Can’t say I have used Cannabis butter before so perhaps it is best to melt first. Glad you liked it!
This recipe was amazing!!! The last time I tried I ended up with a gooey mess and burnt marshmallows that took forever to make, no more of that for me. 🙂
So glad you liked these rice krispie treats! The microwave is the only way we do them 🙂 comes out perfectly every time! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I use salted, but unsalted would be fine too. It’s really just your preference in taste.
As a little girl, before microwaves in homes, I would always see my mother use marshmallow fluff in making these treats. She used a little bit extra amount and it made them so great! They seemed to stay so fresh longer.
I love your microwave version as well!
I am going to do this with my grandchildren the next time we make treats together! Thank you!
What a great memory! We hope you will like the microwave version and that it will bring the same great memories for your grandkids!
I need the recipe using the fluff please
7oz fluff is equil to 4 cups Marsh mellows . That’s about what’s in the mini marshmallows give or take. I am trying that and using fruity pebbles for my son’s bday party this weekend. Good luck!♥️
I always add a tsp of vanilla to the mixture…….been microwaving my rice krispies for years and there are only two things to clean up, a bowl and a spatula! 🙂
How about adding peanut better?? Amount to use to keep moist?
Yes, you can add 1/2 – 1/3 c. and it would still be plenty moist
I had a recipe using peanut butter instead of marshmallows, but I can’t find it now.
I have made them twice now they are so yummy the first time I made them i put some sweet chocolate chips in them and on to so yummy. The second time I put in Carmel chips and some coco powder and I use the chocolate rice crispys it makes them so much nicer also i put a tablespoon of golden syrup to stop them from getting sticky ❤️
How many chocolatechips you put in?
You can add in as many as you’d like! I would start with half a cup.
I just followed the recipe and substituted bagged skinny pop birthday cake popcorn (to use it up) for the cereal. It turned out great! Even sprinkled pink sugar on top!
My daughter and I are gluten free. We love the Erewhon brown rice krispy cereal. My daughter actually likes its better than the regular rice krispies plus they are gluten free.
Malt O Meal brand are delicious, and gluten free too and very inexpensive. Huge bag for about 4$ from Walmart
I substitute Cheerios sometimes also for a variety, following the exact directions. Also soft and yummy!