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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.
Yummy first time and I’m 75. Haha. Had box of krispie rice and regular marshmallows. Followed it all added a tbsp vanilla. Wow it was super easy to make in the microwave. Husband loved it. Will definitely again.
Easy to make even better to eat😎👍
I always add a large spoonful, maybe 1/3 cup of peanut butter when I melt the Marshmallows. Great flavor and I’ve done that since the 1980’s. We all love them!!
Can you use big marshmallows if so how.much
I haven’t ever used the big marshmallows to make Rice Krispies so I am not sure. I think they would take a lot longer to melt than the little ones.
You can. It is then by ounces, just like the minis. If you cut them up and use them it is easier. Good luck!
This recipe use to call for 6-7 cups of rice crispies, and 1/2 cup of butter, why is it 9 cups now? can anyone clue me in?
You might be thinking of our Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treat recipe? That one has 6 cups of cereal.
Yea. It still is 6 cups for Rice Krispies It says so right in the bag if jet marshmallows and also on the box of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
Also the original recipe calls for (uses) large mash mellows. It wasn’t till the 2000’s did we start using mini (which are much easier and come out more consistent). But yes, you can still find the original recipe and it shows 4TBS butter 5 cups marshmallows (regular size) 6 cups cereal
Either the mini marshmallows its 3TBS butter 5-5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows 6 cups cereal
Next time, use browned butter and a little flaky salt. So goooood!!
loved them since i was a kid
Just a reminder to anyone making this… You need a huge bowl. My normal mixing bowl (16 cups) was too small. Aside from that, the recipe was super easy and very yummy! I will be making these every year!
Agreed! Thank you for the reminder!
We only had large marshmallows, so we quartered them with kitchen scissors. They turned out very soft.
Thank you for the recipe.
Great idea! So glad that it turned out well for you!
I put mini colored marshmallows right from the bag and pressed them on the top when they were still warm
Marshmallows now come in 10oz bags, do you have a recipe for 1 bag. Loved this recipe, just would like to size it down
We don’t have the exact measurements for just one bag, sorry!
On the back of the box it now says 3 Tbs of butter, 10 oz or four cups mini marshmallows and six cups of cereal.
I make a single serving melting 1 Tbs butter and 1 c mini mallows, a glob of peanut butter in a pot on the stove. Then stir in 1 c of Rice Krispies. Once combined I put onto a square of tin foil. I either flatten the parcel out or roll it into a log. Put in fridge to cool.