Best Rice Crispy Treats Recipe

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This is the best Rice Crispy Treats Recipe! They are gooey, soft, flavorful & easy to make with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes! 

a rice crispy treat with a bite taken out of it

Everyone needs an outstanding rice crispy treat recipe in their repertoire, and this is mine! They are an easy dessert to whip up for last minute dinner guests or for an afternoon playdate.

I’ve tested many rice crispy treat recipes in my lifetime, and this is the best. They are gooey, soft and flavorful thanks to the addition of vanilla extract and sea salt. Plus they’re easy to make with only 5 ingredients in 5 minutes!

My daughters often put on bake sales, and these homemade rice crispy treats literally fly off the shelves (along with our famous chocolate chip cookies, of course).

front view of a stack of 5 Rice Crispy Treats with four other rice crispy treats and mini marshmallows around it.

Rice Crispy Treats: Ingredients and Substitutions

overhead view of the labeled ingredients for this Rice Crispy Treats recipe
  • Crispy rice cerealGeneric or name brand cereals both work very well in this recipe. I have also used brown rice crispy cereal with great results! You could have fun and substitute some (or all) of the crispy rice cereal with another cereal like fruity pebbles, cocoa pebbles, etc. 
  • Mini Marshmallows. Large marshmallows don’t melt as well as minis, but one 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows equals 40 regular marshmallows (or you could weigh the larger marshmallows and use 10 oz or 283 g). Or make your own homemade marshmallows.
  • Salted Butter. unsalted butter works well. Or, try using brown butter, it’s delicious.
  • Sea SaltPlease note that this recipe calls for pure sea salt. If you use iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount by half. Please don’t omit the salt. It’s one of the ingredients that makes these the perfect rice crispy treats.
  • Vanilla extract. This is another ingredient that makes these rice crispy treats extra special. Vanilla bean paste can be used in place of extract.
front view of 8 Rice Crispy Treats with mini marshmallows around them

How to Make Rice Crispy Treats

We will walk through this recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video

It’s important to have all the ingredients measured out before you get started. Because once you begin, the recipe is fast-paced and you need to move quickly. 

Begin by preparing your baking pan by lightly greasing it with cooking spray or butter so that it’s ready to go.

a buttered baking dish to make rice crispy treats

Once you have all the ingredients ready to go, begin by melting the butter. Patience is the key to making the best rice crispy treats.

You cannot rush the butter/marshmallow melting. Use low heat and melt slowly. I recommend slicing the butter into at least 4 pieces to make the melting process go faster without using too much heat. 

two photos showing butter melting to make rice crispy treats

Once the butter is melted, add the mini marshmallows and stir every 15-30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and most of the marshmallows are melted. 

When the mixture is smooth and all the marshmallows are melted, turn off the heat or remove the pot from the heat.

two photos showing how to make rice crispy treats - melting marshmallows

Next, add the vanilla extract to the marshmallow mixture and stir to combine. The vanilla extract will bubble when it’s added, that is normal! Vanilla makes these taste amazing.

two photos showing how to make rice crispy treats - adding vanilla

Once the mixture is smooth, quickly add the rice crispy cereal and sea salt to the pot and stir to combine. This is the point of the recipe where time is of the essence and you need to work quickly.

two photos showing how to make rice crispy treats - adding cereal and salt

As soon as the mixture is uniform throughout and looks like the picture on the left, transfer it to a lightly greased baking pan (8×8″ or 9×9″ both work perfectly). If desired, add mix-ins here like sprinkles, more mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, etc. 

two overhead photos, the right shows the rice crispy treat mixture after being stirred, the left shows the mixture being poured into a baking pan

Using greased hands or a greased spatula, gently press the mixture into the baking pan until the top is level. If desired, this is a great place to add sprinkles to the top (or chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)

Let the rice crispy treats set until they are completely cooled, then cut them into squares.

two photos showing rice crispy treats in a pan then being cut

Serve

You can cut these rice crispy treats into 9 or 16 squares, depending on your preferred size. Serve them at room temperature.

overhead view of 9 Rice Crispy Treats cut into squares

Store

Store leftovers by wrapping them in plastic wrap and putting them in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature – do not refrigerate.

Freeze

To freeze, let the rice crispy treats cool completely, then wrap them up and put them in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Set them out at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

stack of 4 rice crispy treats the top one has a bite taken out of it

Rice Crispy Treats Recipe FAQs

How long do Rice Krispie Treats last?

Stored properly, they will last for 3 days at room temperature.

Do rice crispy treats need to be refrigerated? 

No, I do not suggest refrigerating this recipe.

How long should I wait to cut homemade rice crispy treats?

Let them set for at least 30-60 minutes before cutting.

Can you freeze homemade rice crispy treats? 

Yes! Wrap them up and put them in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Set them out at room temperature for 1 hour before serving! 

Why are my rice crispy treats hard?

There are a handful of reasons why rice crispy treats could turn out hard:
They are exposed to the air too long (not stored properly).
You overcook the butter/marshmallow mixture or melt the ingredients too quickly over too high heat. 
Accidentally adding too much cereal.
Using old/stale marshmallows.
Pressing the rice crispy treats too hard into the pan.

up close photo of a rice crispy treat with a bite taken out of it

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Best Rice Crispy Treat Recipe

Laura
This is the best Rice Crispy Treats Recipe! They are gooey, soft, flavorful & easy to make with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes! 
5 from 5 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 107
Prep Time10 minutes
Cooling1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Grease a 8×8” or 9×9" square pan, set aside.
  • Melt butter in a large, deep sauce pot (5 quarts) over low heat.
  • Once butter is mostly melted, add marshmallows and stir until smooth (this takes about 3-6 minutes).
  • Once butter/marshmallow mixture is smooth remove the pan from the heat, add vanilla extract and stir to combine.
  • Add crispy rice cereal and sea salt to the large pot with the marshmallow mixture and mix until combined. (If desired, at this point you can add mix-ins like sprinkles M&Ms, etc.)
  • Quickly pour the rice crispy treat mixture into the prepared pan.
  • Use a greased spatula or greased hands to gently press the rice crispy treat mixture into the pan until the top is level.
  • If desired, at this point you can add sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc. to the top. Just be sure to gently press them onto the top of the rice crispy treats.
  • Allow the rice crispy treats to sit at room temperature until cooled, about 1 hour.
  • Cut into 9 or 16 squares and serve!

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions
  • Crispy rice cerealGeneric or name brand cereals both work very well in this recipe. I have also used brown rice crispy cereal with great results! You could have fun and substitute some (or all) of the crispy rice cereal with another cereal like fruity pebbles, cocoa pebbles, etc. 
  • Mini Marshmallows. Large marshmallows don’t melt as well as minis, but one 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows equals 40 regular marshmallows (or you could weigh the larger marshmallows and use 10 oz or 283 g).
  • Salted Butter. unsalted butter works well. Or, try using brown butter, it’s delicious.
  • Sea Salt.  If using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount by half. 
  • Vanilla extract.  Vanilla bean paste can be used in place of extract.
Store
Store leftovers by wrapping them in plastic wrap and putting them in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature – do not refrigerate.
Freeze
Let them cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Set them out at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rice crispy treat | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Super easy recipe and they turned out great! Thank you. I did 2.5 cups of fruit pebbles and 4 cups of rice crispy, there was enough marshmallows to cover it all! Cant wait to try in about an hour.

  2. 5 stars
    Love the rice krispie recipe….I added 1 tablespoon cinnamon to the melted marshmallow mixture, along with the vanilla. Our new favourite!

  3. Hi! Can you use marshmallows cream instead of marshmallows? If so would the amount you need of the cream be the same as the marshmallows. Thanks!

  4. Going to make these….can’t wait to make them in an 8×8 pan!!!
    Just a quick question I am going to use regular size marshmallows!!! How many would you use???