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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Bars & Brownies

    The Best Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

    Updated: Mar 24, 2025 โ€ข Published: Mar 24, 2025 by Sam Merritt โ€ข 148 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    collage of the best rice krispie treats, top image of three treats stacked, bottom image of multiple on marble slab with marshmallows surrounding it

    A gourmet take on the classic, back-of-the-box version, my rice krispie treats recipe uses extra marshmallows, premium butter, and a splash of vanilla extract. This recipe takes mere minutes to prepare and is the perfect last-minute, no-bake dessert.

    Hands pulling a rice krispie treat apart to show a gooey marshmallow center.

    A Classic Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

    You’ve probably made the rice krispie treats recipe on the back of the box before, right? And, I mean, they’re fine, right? They’re actually quite good, honestly, and most of us have probably never met a rice krispie treat we wouldn’t happily eat.

    But… I wanted better than just “good” 😉

    I made a few key changes to transform the original recipe into something much more gourmet. More butter (and better butter, more on that in a moment). Real vanilla extract (shockingly lacking in the original recipe). Lots of extra marshmallows. The end result is soft, chewy and full of flavor. You are going to love them 🩷

    Square cereal bar made with rice krispies and marshmallows.

    Why You Should Try This Recipe

    • Classic… but better. They’re instantly identifiable as the classics you know and love, but so much more.
    • Learn something new. If you’ve ever bitten into a treat and it crumbled or hurt your teeth a bit, you’ll learn why that happened and how to avoid it by the end of this post.
    • Quick & easy. These make a perfect (and easy) last-minute treat, especially if you don’t feel like turning on the oven.

    What You Need

    Despite the fact that they’re indulgently gourmet and guaranteed to capture the hearts of tastebuds everywhere (seriously, just wait til you try them), they’re also very simple to make! Here’s what I use and why:

    Overhead view of ingredients including rice krispie treats cereal, marshmallows, butter, and vanilla.
    • Salted butter. I opt for salted in recipes where high quantities of butter aren’t being used. I also highly recommend using salted European butter for this recipe. European butter (like Plugra or Kerrygold brand) contains less water than classic butter, so the extra butterfat content make the end result much more flavorful. If you can’t find any, or can’t splurge at the moment, regular salted butter will work in a pinch (and yes they’ll still be remarkably good!)!
    • Marshmallows. Miniature marshmallows are best, especially since we aren’t melting all of the marshmallows (it would be awkward to have giant pockets of jumbo marshmallow throughout the treats!).
    • Vanilla extract. Can you believe the original recipe doesn’t use any? Huge missed flavor opportunity! Homemade vanilla extract isn’t required here but works especially well here–you might even see some of those pretty vanilla bean specks!
    • Colored sprinkles. These are completely optional; personally, I like the pop of color and texture that they add. Use your favorite colors, customize for an event or holiday (pretty pastels for Easter), or leave them out entirely! You could also use chocolate sprinkles or make your own homemade sprinkles.

    SAM’S TIP: If you don’t have salted butter, just add a ¼ teaspoon of table salt in with the butter while you’re melting it. You really need the salt (or salted butter) to balance the sweetness!

    This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Rice Krispie Treats

    Melt the butter and (some of!) the marshmallows

    Overhead view of melted marshmallow and butter in a pan.

    Melt the butter over low heat, then add 10oz (or 5 ½ cups) of the marshmallows. Let the marshmallows melt while keeping the heat nice and low (a notch or two below medium usually works). It is very important that you cook them slowly without cranking up the heat. Ever had a rice krispie treat that hurt your teeth to bite into? The heat was likely too high when they were cooked, which makes them too stiff and ruins the chewy texture. A tragedy, and one that too many people unwittingly cause.

    As the marshmallows melt, stir well (but not too vigorously) so the butter is well combined with the marshmallow. It’s OK if you see some separation of the butter, but it shouldn’t be much. If there’s too much separated the butter the cereal can absorb it, which in turn makes it soggy and could make things soggy.

    A quick note on brown butter: We don’t brown the butter here. While browned butter does add beautiful flavor and I have a brown butter rice krispie treat, it’s really a different animal and browning the butter here could actually make the treats less gooey and can even make them greasy if not done properly.

    Add the cereal and the rest of the marshmallows

    Pink spatula stirring marshmallows into rice krispies cereal.

    Add the cereal, vanilla, and remaining marshmallows. At this point, you need to mix and fold gently while still making sure everything is well distributed. You don’t want the additional marshmallows to melt too much (we want gooey marshmallow pockets!), so once everything is combined and the marshmallows are just barely beginning to melt, remove from heat.

    If you’d like, you can add sprinkles at the very end/after the marshmallows are just beginning to melt (and save some to sprinkle on top while the treats are still warm/immediately after putting in pan). They look so pretty this way!

    Transfer to pan

    Pink spatula smoothing rice krispie treat mixture into a pan.

    Immediately transfer the mixture to a greased or parchment lined pan. Use a silicone spatula to VERY gently pat the mixture into your pan. It is so important that you avoid compressing or packing the mixture into the pan. Sure, it would make them nice and uniform and even, but it will also make your treats dense and hard and crumbly when you bite into them (even a bit hard to chew!). Embrace the unevenness and craggy surface!

    In fact, my grandmother used to just haphazardly drop the treats onto a wax paper lined baking sheet (though I recommend parchment paper as they can stick to the wax paper), no forming whatsoever. We would just pull them apart as we wanted them–super easy, non-uniform, never crumbly and always tasty.

    SAM’S TIP: To get those gooey marshmallow pockets, don’t let the second round of marshmallows melt. You need to work quickly and efficiently (while still being gentle!) once you add them so they don’t melt too much. Have your pan ready to go before you begin!

    Stack of three homemade rice krispie treats.

    Key Tips for Making The Best Rice Krispie Treats

    • Keep your heat below medium-low at all times. If the marshmallows are exposed to too much or too high of heat, they’ll become tough (or even rock hard) once they cool. Slow on low heat is the way to go for chewy results! Just remember that: slow on low.
    • Make sure to combine the butter and marshmallows well; if you have a pool of butter in the pot, it can make your cereal soggy when you add it.
    • Line your pan with a parchment paper sling for easy removal and cutting. I do this with my homemade brownies and lemon bars too! Makes the pan much easier to clean, too!
    • Be gentle when spreading the mixture into your pan. If you pack everything in too tightly, your rice krispie treats will end up denser and harder than they should be. Just gently and evenly spread everything into your pan.
    • Do NOT refrigerate! Refrigerating will dry out your treats and make them too hard and brittle. Instead, store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
    Overhead view of square cereal bars made with rice krispies and marshmallows.

    If you’re looking to use up more cereal in your pantry, try my scotcharoos, rice krispie cookies, or my Lucky charms treats.

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

    Hands pulling a rice krispie treat apart to show a gooey marshmallow center.

    The Best Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

    A gourmet twist on the classic, my rice krispie treats recipe uses extra marshmallows, premium butter, and a splash of vanilla extract. Less than 30 minutes to prepare!
    Recipe includes a how to video!
    4.92 from 56 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 20 squares
    Calories: 99kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 6 Tablespoons (85 g) salted butter*, cut into 6 pieces (I strongly recommend European butter)
    • 15 oz (425 g) miniature marshmallows this is generally 1 ½ 10-oz bags, or 8 ½ cups
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 6 cups (175 g) Rice Krispies cereal
    • 3 Tablespoons colored sprinkles optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • 13×9 pan
    • Large Saucepan
    • Silicone Spatula

    Instructions

    • Lightly grease a 13×9 pan with butter or line with parchment paper and set aside.
    • Place butter in the bottom of a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally until butter is completely melted.
      6 Tablespoons (85 g) salted butter*, cut into 6 pieces
    • Add 10 oz (about 5½ heaping cups) of marshmallows and stir until just melted.  Keep your heat below medium and stir frequently, making sure the butter is well combined with the marshmallow and doesn't separate too much. This will take a bit of time for the marshmallows to melt but too-high heat can cause your rice krispie treats to come out too hard.
    • Stir in vanilla extract, and then add rice krispies cereal and remaining marshmallows (5oz/about 2 ½ heaping cup).  Stir until ingredients are combined and additional marshmallows are just beginning to melt.
      1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 6 cups (175 g) Rice Krispies cereal
    • Scatter sprinkles over the mixture and briefly stir to combine.  Immediately transfer mixture to prepared 13×9 pan and use a silicone spatula or your hands to gently pat rice krispie treats down evenly into pan (don’t over-handle them or this will also make them come out too hard).  
      3 Tablespoons colored sprinkles
    • Allow Rice Krispie Treats to cool completely at room temperature before cutting and serving — about 30-60 minutes.

    Notes

    Butter

    You can substitute with regular salted butter, but I really like the flavor and quality of European butter (like Kerrygold or Plugra).

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I do not recommend refrigerating or freezing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1square | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 7mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Iron: 2.2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    This recipe was originally published January, 2018. Post updated to improve user experience by including more tips, photos, and a video tutorial. Recipe is unchanged, it was pretty darn perfect 😉

    More Recipes to use up Your Rice Krispies Cereal

    • Rice krispie cookies surrounded by mini marshmallows and cereal pieces.
      Rice Krispie Cookies
    • Two brown butter rice krispie treats stacked on top of each other.
      Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
    • Overhead view of peanut butter rice krispie treats just after being cut.
      Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
    • three stacked cookies and cream rice krispie treats studded with crushed oreos and mini marshmallows
      Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats

    More Cookie Bar & Brownie Recipes

    • Stack of three peanut butter brownies with a distinct peanut butter layer inside and swirled tops.
      Peanut Butter Brownies
    • Two turtle brownies stacked on top of each other with the top brownie missing a bite.
      Turtle Brownies
    • Stack of three banana brownies.
      Banana Brownies
    • Two lucky charms treats stacked on top of each other.
      Lucky Charms Treats

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Theresa Jackson

      July 25, 2025 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. I have made twice & they are exactly the way I like them!

      Reply
    2. Marisa Somma

      July 20, 2025 at 5:57 pm

      5 stars
      fav recipe!

      Reply
    3. Stephanie Rich

      July 17, 2025 at 2:11 pm

      Have you ever dyed them? I need black ones for a party.

      Reply
      • Sam Merritt

        July 18, 2025 at 5:00 pm

        Hi Stephanie! I have not dyed these before. I think it could be done. I would probably add the color to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding the rice krispies in. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Patt

      July 11, 2025 at 1:55 pm

      My store only had regular marshmallows. Help โ€”- to adapt. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        July 14, 2025 at 12:22 pm

        Hi Patt! You could try cutting the marshmallows into mini size with kitchen shears ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
    5. TJ

      July 05, 2025 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      I made these for an office of people who are amateur gourmet cooks. I usually buy great food to bring for our food events. But this time I needed to make rice crispy treats for a birthday. I was so nervous, but I tried this recipe, and the comment were, “this is the best,” “these treats are to die for,” “can I get the recipe?’ I now make them for my family and friends whenever we want a little marshmallow goodness. And we all agree, these are the best. Easy to make and gone very quickly.

      Reply
      • Sam Merritt

        July 07, 2025 at 10:22 am

        I’m so glad they are such a hit, TJ! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Anna

      July 04, 2025 at 11:43 pm

      My son states, “Mom you finally got it right with this recipe. I can’t stop eating them. They were a hit on our family 4th of July potluck. Will definitely make these, again.

      Reply
    7. Selah Hildenbrand

      July 02, 2025 at 5:20 pm

      4 stars
      I loved the recipe. I tried a different recipe and it was dry

      Reply
    8. Selah Hildenbrand

      July 02, 2025 at 5:19 pm

      4 stars
      I loved the recipe me and my sister made it today and it was gone in a day.

      Reply
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    4.92 from 56 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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