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! Originally posted November 5, 2020.
Table of Contents
- I have perfected these Rice Krispie Treats
- Rice Krispie Treat Recipe ingredients
- How to make Rice Krispies Treats
- The secret to the best Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
- Say no to Rice Krispies mix-ins
- Tips for this Rice Krispies Treats Recipe
- How to store Rice Krispie Treats
- Rice Krispie Treats Recipe FAQs
- More no bake treats you are going to love!
- Best Rice Krispies Treats Recipe
I am not a crafty person. Pinterest is only interesting to me for the recipes. (As Jacqueline eloquently states in Ever After: “I’m only here for the food.”)
I think I was supposed to be a mom back in the 90s, when it was normal for a kid birthday party to consist of nothing but pizza, screaming, and cake. That’s all I remember from my birthday parties as a kid anyway.
But noOoOo. Birthday parties nowadays have to be all “Instagram-worthy.”
So, trying my best to make fun memories for my kids, I decided to make homemade invitations to my daughter’s birthday party. It’s Rapunzel themed, and Pinterest said it would be cute to braid some yellow yarn and glue it on.
But I’m also super cheap, and all I had in the house was twine. Twine is kind of blonde-ish, right?
Apparently twine is a little TOO close to natural blonde. I posted this picture on Instagram and got tons of messages. “Did you cut off your daughter’s braid for her birthday invitation??”
People probably think I’m a serial killer you guys. No, I did not cut off my daughter’s braid!! Gah! But…I can kind of see why they were confused. Hashtag 90s mom at heart. I think it’s time to start buying party invitations instead of making them, clearly it is not my forte.
I have perfected these Rice Krispie Treats
But you know what is my forte?? These bad boys.
Be honest: how many bad rice crispy treats have you had in your life? It’s a tragedy, right?
One time when I was a kid in Sunday school, my dear teacher brought rice krispie treats for us to eat after class. I happened to have a loose tooth that day, and the rice krispies were so hard and dry that I lost my tooth trying to bite into it.
Ever since then I have been very suspicious of other people’s rice krispie treats. I do the bend test every time. If I can bend it pretty easily, I’ll eat it. If it’s too stiff, PASS. I don’t want to lose any more teeth thankyouverymuch. You know if it’s nice and bendy, there is at least a decent ratio of buttery-marshmallow to crispy rice.
Rice Krispie Treat Recipe ingredients
Full recipe given below!
- Butter (use salted butter. It helps balance out the sweetness)
- Marshmallows (mini or regular)
- Kosher Salt
- Extracts (a combination of vanilla, almond, and coconut extract creates the best flavor. Almond and coconut are optional, but highly recommended)
- Rice Krispies
How to make Rice Krispies Treats
So how to get this nice bendy, stretchy, marshmallow-glory texture? It’s all in the ratio! Too much crispy rice, and your rice Krispies will be dry. Too much marshmallow and your Rice Krispie Treats won’t hold their shape. Too much butter and they will just be straight up greasy. You would not think that a 3 ingredient basic recipe could go so wrong, but it totally can! I’ve got the missing baby tooth to prove it.
Rice Krispies Treats Ratios
After a few tests, the ratio I settled on is as follows:
- 1/2 cup butter (4 ounces)
- 16 ounces marshmallow (8 cups mini)
- 7 cups Rice Krispies (7 ounces)
This is the perfect amount of marshmallow to crunchy rice. The resulting bars hold their shape, but they are supremely gooey. Like, your fingers will be sticky when you eat them. When you bite into them, the marshmallow stretch may or may not get on your chin. This is not an apology.
Some good things to know, if you would like to play around with your own rice krispie treats ratio:
1 cup mini marshmallows = 2 ounces
1 cup crispy rice cereal = 1 ounce
Here’s a quick overview of how to make these perfect Rice Krispie treats. Scroll down to the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Prepare a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, melt salted butter over medium heat until melted. Add fresh marshmallows, large or mini. Stir the marshmallows over medium heat. When the marshmallows are completely melted and there are no lumps, remove from heat.
- Add kosher salt, vanilla, almond extract, and coconut extract. Stir it all together, then add crispy rice cereal. Use the rubber spatula to quickly stir it all together.
- Pour the rice krispies into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Get your hands wet or spray them with nonstick spray and use your hands to GENTLY press the rice krispies into the pan.
- Let the rice krispie treats cool at room temperature for about an hour. Use a knife to cut the rice krispies into squares.
The secret to the best Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
I love adding vanilla extract to my rice krispie treats. It enhances the flavor of the marshmallows and gives it this beautiful fragrance. But sometimes I like to take it a step even further: In addition to vanilla I add a little almond extract and coconut extract.
This might sound like too much to you, but I swear by it. These are the secret ingredients to my favorite Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies, too. The combination of vanilla and just a little almond and coconut gives it this amazing flavor profile! You can leave out the almond and coconut if you like, but don’t skip the vanilla. It’s a powerhouse of flavor!
Say no to Rice Krispies mix-ins
Okay, I’m exaggerating! There is a time and a place for mix-ins, like these Cranberry Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats.
I found a ton of recipes that call for leaving out a cup of mini marshmallows and stirring it in with the rice at the end, so you have little mini marshmallows studded throughout your rice krispies. But I’m a purist. No mix-ins in my original rice krispie treats please. Just give it to me straight. I don’t like whole marshmallows in my ice cream, and I don’t like them in my rice krispies either. (Give me a marshmallow swirl any day.)
But if you like it, I’m not here to judge you. Just make sure to add an EXTRA amount of mini mallows, don’t take mallows from the amount called for in the recipe.
I tried this recipe as-is in a square pan and also in a 9×13 inch pan. Both work great! Each bar will be thicker in a square pan. I prefer 9×13.
Tips for this Rice Krispies Treats Recipe
- Use parchment paper to line the pan.
- Use fresh marshmallows, not ones from the back of the cupboard. This really makes a difference in the texture of your rice krispies!
- Use salted butter. If you don’t have any, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt. Salt balances out the sweetness!
- Use vanilla (and almond and coconut extracts, if you like) to enhance flavor. This is crucial!
- Use wet or greased hands to press them into the pan.
- Don’t pack your rice krispie treats into the pan too hard. If you pack them really tight, they will end up too compacted to bite into easily. You just want to gently maneuver them into the shape of the pan and then let them be.
I hope you get a chance to make these soon! Maybe I will make these rice krispie treats for the birthday party. Do you think that will make everyone forget about the creepy braid incident??
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).
How long do Rice Krispies Treats last?
Rice Krispies aren’t very perishable…they’re basically sugar and refined grains, so you can just leave them on the counter or pack them in a lunch box or whatever. If you want them to stay fresh much longer, then plan on tossing them in the freezer.
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.
Rice Krispie Treats Recipe FAQs
The key to making sure they hold their shape is to use the right marshmallow to cereal ratio!
Here’s the ratio I’ve settled in on for this recipe:
– ½ cup butter (4 ounces)
– 8 cups mini marshmallows (16 ounces)
– 7 cups Rice Krispies (7 ounces)
Not too long! It takes about an hour for them to cool off completely after melting on the stove. But you can start digging in after 20-30 minutes if you don’t mind an extra gooey rice krispie. Who would mind that??
There are a couple of reasons your treats might have come out soggy or too soft. First, your cereal might be too old. Check the expiration and make sure the crispy rice cereal is nice and fresh for the best texture! Second, you may have used too much butter. The butter is there to add flavor depth and to coat the pan so the marshmallow/cereal mixture doesn’t stick too much. We don’t want too much or it won’t mix properly and it can cause the cereal to become soggy.
The biggest reason people end up with hard Rice Krispie Treats is because they use high heat. Make sure that you melt both the butter and the marshmallows on medium heat. It may take just a little bit longer, but the soft and gooey treats you end up with are so worth it!
More no bake treats you are going to love!
- Halloween Rice Krispie Treats (Candy Corn Shape) << these are easy to make and really fun for the kids!
- Cranberry Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats << these are really different for the holidays! They make a unique gift.
- Krispie Ice Cream Squares << this is a super old recipe but I still love it. It’s really different and great for summer!
- Easy Butterscotch Popcorn Balls << butterscotch and peanut butter were made for each other, don’t you think?
- 10 Minute Caramel Popcorn in the Microwave << for real. 10 minutes.
- The Best Homemade English Toffee << I love gifting this at the holidays.
- Oreo Truffles << these are easy and ridiculously good!
- Butterscotch Peanut Butter Wheaties Treats << my mom made these ALL THE TIME growing up. They may not look like much, but I’m telling you.
- Sticky Sweet and Salty Chex Mix (Christmas Crack) << this stuff is addictive!
- Hot Cocoa Crispies Bites from Tastes of Lizzy T
- Cocoa Krispie Treats Pinwheels from Hungry Happenings
- No Bake M&Ms Granola Bars from Easy Peasy Mealz
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Best Rice Krispies Treats
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 9×13 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 9×13 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.
Why do you also add a teaspoon of salt if you are using salted butter? Just curious.
Hi Michelle! Salt acts like a megaphone for other flavors. When you have the right amount of salt in your rice krispies, the marshmallow tastes even more marshmallowy and the butter tastes more buttery (it’s not meant to taste salty) this is why I recommend kosher salt (it tastes less “salty” while still amplifying flavors.) If you have table salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon!
In 2024, the boxes are now sold in 9 ounces and 18 ounces, no longer 12 oz. Is the smaller box (9 oz.) large enough to measure out 7 cups?
All US recipes are in cups, but they boxes are sold in weight. That is so confusing, & not helpful, if I might add :-).
Hi Michelle, you actually can still find the 12 ounce boxes! My store sells them. Not sure if the 9 ounce would have enough.
Your tooth falling out while eating a hard rice Krispy treat made me laugh out loud! 😂😂 These look delicious! I’m planning on making Mickey Mouse shaped rice Krispy treats for my son’s 2nd birthday and will give these a try! I’m going for the Instagram worthy party too! Thanks for sharing!
Such a cute idea. How did they turn out?
This was the easiest, tastiest, quickest recipe for rice crispy treats ever. What a hit! Thanks!
UH-OH.
I don’t make Rice Krispie treats for myself. I’ve never been much of a fan. I make them for my BF. He loves them. Food is our love language.
I made these using your recipe, subbing Madagascar vanilla bean paste, Himalayan pink salt, and almond extract and kept the proportions the same, but based on 12 oz. of marshmallows instead of 16 oz.. All the other ingredients were also reduced by 25%. Otherwise, I followed your instructions to the letter. They were a revelation!! Now I am afraid I will make them for myself and not tell him. This could be the beginning of the end for us. Terrific recipe.
The beginning of the endddd!! haha! I’m so glad they were a hit Leslie, it’s always dangerous when you find a new weakness like this. Thank you so much for commenting and reviewing!!
Hi! I can’t wait to make these! I need to make about 24 Krispies for a party I’m having will this work on a larger sheet pan instead ? should I double the batch for the sheet pan.
Or would you just make 2 batches of this recipe the way it is in a 9×13 baking dish ! Thanks for your help :)
Hi gina! This is totally up to you and how thick you want the rice krispies to be! I love a good thick krispie, so I would double the recipe myself. you could then spread it into two 9x13s or even just one large sheet pan and they would still be pretty thick. or you could just do one recipe in the sheet pan and have thinner bars. totally up to you! enjoy!!
This recipe ruined my pan! When I was ‘burning the butter’ it stuck to my pan.
Hi Grace! This recipe only calls for melting the butter, not burning it (or even browning it). So sorry to hear your pan got ruined – next time you can simply melt it over low heat. No need for any burning here!
Best Rice Krispie squares! Thanks for all the great recipes!
I have made this so many time with just a tiny adjustment. I don’t have coconut or almond extract, so first time( and every time after that) I omit them and just add more vanilla. Everyone always raves about how good they are!
Sounds yummy – just like my late Chef husband used to make.
Really yummy! Tastes even better if you use OliveNation vanilla bean paste because it tastes more like vanilla rather than having the alcoholic flavor of regular vanilla extract! Highly recommend!
How does 7 cups equal 7 ounces??
Hi Frida! Marshmallows are light as air! 1 cup of marshmallows weighs about 1 ounce. So 7 cups=7 ounces. Enjoy!!
This ratio is perfection, thanks so much for sharing! I also browned the butter before adding the marshmallows.👌
browned butterrrrr omg that sounds amazing. So glad you loved it thank you for telling me Christine!!
Yep, by all that is good, I deem this recipe the best Rice Krispie Treats recipe in the land!
OPTIONS: try using Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles instead of original Rice Krispies.Â
Love this idea John!! I want to try the cocoa pebbles for sure!! Thanks so much for taking the time to review and comment 🖤
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
This looks so good! You can tell the texture is amazing! What a fun treat to make with kids!Â
The way I have always made them (and preferred the glorious treats) is:
50 regular marshmallows
1 stick butter
6 cups rice crispies
Place marshmallows in microwave safe bowl. Slice the butter in 6-8 pieces about the same size. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until mostly smooth. Microwave for 1 more minute on 100%. Gently stir again. Add the rice crispies and fold into marshmallow mixture making sure to coat evenly. Butter or use cooking spray to grease 9×13 pan. Pour crispies/marshmallow mixture into pan and press firmly. Putting butter on your hands helps keep them from sticking (like that’s a bad thing?). Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to and hour, or until you can’t take it anymore. Cut into bars and enjoy! 😋
Thanks for sharing Mercedes! I love a good rice krispies treat!