Rice Krispie Treats Recipe (Classic & Gooey)

Realizing I had eaten a salad for dinner and my body actively rejecting the health choices I forced upon it is exactly what led to this rice krispie treats recipe at 9:30 on a Tuesday night. Standing in the kitchen in a faded college t-shirt and aggressively ripping open a bag of mini marshmallows felt like the only reasonable response to that particular culinary regret.

Ruining fancy cakes and burning more cookies than I care to admit has happened plenty, yet this is the one thing I literally cannot mess up. You do not need a mixer, you do not need an oven, and you barely need patience. Here is exactly how I do it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ridiculously fast. Going from a bag of dry cereal to a pan of gooey perfection in under ten minutes becomes entirely possible.
• Virtually foolproof. Knowing how to push the start button on a microwave provides all the skills required.
• Always a winner. A classic homemade rice krispie treats recipe never gets rejected at a potluck or bake sale.
• Budget-friendly. Three cheap pantry staples plus vanilla keeps anyone completely in business.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• Large microwave-safe bowl. The bigger the better, unless you enjoy cleaning sticky marshmallow off your microwave turntable.
• 9×13 baking pan Metal or glass, it does not matter at all.
• Rubber spatula. This scrapes out every last bit of the sticky goodness before it sets.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter – Use real butter, not margarine. I learned that the hard way when they turned out tasting like plastic.
• 1 bag mini marshmallows – Check the expiration date. Stale marshmallows make sad, hard bricks.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla – This adds that bakery-level flavor to these easy 4 ingredient marshmallow cereal treats.
• 6 cups Rice Krispies – The star of the show. Store-brand crispy rice cereal works perfectly fine too.

How To Make Rice Krispie Treats

Let’s melt some stuff and pretend we are master pastry chefs.

1. Melt the base: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt marshmallows and butter for 1 minute. Keep an eye on it so it does not inflate like a sugary balloon and explode everywhere.
2. Flavor it up: Remove from microwave and pour in vanilla. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth. If it smells absolutely amazing right now, you are doing it right.
3. Mix in the crunch: Add 6 cups of Rice Krispies and stir until the cereal is well coated. It will sound like a tiny construction zone in your bowl, just keep folding it gently.
4. Transfer to pan: Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and pour the cereal mixture into the pan. Place a piece of parchment paper over the top and press the crispies down into an even layer. Do NOT press them down like you are paving a driveway, or they will turn into rocks.
5. Let them rest: Let sit on the counter for an hour or in the fridge for 30 minutes until set. Waiting is the hardest part, but eating them warm will result in a sticky mess on your chin.
6. Slice and serve: Lift the treats from the pan and slice into 12 pieces. Or cut them into 4 giant pieces, I am not the portion police.

Make it yours

• Chocolate drizzle version. You melt semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle it over the cooled bars for a richer twist on this no bake kids dessert.
• Sprinkle crunch version. You press colorful sprinkles into the top before the treats set for a festive look.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with whatever you have lying around.

• A giant cup of black coffee balances out the intense sugar rush.
• Sneaking into the kitchen at midnight to eat them straight from the pan in the dark rounds out the whole experience.

Rice Krispie Treats

This rice krispie treats recipe proves that a genuinely impressive dessert can come together with nothing more than a microwave, a bowl, and four pantry staples. This classic homemade rice krispie treats recipe relies on fresh marshmallows and gentle pressing to avoid the hard, chewy texture that ruins so many other marshmallow cereal bar attempts. Whether served at a neighborhood block party or snacked on straight from the pan at midnight, this easy 4 ingredient marshmallow cereal treats recipe earns a permanent spot in the regular rotation.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 165

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 bag mini marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 6 cups Rice Krispies

Equipment

• Large microwave-safe bowl
• 9×13 baking pan
• Rubber spatula

Method

 

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt marshmallows and butter for 1 minute.
2. Remove from microwave and pour in vanilla. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth.
3. Add 6 cups of Rice Krispies and stir until the cereal is well coated.
4. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and pour the cereal mixture into the pan. Place a piece of parchment paper over the top and press the crispies down into an even layer.
5. Let sit on the counter for an hour or in the fridge for 30 minutes until set.
6. Lift the treats from the pan and slice into 12 pieces.

Recipe Notes

• Use fresh marshmallows for the best texture.
• You can make the mixture on the stovetop. Melt the butter over low heat, add the marshmallows, and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and avoid overcooking.
• Add a small pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
• Press the mixture gently into the pan. Wet your hands or spatula with a little water, or lightly coat them with cooking spray, to prevent sticking.