Rice Krispie Bars
The homemade version of these nostalgic treats! They’re super easy to make, require no baking, and just four ingredients.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour for cooling
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 12 bars
Ingredients
One 9-oz. box of Rice Krispie cereal
1 cup (two sticks) of unsalted butter
2 10 oz. bags of mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Prep a 9×13 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper. I find this to be the easiest way to clean up and ensure the bars don’t stick but if you don’t have any parchment paper, using a non-stick spray works too!
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. Once butter is halfway melted, add both bags of marshmallows. Melt the marshmallows into the butter, stirring frequently with a spatula so the mixture doesn’t burn. Don’t turn the temperature up beyond medium-low, the texture will be best if the butter and marshmallows melt slowly!
Once the marshmallows are about 85% melted, take the pot off of the heat and set on a trivet or another heat proof surface. Add the vanilla extract, mix well with the spatula, then add the box of cereal. Incorporate the cereal until it’s well coated with the marshmallow butter mixture.
Pour the coated cereal into the prepared pan, and gently spread it out into an even layer. Do NOT press down!! This is the key to light, fluffy treats. You can press lightly to create an even layer, but do not pack the cereal down this will compress the mixture so that when it cools the bar won’t be as light and gooey.
Let cool for about and hour so the mixture has time to set before cutting into 12 equal pieces, then enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Store these in an airtight container for up to three days so they don’t dry out.
You can use this recipe on any cereal you like! Feel free to play around with swapping out any 9 oz. box of your favorite cereal.
You can make these for a fun festive treat too! Once cooled, instead of cutting into squares, grab your favorite cookie cutter and cookie decorating supplies. Rice Krispie treat pumpkins, or Christmas trees anyone?
Nutrition Facts (per 1 bar serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~300 kcal
Protein: ~2 g
Total Fat: ~13 g
Carbohydrates: ~45 g