These are the best, extra gooey rice krispie treats, with extra marshmallows, a little vanilla extract, and sea salt, these rice krispie treats are taken to the next level. Get all of our tips below to make fail proof gooey rice krispie treats every time!
These amazing rice krispie treats have a couple little “not so secret” additions to take the classic recipe to the next level – you’ve got a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and extra marshmallows – giving them extra flavor, and the perfect chewy texture in every bite.
These cereal treats are easy enough to make any night of the week when your sweet tooth craving strikes, and good enough for special occasions. They’d be great for a birthday party, game day, movie night, potluck, you name it!
I love homemade rice krispy treats, they’re sweet, gooey, with nice crunchy bits and I could probably eat half of a pan full when I make them. They’re a classic treat we’ve all had since we were kids, but I can promise you these are even better than you ever had when you were a kid.
The best Rice Krispies Treats
- Extra gooey and extra chewy
- Only 5 ingredients needed to make these
- Extra flavor from vanilla extract and sea salt
- Extra Marshmallows
Rice Krispie Treat Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Rice Krispy Treats Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter – this gives a nice buttery flavor to the treats
- mini marshmallows – we want a 16oz bag for this recipe, it keeps the treats gooey but also holding their shape
- pure vanilla extract – this adds a nice extra flavor to these treats, I recommend using the real stuff, not imitation.
- salt – adds just a little flavor to the treats. If you use salted butter you can skip adding extra salt
- Rice Krispies Cereal – you can use the original Rice Krispies Cereal, or grab any generic brand of Crisp Rice Cereal
How to make Rice Krispies Treats?
- Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper, and lightly grease it with extra butter or nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a large saucepan or large pot.
- Add in the marshmallows and stir them gently until they are melted into the butter.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Add in the crispy rice cereal and the remaining mini marshmallows and stir gently until the cereal is coated evenly in the marshmallow mixture.
- Scoop the cereal mixture into a prepared pan and gently press the mixture into an even layer with a silicone spatula. Let the marshmallow treats set for an hour, then cut them into squares and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks:
- Melt the butter at medium low heat so the marshmallow mixture will stay nice and gooey in the treats. A higher temperature and your treats will not be so soft and gooey.
- Do not pack the rice krispie treats down into the baking pan. We want to gently press the mixture with a rubber spatula, or your hands, into the pan so the bars hold their shape, but not so much that we end up with thin and hard bars that are too crunchy.
- Use fresh ingredients, use fresh marshmallows, and cereal – because there are only a few ingredients you want good quality for each of them.
- You can make these bars dairy free by substituting a dairy free butter, or dairy free margarine option for the unsalted butter.
Storage Instructions:
Transfer the bars into an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Don’t keep them in fridge or the bars will get too hard.
If you want to store the bars longer, you can freeze them. Wrap the individual bars up in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before enjoying them again.
These are the best rice krispie treats you will ever have! This recipe takes the classic no bake treat to the next level. The sweet treats are so gooey, thanks to the extra marshmallows added at the end so you get little bites of gooey marshmallows throughout the treats.
More Marshmallow Treats:
- Scotcharoos Recipe
- Snickers Rice Krispie Treats
- Monster Rice Krispie Treats
- Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
- Dipped Rice Krispie Treats
- Rice Krispie Pumpkins
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
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The Best Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into slices)
- 16 oz mini marshmallows (divided)
- 8 cups crisp rice cereal
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment and pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Add the butter to a large pot over medium low heat. Let it melt completely.
- Add in 6 cups of the marshmallows, and stir together gently until marshmallows are completely melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Add in the cereal, and remaining 2 cups of marshmallows and stir until the cereal is coated evenly with the melted marshmallow mixture, and the other marshmallows just start to melt.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Using a greased rubber spatula gently press the mixture down into the pan. Do not press them hard.
- Allow the treats to cool to room temperature for about 1 hour, then cut them into squares and enjoy.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
These rice krispy treats were first posted on February 26, 2015. The photos and text were updated for clarity on October 9, 2023.
Cheryl Shields says
Most vegetarians won’t eat Krispy Treats because of the marshmallows and the difficulty in finding them without gelatin in the ingredients…would like to see an alternative recipe.
Aimee Berrett says
Cheryl, I believe that marshmallow fluff/creme is vegetarian. It does not contain any gelatin and that would be a fine substitute for regular marshmallows.
ANI says
You mean VEGANS?
Vegetarians still eat animal products such as cheese. They wouldn’t have an issue with gelatin.
Order some VEGAN marshmallows from Amazon!
Aimee says
I know some vegetarians who also don’t eat gelatin. But those marshmallows on amazon sound like a great substitute!
Nicole Jackson says
I love love love cake on my birthday
debattinella says
Happy Blog Birthday!!! Love this rice krispie treat!
Kasia says
I’m not a huge dessert person, but on my birthday I love to eat my other favorite foods–crab salad and pizza with hot sauce. Once a few years ago I bought myself ice-cream sandwiches to celebrate. Silly, I know, but it’s the little things. 🙂 Otherwise I think my all-time favorite sweet is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. A friend recently gave me her recipe to make them with oats, and since I love pretty much anything with oats, I really love those. I have to make them and give them away, otherwise I will go on a pccc-diet until they’re gone, haha. But I actually do love rice krispie treats. They don’t have the same kind of marshmallows here where I live (I’ve only ever seen strawberry or vanilla flavored–not the same), but I’ll look around to see if I can make these soon. My Young Women’s would love them!
Crissa Robertson says
How exciting that it is your blog birthday! Way to go girl!
On my birthday I love DQ ice cream cake. Maybe it is the ex-DQ manager in me but I love them. For my 30th my hubby went to DQ and ordered one as a surprise a week early. When he went to go pick it up they hadn’t even made it. They have to make them a few days before so they are frozen and won’t melt on your plate. He was so bugged because he had even PAID for it ahead of time. He insisted they would make it AND deliver it to my surprise party. They delivered it from Provo (by BYU) to north Orem. It was super soft AND was missing the chocolate crunch layer that goes in the middle. 🙁 We we literally spooning the ice cream out of the box. So sad….but still so good.
Aimee Berrett says
Oh my goodness, I would be so mad! Glad you still enjoyed it though. We love DQ too. The new one in Orem is like a 15 minute walk from our house, so dangerous!
Cindy Eikenberg says
Aimee, there’s nothing better than a wonderful Rice Krispie treat! Congratulations on your blog birthday and very happy to be celebrating with you. Have a very happy Monday!