These Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats are soft, gooey cereal treats shaped like little orange pumpkins and decorated with chocolate candy stems and green icing. They're an easy no-bake Halloween dessert that's just as much fun to make as it is to eat.
Updated September 16, 2026: This recipe was originally shared on October 28, 2013, and the photos were refreshed on October 4, 2021. It was updated again in September 2026 with clearer instructions, additional shaping tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.
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This recipe has been hanging around Simply LaKita since 2013, making it one of the old-school treats in my archive. The original photos at the bottom of this post are a sweet reminder of how a few marshmallows, cereal, and candy can turn an ordinary afternoon in the kitchen into a fun Halloween memory.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: The cereal mixture comes together in minutes without turning on the oven.
- Only a few ingredients: Everything can be found in the cereal, baking, or candy aisle.
- Soft and gooey: Fresh marshmallows keep the treats chewy instead of hard.
- Fun to decorate: Chocolate candy and green icing transform each cereal ball into a pumpkin.
- Kid-friendly activity: Children can help shape and decorate the treats once the mixture is cool enough to handle.
- Perfect for fall: Serve them at Halloween parties, fall gatherings, or family movie nights.
Ingredients you'll need
- Butter: Salted butter balances the sweetness of the marshmallows. Unsalted butter also works.
- Mini marshmallows: Use a fresh, unopened bag for the softest and gooiest treats.
- Orange food coloring: Liquid or gel food coloring gives the pumpkins their bright orange color. Gel coloring usually creates a deeper color with less liquid.
- Crispy rice cereal: Use Rice Krispies or your favorite brand of crispy rice cereal.
- Rolo candy: The chocolate candies create the pumpkin stems. Mini Tootsie Rolls or small pretzel pieces may also be used.
- Green icing: A tube of premade icing makes it easy to pipe small leaves and vines.
- Cooking spray: A light coating keeps the warm marshmallow mixture from sticking to your hands or utensils.
👉🏾 See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
1. Melt the marshmallows
Gently melt the butter and marshmallows together in a large pot, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the color and cereal
Stir the orange food coloring into the melted marshmallows. Remove the pot from the heat and fold in the cereal until it is evenly coated.
3. Shape the pumpkins
Allow the mixture to cool briefly until it is safe to touch but still easy to shape. With lightly greased hands, divide it into portions and gently form each one into a pumpkin-shaped ball.
4. Decorate
Press a chocolate candy into the top of each pumpkin to create the stem. Once the treats have cooled, pipe small leaves or vines around the stems with green icing.
LaKita's Expert Tips
- Keep the heat low. Marshmallows cooked over high heat can produce firm, dry treats instead of soft and chewy ones.
- Use fresh marshmallows. Older marshmallows may not melt smoothly and can make the mixture difficult to shape.
- Add the color before the cereal. It is much easier to create an even orange color while the marshmallow mixture is still smooth.
- Work while the mixture is pliable. Let it cool enough to handle safely, but do not wait until it has completely set.
- Lightly grease your hands. Too much cooking spray can make the pumpkins oily, so begin with a small amount and add more only as needed.
- Shape gently. Packing the cereal mixture too tightly can make the finished treats hard.
- Add the stems before the pumpkins completely cool. The warm marshmallow mixture will help hold the candy in place.
- Wait before adding the icing. Green icing may melt or slide if the treats are still warm.
- Let an adult handle the stovetop. Melted marshmallows are very hot and sticky. Children should help only after the mixture has cooled to a safe temperature.
Variations and Decorating Ideas
- Use another stem: Replace the Rolo candy with a mini Tootsie Roll, small pretzel piece, or chocolate chip.
- Create pumpkin ridges: Use a lightly greased wooden spoon handle to press shallow lines around each pumpkin.
- Add jack-o'-lantern faces: Use black decorating icing to draw eyes and smiles after the treats have cooled.
- Make smaller pumpkins: Divide the mixture into more portions for bite-size treats. Smaller pumpkins also set more quickly.
- Make fall pumpkins: Skip the faces and serve the pumpkins for a fall party or Thanksgiving dessert table.
- Change the colors: Use different shades of orange or make a few green and white pumpkins for a mixed pumpkin patch.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Pumpkin Rice Krispie treats can be prepared one or two days before serving. Allow them to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container.
Store the treats at room temperature for up to three days. Place parchment or wax paper between the layers to prevent the icing from smearing.
Avoid refrigerating them because the cold air may make the cereal treats firm and affect the decorations.
Frequently asked questions
No. They are classic marshmallow cereal treats colored and shaped to look like pumpkins. They do not contain pumpkin puree or pumpkin spice.
Hard treats are usually caused by overheating the marshmallows or packing the mixture too tightly. Use low heat, remove the marshmallows as soon as they melt, and shape the pumpkins gently.
Lightly coat clean hands with butter or cooking spray. You can also wear food-safe gloves and lightly grease the outside.
Allow the mixture to cool only until it is safe to touch. It should still feel warm and flexible. If it cools completely in the pot, it will become more difficult to shape.
Yes, children can help shape and decorate the pumpkins after the mixture has cooled to a safe temperature. An adult should handle the stovetop and melted marshmallow mixture.
Yes. They are best when made no more than one or two days before serving and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Mini Tootsie Rolls, small pretzel pieces, chocolate chips, or another small chocolate candy can be used for the stems.
Ingredient formulations vary by brand. Check the labels on the cereal, marshmallows, candy, icing, and cooking spray if you need the finished treats to meet a specific dietary requirement.
📖 Recipe
Little Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 Rubber spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows
- 6 drops orange food coloring
- 4 cups rice krispies cereal
- 6 pieces Rolo chocolate candy
- green icing
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Using a large pot, over medium-low heat, add the 3 tablespoons butter and stir until it has melted. Add the 10 ounces of mini marshmallows and stir continuously until they have completely melted.
- Add in the 4 to 6 drops of orange food coloring and stir until combined.
- Carefully remove the pot from the heat and quickly stir in the 4 cups rice krispies cereal. Continue stirring until the cereal is well coated in the marshmallow mixture.
- Wash your hands and spray them with cooking spray. Divide the mixture into six even amounts/sections. Roll each section into a pumpkin-shaped ball. Place into a dish and allow the treat balls to cool completely.
- Using a small knife (like a paring knife), cut a small circle into the top of each treat ball and add the 6 pieces of chocolate candy to the top. Press to reform the pumpkin shape.
- Lastly using a tube of green frosting, make a couple of leaf shapes on the top, next to the chocolate. Serve and Enjoy!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you try these Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats, please leave a comment and star rating below. I'd love to know how your little pumpkin patch turned out!
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