Gooey Rice Crispy Treats

Gooey Rice Crispy Treats are the perfect indulgent treat. Made with extra marshmallow and sprinkles. They are sure to brighten any day.

I must’ve had my first crispy rice cereal treat at a bake sale. It would have been homemade and wrapped in plastic wrap and I would have purchased it from some loose change that I had gotten from somewhere; probably a piggy bank.

Regardless, there is something nostalgic that happens when you mix crispy rice cereal with marshmallows that is like nothing else. Through the years I have fallen completely in love with rice crispy treats and find them totally irresistible. I am not kidding you! I cannot make these at my house too often or when there is no one around to share them with because I will eat the whole entire pan. I’m not kidding, I actually have it so bad for these that I will even make a single one in the microwave by melting some butter and marshmallows in a small bowl, then adding rice cereal to make a single serving when I need my fix.

Yea…Yea… I know that I could go to the store and purchase these pre-made and pre-packaged already in a single serving, but to me, they just are not the same. Well, that and the fact that homemade is way too easy to make…I’m sorry but I just can’t bring myself to buy them okay.

Yet even with the homemade version, I find that if you make them according to the directions provided on the back of the box of cereal or bag of marshmallows, once you press them into the pan and allow them to cool, they become hard and crunchy. I prefer to eat them while they are still a little warm and still gooey and chewy; well that and the fact that I can’t wait for them to cool completely. So I thought what would be a way to make the rice crispy treats stay soft and gooey long after they have cooled…Add more marshmallows!!

Yes, that is all. Instead of using a single bag of mini marshmallows, this recipe calls for a whole bag and a half…or a whole and a third, but whatever, these are marshmallows, not computer programming.

So use as many marshmallows as you would like…the more the gooey-er.

Gooey Rice Crispy Treats Ingredients:

• 6 cups of crispy rice cereal (Kellogg’s Rice Krispies)
• 1 and 1/2 bags of mini marshmallows
• 4.5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• rainbow sprinkles, optional

Directions:

Spray a 9 x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter first and then add the marshmallows and allow everything to melt together. Quickly stir in the vanilla.

Add the crispy rice cereal and stir to make sure all is well combined.

During the last few seconds of stirring, mix in the sprinkles, if you are using.

Press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan and allow them to set for at least 1 hour before cutting into your desired shapes and size.

*original recipe from Laura in the Kitchen 

Got any comments, questions, or other ideas about Gooey Rice Crispy Treats? Share them in the comments below!