I know it may not seem like it from this blog, but we really aren’t particularly fancy food people. Yes, we cook a lot and like to make tasty dishes using seasonal ingredients as often as we can but… sometimes you just want a damn tater tot. Or a cheese doodle. Or Fruity Pebble Rice Krispie Treats!
Wait, is it Krispie or Crispy? Or Krispy?? I can’t say for sure but I can say that if you’re going to make something out of cereal and mounds of marshmallows, you might as well make it good. And by that I mean, not just sweet, but with actual flavor and that perfect satisfying gooeyness.
We made one version with brown butter, toasted marshmallows, pretzels and white chocolate, but it was this version, with Fruity Pebbles, which made our favorite 10-year old, Jennie S., just about lose her mind.
Here’s her actual quote. “These are the best Rice Krispie Treats I’ve ever had because they’re really gooey but they don’t stick to your fingers and the ratio of Fruity Pebbles is perfect. Can I have another one?”
We are firm believers that just because something is simple, doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done well. In fact, often the simplest things require the most care, because there aren’t a ton of ingredients.
Think of a perfect grilled cheese sandwich. It’s usually just three ingredients; bread, cheese and butter, but it takes finesse to craft it so the bread becomes golden and crispy in the same amount of time it takes to heat the cheese to get that perfect melt. It’s not hard, but it does take a certain amount of technique.
The same goes for Rice Krispie Treats. They’re not always great. They can be one note: sweet. They can be hard as a brick. And visually, they can be kind of … blah. Well, not these!
a few tips for the best rice krispies treats
- Use fresh marshmallows. Old ones get dry and don’t melt well.
- Mini marshmallows work best. They melt more evenly than large ones.
- Mix plain Rice Krispies with another cereal (we use Fruity Pebbles, but any fun cereal would work).
- Use a heavy pot so the marshmallows don’t scorch.
- Don’t let the marshmallows get too hot when melting. It will make the bars tough.
- Adding flavors like salt and vanilla give more depth.
- Adding extra un-melted marshmallows to the mix gives perfect gooey pockets
- Make sure to line the pan and spray it liberally or they can be hard to remove.
- Don’t press the mixture too hard into the pan. Use just enough pressure to evenly spread it.
what cereal to use and how much
We found that a ratio of 4 cups plain Rice Krispies to 2 cups Fruity Pebbles gave us the perfect mix for an 8 x 8-inch pan (a 9 x 9-inch works as well). We wanted enough Fruity Pebbles to give the bars a fun confetti look without making them overly sweet. You could absolutely swap out the Fruity Pebbles for other cereals (try Cocoa Pebbles, Froot Loops, or Cap’n Crunch, for example).
How gooey is too gooey?
Trick question. There is no “too gooey”. Well, i guess if they just fell apart into a puddle of liquid marshmallow, maybe that would be going too far. Maybe. But we want to be able to pull them apart and see perfect little gooey pulls. Not just because it looks cool (it does look pretty cool, tho), but because that texture is much more satisfying than a hard block of sweet rice.
Two things go into making sure the texture is nice and soft. First, when melting the marshmallows, don’t let them get too hot. Marshmallows don’t need a lot of heat to melt. If they are allowed to bubble away, they can reach what’s called the “hard crack” stage (usually above 300ºF), which will make them brittle and tough once they cool.
You don’t need to use a thermometer, just make sure to use a good, heavy pot (our Le Creuset is perfect, though any heavy enameled Dutch oven would work). Make sure it’s large enough to hold all the ingredients since you’ll be mixing it together in there. Keep the heat low and turn the heat off when the marshmallows are almost fully melted but a few lumps remain. The residual heat will continue melting them.
And we actually want some less-melted marshmallows anyway. Reserving two cups of marshmallows and adding them in after the cereal will give the treats little soft, gooey pockets.
more than just sweet
Our Fruity Pebble Rice Krispie Treats are sweet, but they don’t have to be one-note. The addition of a good amount of salt and vanilla give these some depth, without making them fancy. They just taste like really, really good Rice Krispie Treats.
what you need
The most important thing you need to make these treats is a good, heavy pot. A thin pot won’t be able to distribute the heat evenly and will scorch the marshmallows. We use our 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, but any heavy pot large enough to hold everything is fine. (And yes, that’s yet another thing you can do with a Dutch oven).
You’ll also need either an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch baking pan. The 8-inch will obviously make slightly taller bars, but use whichever you have.
You’ll need foil or parchment to line the baking pan and non-stick spray to ensure they come out since these are sticky. A silicone spatula is also useful in that regard. And that’s it! Easy peasy.
Note: even though rice is naturally gluten-free, Rice Krispie cereal (and therefore Rice Krispie Treats) contain malt flavoring which is derived from barley. Barley is not safe for people with celiac disease.
(Perfectly Gooey) Fruity Pebble Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
- 16 ounces mini marshmallows* 10 cups, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
Instructions
- Spray an 8×8-inch (or 9×9-inch) pan with non-stick spray and line it with foil or parchment, with a bit of overhang. Spray generously again.
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot set over medium heat. Reserve 2 cups of marshmallows and add the rest to the pot, along with the salt. Using a silicone spatula, stir until marshmallows are almost completely melted, but not fully bubbling, about 4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Turn off the heat and add in both cereals and reserved marshmallows. Stir until completely combined.
- Working quickly, transfer to the prepared pan and gently press until top is flat and even. Don’t press too firmly or treats will be hard. (To avoid it sticking to your hands, use an empty butter wrapper or spray the silicone spatula). Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into squares.