← All recipes

Sweets · American

Crispy Rice Cereal Treats

Three ingredients, one pot, no oven: the chewy, crackly bake-sale classic.

Hands-on
15 min
Hands-off
1 h
Total
1 h 15 min
Makes
24 squares (5 cm / 2 in)
Serves
12

No oven. About 15 minutes of melting, stirring and pressing, then about 1 hour for the slab to cool and set before cutting. Total = 15 min active + 60 min setting.

Pan 33 x 23 x 5 cm pan (US: 13 x 9 x 2 in pan)

  • easy
  • no-bake
  • kid-friendly
  • bake-sale
  • party

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Crispy Rice Cereal Treats
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 in) pan, about 5 cm (2 in) deep · large saucepan · rubber spatula or wooden spoon · wax paper (optional, for pressing) · sharp knife

Contains: milk

Method

  1. Grease the pan

    Coat the 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 in) pan with cooking spray, and rub a little butter on your spatula.

  2. Melt the butter

    Melt 42 g (3 tbsp) butter in a large saucepan over low heat.

    Ready when: Fully melted and foamy, not browned.

  3. Melt the marshmallows

    Add the 283 g (10 oz) marshmallows and stir until they've melted, then take the pan off the heat straight away.

    Ready when: Smooth and glossy, just melted. A few soft lumps are fine; don't keep cooking it.

    Otto tried this firstOtto leaves the marshmallows on the heat 'to make sure' while he hunts for the cereal. The treats set rock-hard. He makes the next batch with the cereal measured and waiting before the marshmallows go in.

  4. Stir in the cereal

    Add 168 g (6 cups) crisp rice cereal and stir until every piece is coated.

  5. Press into the pan

    Tip the mixture into the pan and press it into an even layer with the buttered spatula, a sheet of wax paper, or slightly damp hands once it's cool enough to touch.

  6. Cool, set and cut

    Let it cool and set, about 1 hour, then cut into 5 cm (2 in) squares.

Swaps

  • Instead of 10 oz (283 g) regular marshmallows: 5 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows Same amount by weight.
  • Instead of marshmallows: one 7-oz (198 g) jar of marshmallow creme Melt it with the butter the same way.
  • Instead of stovetop melting: the microwave: heat the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 Microwaves vary; stop as soon as the mixture is smooth when stirred, then add the cereal.

Don’t swap

  • diet, reduced-calorie or tub margarine for the butter

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
They're best eaten the day they're made.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To freeze, layer them with wax paper between the layers in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks; let them stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

If something goes wrong

  • Hard, brittle treats Why: The marshmallows cooked too long: the longer they heat, the more water evaporates and the firmer the bars set.
    Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cereal as soon as the marshmallows are just melted.
  • Mixture sticks to everything while pressing Why: A dry spatula or dry hands.
    Use a buttered spatula, a sheet of wax paper, or lightly dampened hands.

Good to know

  • Use fresh marshmallows for the best results.
  • Have the cereal measured and the pan greased before you start melting, so the cereal goes in the moment the marshmallows melt.

Safety

  • Melted marshmallow is very hot and sticks to skin. Let kids stir the cereal in, but an adult should do the melting and pour it into the pan; wait until it's cool enough to touch before pressing with hands.
  • Marshmallows usually contain gelatin, so these aren't vegetarian unless you use gelatin-free marshmallows. Crisp rice cereals and marshmallows vary: check labels for gluten and other allergens.