We’ve perfected this The Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats Recipe over the years and it makes the best Rice Krispie Treats (in under 15 minutes) that we’ve ever tasted!

Closeup on a stack of The Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats sitting on a white table in front of a bowl of marshmallows and a bowl of Rice Krispie Cereal.

Whenever we post a fun Rice Krispie Treats dessert, we get a ton of questions about how to make the perfect Rice Krispie Treat.  While I’m not a Rice Krispie Treats expert, I feel like I am definitely ready to turn pro.  I’m just waiting for a big signing bonus from one of the top schools.  Our Best Ever Rice Krispie Treat Recipe is tried and true. They are always the first dessert to disappear from a holiday or party dessert table. Here is my doctored recipe and tips for whipping up the perfect Rice Krispie Treat. (And you can do it in less than 15 minutes!) We hope your family enjoys them as much as our family does!

Ingredients You Will Need

All the ingredients you will need to make Rice Krispie Treats including Mini Marshmallows, Rice Krispie Cereal, Butter and a 9x13" pan.

How to Make the Marshmallow Mixture

Collage image showing how to melt butter in a saucepan.

Step 1: Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan on medium-low heat. We like soft and buttery Treats so we use more butter in our recipe than most other recipes out there.  Trust us, it makes a difference in the taste.
Step 2: Don’t melt the butter too fast or on too high a heat. (Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats are yummy, but that’s another recipe!)

Collage image showing the steps for making the marshmallow mixture.

Step 3: Add 8 cups of Mini Marshmallows to the melted butter.
Step 4: Stir the marshmallows so they are completely covered in the melted butter.
Step 5: On medium-low heat, stir the marshmallows continually until they are completely melted.
Step 6: As soon as the marshmallows are melted, take the pan off the heat. Marshmallows that are melted too quickly or heated too long can make your Rice Krispie Treats too hard and crunchy.

Adding the Rice Krispie Cereal

Collage image showing the steps for coating the Rice Krispie Cereal with the marshmallow mixture.

Step 7: Add 8 cups of Rice Krispie Cereal to the marshmallow mixture.
Step 8: Gently fold the Rice Krispie Cereal into the marshmallow mixture.
Step 9: Working quickly, keep folding the mixture until every piece of cereal is covered in the marshmallow mixture.

Pouring the Mixture into the Pan

Collage image showing the steps for pressing down the Rice Krispie Treat mixture into the serving pan.

Step 10: Spoon the mixture into a 9×13″ pan.  You don’t need to grease the pan, the butter in the Rice Krispie Treats will allow the squares to easily release from the pan.
Step 11: Lightly press the mixture into the pan.  You don’t want to press the mixture down too compactly, just smooth the top with a spatula or butter your fingers and pat down the top.

Closeup of a single Rice Crispy Treat sitting on a white surface surrounded by mini marshmallows.

Step 12: Let them cool and then cut them into squares. That’s it. So very easy. You’ll be done in less than 15 minutes!

The Secret to Amazing Rice Krispie Treats

Collage image showing the difference between old marshmallow and fresh. marshmallows.

We have found that the secret to soft and amazing Rice Krispie Treats is Fresh Marshmallows.  Fresh Marshmallows do not stick together.  They do not stick together when you take them out of the bag. They pour easily into the measuring cup. If you have ever had Rice Krispie Treats that are a bit too hard and crunchy, the culprit is usually old marshmallows, so save the old ones for the hot chocolate and use a new bag for this recipe.

Marshmallow Conversion Chart

An opened bag of mini marshmallows and three ramekins filled with other sizes of marshmallows to show how many mini marshmallows equal to regular sized marshmallows and jumbo marshmallows.

We recommend using Mini Marshmallows for this recipe but if you only have regular sized Marshmallows or Jumbo sized Marshmallows on hand the marshmallow conversions are as follows:

  • 1 cup of Mini Marshmallows = 9 Regular Sized Marshmallows
  • 1 cup of Mini Marshmallows = 2 1/2 Jumbo Sized Marshmallows

How to Color Rice Krispie Treats

Collage image showing a bowl of pink and a bowl of yellow melted marshmallow mixture.

One of the many great things about this class dessert is that they don’t have to be beige! You can use this recipe as the base for many fun and creative and colorful Rice Krispie Treat desserts.

It is so easy to do … the trick is when to add the food coloring which is AFTER the marshmallows are melted and BEFORE you add the Rice Krispie Treats. 

And if you need some help choosing a pretty color, we have a comprehensive Rice Krispie Treats Color Guide with all of our food coloring formulas for every color in the rainbow!

How to Store/Freeze Rice Crispy Treats

Rice Krispie Treats are eaten very quickly by our family but here are some guidelines for storing them.  They will last 2-3 days at room temperature in an air-tight container before they start to get stale.  You can extend that timeline a few days if you store them in the refrigerator and then take them out about 30 minutes before you eat them.  They freeze up great though and that is what we do if we want to make these ahead of time for a party or a family gathering.  They defrost very quickly and taste great once they are defrosted.  You can keep them in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

Closeup on a stack of three Rice Krispie Treats sitting on a white table next to a clear glass bowl filled with Rice Krispie Cereal.

Other Marshmallow Recipes You Will Love

Did you Make This Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

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Step by Step Video

The Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats Recipe  

Yield 12-15 squares
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

We've perfected this The Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats Recipe over the years and it makes the best Rice Krispie Treats (in under 15 minutes) that we've ever tasted!

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons Salted Sweet Cream Butter
  • 8 cups Mini Marshmallows
  • 8 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

Instructions

  1. Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan on medium-low heat. We like soft and buttery Rice Krispie Treats so we use more butter in our recipe than most other recipes out there.  Trust us, it makes a difference in the taste.
  2. Don't melt the butter too fast or on too high a heat. 
  3. Add 8 cups of Mini Marshmallows to the melted butter.
  4. Stir the marshmallows so they are completely covered in the melted butter.
  5. On medium-low heat, stir the marshmallows continually until they are completely melted.
  6. As soon as the marshmallows are melted, take the pan off the heat. Marshmallows that are melted too quickly or heated too long can make your Rice Krispie Treats too hard and crunchy.
  7. Add 8 cups of Rice Krispie Cereal to the marshmallow mixture.
  8. Gently fold the Rice Krispie Cereal into the marshmallow mixture.
  9. Working quickly, keep folding the mixture until every piece of cereal is covered in the marshmallow mixture.
  10. Spoon the mixture into a 9x13" pan.  You don't need to grease the pan, the butter in the Rice Krispie Treats will allow the squares to easily release from the pan.
  11. Lightly press the mixture into the pan.  You don't want to press the mixture down too compactly, just smooth the top with a spatula or butter your fingers and pat down the top.
  12. Let the Rice Krispie Treats cool and then cut them into squares. That's it. So very easy. You'll be done in less than 15 minutes!

Notes

Storing/Freezing Instructions
Rice Krispie Treats will last 2-3 days at room temperature in an air-tight container before they start to get stale.  You can extend that timeline a few days if you store them in the refrigerator and then take them out about 30 minutes before you eat them.  They freeze up great though and that is what we do if we want to make these ahead of time for a party or a family gathering.  They defrost very quickly and taste great once they are defrosted.  You can keep them in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!