5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Rice Krispie Treats (2024)

Kelli Foster

Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor

Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.

Follow

updated Aug 17, 2022

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Rice Krispie Treats (1)

When it comes to no-bake desserts, it’s hard to find anything better than ultra gooey, marshmallowy rice krispie treats. They’re a classic. While they seem easy enough to make, there are a few missteps that can leave you with bars that are far from the soft and chewy treats you hoped for. Here are five common mistakes to avoid, plus our favorite tips for making the best rice krispie treats ever!

1. Don’t skimp on the marshmallows.

This is not an area to be stingy. The best way to think about rice krispie treats is the more marshmallows, the better. We’re also pretty sure there’s no such thing as too many marshmallows. Not using enough marshmallows yields boring treats that may fall apart easily.

Follow this tip: Use a minimum of 1 1/2 cups of marshmallows (that’s a little more than a standard size bag of large marshmallows). But don’t be afraid to use more! For extra marshmallowy treats use a 1:1 ratio of marshmallows and cereal.

2. Don’t use old marshmallows.

After marshmallows have been sitting around for a while, they start to dry out and the exterior gets firm. Most importantly, they don’t melt nearly as well. Instead of becoming soft and gooey, they melt into a one giant blob.

Follow this tip: Save the older marshmallows for hot cocoa and s’mores, and pick up a fresh bag of marshmallows to ensure a really great batch of rice krispie treats.

3. Don’t crank the heat on the stovetop too high.

We get it, you want to get these quick-to-make squares set as soon as possible so you can dig in. It’s tempting to turn up the heat to speed up melting the butter and marshmallows, but resist the urge. High heat is the prime culprit for rock hard rice krispie treats.

Follow this tip: It will take a few more minutes of cook time, but melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat. You’ll be rewarded with delicious, soft and chewy treats!

4. Don’t shy away from add-ins.

Sure, the standard original recipe is always a hit, but rice krispie treats are a blank canvas that are begging for your culinary creativity to run wild. Try testing these famous rice krispies treat recipes and see which one is your favorite.

Follow this tip: Don’t be afraid to broaden your horizons and try a new variation! Consider swapping your PSL for pumpkin spice rice krispie treats. Or, try adding anything from peanut butter, Nutella, malt balls, chocolate chips to crispy, crumbled bacon.

5. You have to eat them fast enough!

Ok, so this probably isn’t a big problem for many of you, but we just want to make sure none of these sweet treats are going to waste. After a few days rice krispie treats lose their freshness and begin to go from soft and gooey to stale, rock hard and inedible.

Follow this tip: Don’t let this happen to you. Rice krispie treats are best when eaten as soon as possible after being made, preferably within three days.

Try these rice krispies treats!

What are your best tips for making rice krispie treats?

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Rice Krispie Treats (2024)

FAQs

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Rice Krispie Treats? ›

What happens if you put too much butter in Rice Krispies Treats? If you put too much butter in rice krispies treats they will become oily, the cereal will soak up the butter and the treats will become soggy, rather than crispy.

What happens if you put too much butter in Rice Krispies Treats? ›

What happens if you put too much butter in Rice Krispies Treats? If you put too much butter in rice krispies treats they will become oily, the cereal will soak up the butter and the treats will become soggy, rather than crispy.

What causes rice crispy treats to get hard? ›

If you melt the marshmallows too fast, it might result in a Rice Kripsy treat that is harder and crunchy than chewy. Take your time and let the butter and marshmallows melt slowly. Use an 8×8 or slightly smaller pan. Use a small and deep pan if you want thick and chewy rice Krispy treats.

Why are my rice krispies falling apart? ›

An important factor in a rice krispie treat recipe is the ratio of marshmallow to cereal. Too much cereal and the squares will taste dry, crunchy, and bland. Too much marshmallow and the squares will be too sticky and fall apart.

Why are my homemade Rice Krispie Treats soggy? ›

"My treats have a soggy/stale texture." This is most likely due to too much butter. I've tried a few variations that use more butter and I often end up with this weird soggy/stale texture. Next time try reducing the amount you are using and see if that helps.

How do you keep Rice Krispie Treats fresh longer? ›

If you want to store them for longer than two days, try freezing them. To Freeze: Allow these gooey Rice Krispie Treats to cool completely and cut them into squares. Freeze in an airtight container, or wrap each square in a piece of plastic wrap and place them in a gallon freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months.

How do you keep Rice Krispie Treats from sticking to your hands? ›

Or use The Cookie Elf's favorite trick for pressing a sticky mixture into the pan: wet your fingers. Shake off excess moisture and then press the mixture into the pan. Wet fingers prevent extra mess!

Why are my Rice Krispies so dense? ›

Well, that's what will happen if your marshmallow is exposed to heat that's too high, so keep the heat on low to avoid rock hard Rice Krispie Treats. Slow on low heat is the way to go for chewy results! Another problem could be using too much pressure when spreading them into your prepared pan.

Why do lifters eat Rice Krispie Treats? ›

Medical News Today, an online health news platform, said that “Rice Krispies Treats make for a suitable pre-workout snack due to their simple carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source, so eating a high-carb snack before a training session can boost energy and performance.”

How far in advance can you make rice crispy treats? ›

Allow to thaw at room temperature before serving. Make-ahead- I truly believe the best rice krispies are the ones fresh from the pan but if you want to make them in advance remember to make them no more than 3 days before you plan to serve them or freeze them right away.

How do you fix rock hard Rice Krispie Treats? ›

To fix rice crispy treats that are too hard (see below for what causes this)... IF your Rice Crispy Treats do get hard, one possible solution is to place a couple of squares in a zip-top bag with a slice of bread and leave them overnight. They will absorb moisture from the bread and soften again.

Can you use stale cereal for Rice Krispie Treats? ›

Recipe Notes

** Any brand is fine, but be sure the cereal you use is fresh. Stale cereal will make for stale-tasting Rice Crispy Treats. To make a half-batch of Rice Crispy Treats, simply divide all ingredients in half and use an 8×8-inch baking pan.

Can you use old marshmallows for rice krispie treats? ›

Don't use old marshmallows.

Most importantly, they don't melt nearly as well. Instead of becoming soft and gooey, they melt into a one giant blob. → Follow this tip: Save the older marshmallows for hot cocoa and s'mores, and pick up a fresh bag of marshmallows to ensure a really great batch of rice krispie treats.

Why can t you buy Rice Krispies anymore? ›

Kellogg's has responded to these tweets, admitting to a “temporary shortage of Rice Krispies” because of “supply constraints in manufacturing.” The company promises that it's working as fast as it can to get shelves restocked, but there's no estimated date for when production will get back to normal.

Should you refrigerate Rice Krispies? ›

Rice krispie treats do not need to be refrigerated because they contain so much sugar, which acts as a preservative. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, but I doubt they will last that long!

What is the best way to store homemade rice crispy treats? ›

Rice krispie treats do not need to be refrigerated because they contain so much sugar, which acts as a preservative. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, but I doubt they will last that long!

Why do rice crispy treats give you a better pump? ›

Rice Krispies treats make for a suitable pre-workout snack due to their simple carbohydrate content. Carbs are the body's primary fuel source, so eating them before training can boost energy and performance.

What are the facts about Rice Krispies Treats? ›

Rice Krispies Treats were invented in 1939 by Kellogg Company employees Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day "in the Kellogg kitchens in Battle Creek, Michigan as a promotional vehicle for the cereal." Kellogg's began commercially to produce plain and chocolate-based treats under the trademark brand-names of "Rice Krispies ...

Why are my rice crispy treats not sticking together? ›

Why are my Rice Krispies Treats not sticking together? Usually, this means you have too much moisture in your recipe. This could be because the marshmallows were over-melted or because the brand of butter you used has higher water content.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6253

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-03-23

Address: 74183 Thomas Course, Port Micheal, OK 55446-1529

Phone: +13408645881558

Job: Global Representative

Hobby: Sailing, Vehicle restoration, Rowing, Ghost hunting, Scrapbooking, Rugby, Board sports

Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.