Christmas Rice Krispie Treats are a festive no bake dessert that are great to make with the kiddos. The Holiday Rice Krispie treats are topped with m&m's, red and green sugar sprinkles, and drizzled in chocolate. These are really low effort and add variation to the Christmas Cookie platter.
I'm a huge fan of Rice Krispies treats for holidays or really just any reason to eat them. They're only 3 ingredients to make, without adding the sprinkles and m&ms, and are absolutely delicious with a buttery, sweet crunch.
Plus, they're really hard to mess up and simple to make with the kids, without destroying the whole kitchen.
For more easy no bake holiday treats, try this Christmas Puppy Chow, Coconut Balls with Chocolate, No bake Peanut Butter Fudge, Chocolate Ritz Crackers, and Biscoff Truffles.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Easy to Make & A No Bake Recipe. Super simple to make with minimal steps. Have the kids help too.
- Quick. Prep in 10 minutes, with just 30 minutes of cooling, then enjoy!
- A Christmas Favorite. These Holiday Rice Krispie Treats are super festive with reds and greens. They make a great DIY Christmas gift too. Package them up with cute ribbon for friends, family and neighbors.
- Budget Friendly. Only 3 ingredients to make the Rice Krispies, plus whatever sprinkles or chocolate you want to add makes these really affordable.
Big on Holiday sweet recipes? Try these Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, Mint Chocolate Fudge and Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars.
Ingredients:
Rice Krispies: I always use the Kellogg's cereal for these, but any other brands should be fine too. Look for just the plain version.
Marshmallows: Regular sized marshmallows or mini marshmallows are perfect for this recipe. Either one works great!
Butter: Salted butter, preferably grass fed, like Kerrigold, is my preference for this recipe because of it's extra rich flavor.
Sprinkles: The super small sanding sugar is amazing for this recipe because it sticks right onto the Rice Krispies. Red and Green came in my sprinkle pack, so I used the combination.
Red and Green Mini M&Ms: Add a festive touch and a bit of chocolate flavor.
Hershey Kisses (Optional): Melted, then drizzled over the rice krispies for flavor and appearance. I used peppermint, which was pretty strong, but we're big mint people at our house. If you're not, use white chocolate, milk chocolate or a different variety of candy kisses. Hershey's makes lot of fun flavor combinations at Christmas.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
For thinner Rice Krispies, use a 9x13 pan instead of 8x8.
I used some candy cane kisses for this batch, which turned into a pink drizzle and made them really peppermint flavored. However, you can leave it off or substitute with white or chocolate kisses or a few melting wafers. I like to keep the Rice Krispie the star, so you don't need much. If you want a lot of chocolate, check out these Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats.
Any kind of sprinkles can be used, but for larger sprinkles you may need to press them down into the Rice Krispie to stick. I like the sanding sugar sprinkles, because they just attach without having to press on them.
Have marshmallow fluff, but no marshmallows? Make these Marshmallow Fluff Rice Krispies. They have similar flavor, but with less chewiness and an airy texture.
How to Make Christmas Rice Krispie Treats:
Step 1: Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper that overhangs on the two opposite sides. This makes it super easy to remove the Rice Krispies before slicing into squares.
Step 2: In a large pot over medium low heat on the stovetop, melt the butter.
Step 3: Add in the marshmallows and stir continuously until completely melted.
Step 4: Pour in the Rice Krispie cereal and fold to combine. Make sure all the cereal is coated pretty equally in marshmallow.
Step 5: Transfer the Rice Krispie mixture into the 8x8 pan. Take a large slice of parchment paper and press down to compact the treats, while flattening and spreading into the corners. Allow to cool off for a few minutes.
Step 6: Sprinkle over the red and/or green sanding sugar or sprinkles, then gently press each m&m throughout the Rice Krispie treats. Note: Make sure it's not too hot or the m&ms will melt quickly.
Step 7: Optional: Melt the Hershey kisses in the microwave or in a double boiler and transfer to a piping bag or Ziplock bag. Slice a small slit in the end of the bag.
Step 8: Drizzle the chocolate over the Rice Krispie treats. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Step 9: Cut into 16-20 squares, depending on how large you want them. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Leave the parchment paper overhanging two sides of the 8x8 pan, so you can easily remove them.
- To flatten the Rice Krispies, press a sheet of parchment paper down onto the tops of the treats and press down firmly to make even and compact.
- Allow the Rice Krispies to cool for just a few minutes before pressing the m&ms into the treats. You want the rice krispies warm enough to stick to the m&ms, but not hot enough to melt them (which happens easily with the mini m&ms).
- When slicing into bars, try to cut around the m&ms to avoid breaking them.
If you love marshmallow recipes, don't miss out on these Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies and Marshmallow Fluff Fruit Dip.
Storage:
Allow the Rice Krispies to cool completely, then store in ziplock bags or in a sealed container in the pantry or on the countertop for up to 3-4 days. They taste freshest in the first 48 hours.
More Christmas Treats to Try:
If you tried this Christmas Rice Krispie Treat Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20 squares 1x
Description
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats are a festive no bake dessert that are great to make with the kiddos. The Holiday Rice Krispie treats are topped with m&m's, red and green sugar sprinkles and drizzled in chocolate.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, (grassfed, like kerrigold brand, is even better)
- 12 ounces Jet Puffed Regular Marshmallows (or mini marshmallows)
- 6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal
- 1 teaspoon red and green (or pick one color) of sanding sugar
- ⅛ cup mini m&ms
- Optional: 20 Hershey Kisses for drizzling *I used the candy cane version, but white, milk or dark chocolate would be great too.
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper that overhangs on the two opposite sides. This makes it super easy to remove the Rice Krispies before slicing into squares.
- In a large pot over medium low heat on the stovetop, melt the butter.
- Add in the marshmallows and stir continuously until completely melted.
- Pour in the Rice Krispie cereal and fold to combine. Make sure all the cereal is coated pretty equally in marshmallow.
- Transfer the Rice Krispie mixture into the 8x8 pan. Take a large slice of parchment paper and press down to compact the treats, while flattening and spreading into the corners. Allow to cool off for a few minutes.
- Sprinkle over the red and/or green sanding sugar or sprinkles, then gently press each m&m throughout the Rice Krispie treats. Note: Make sure it's not too hot or the m&ms will melt quickly.
- Optional: Melt the Hershey kisses in the microwave or in a double boiler and transfer to a piping bag or Ziplock bag. Slice a small slit in the end of the bag.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the Rice Krispie treats. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut into 16-20 squares, depending on how large you want them. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Leave the parchment paper overhanging two sides of the 8x8 pan, so you can easily remove them.
- To flatten the Rice Krispies, press a sheet of parchment paper down onto the tops of the treats and press down firmly to make even and compact.
- Allow the Rice Krispies to cool for just a few minutes before pressing the m&ms into the treats. You want the rice krispies warm enough to stick to the m&ms, but not hot enough to melt them (which happens easily with the mini m&ms).
- When slicing into bars, try to cut around the m&ms to avoid breaking them.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: American
Payton
These are so fun and super easy to make. I love peppermint and these were perfect!
Tara Smithson
Peppermint is the best, especially at Christmas. So happy you liked these.