Ingredients
These easy to make and assemble treats are perfect to serve at parties, take to school to share as a special treat. Since this recipe does not require baking, it is ideal to use when kids want to make something in the kitchen.
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 4 cups of mini marshmallows or one 10 ounce package of regular marshmallows
- 6 cups of your favorite crispy rice cereal
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt butter or margarine in the saucepan over low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add marshmallows and stir until all are completely melted.
- Remove pan from heat and add the crispy rice cereal to the pan.
- Stir mixture until cereal is coated with the marshmallows and butter.
- Spray a spatula with nonstick cooking spray and press mixture into a nonstick pan.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into two inch squares.
- Enjoy!
You can use a microwave instead of your stovetop to melt the ingredients for this recipe. Simply use a microwave-safe bowl and heat butter and marshmallows for three minutes on high. Remove the bowl after two minutes to stir and place back into microwave for remaining minute. Microwaves are all different so be sure to keep an eye on your mixture and adjust the cooking time if needed. You will want your mixture to be smooth and melted throughout.
Fun Variations
The classic crispy rice treats are always a hit, but consider adding a twist on the classic by incorporating one of the following ingredients:
- Cocoa or fruity flavored crispy rice cereal instead of plain
- Flavored or colored marshmallows
- Peanut butter or chocolate chips
- Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or M&Ms
You can also add food coloring in a color to reflect the season. For example, use red for Valentine's Day or green for St. Patrick's Day.
To add some pizzazz to your treats, after pressing your treats into a pan, add colored sprinkles to the top of each treat or drizzle melted chocolate over the top.
You can cut the treats into festive shapes such as wreaths or hearts instead of basic squares. If you use a metal cookie cutter sprayed with nonstick spray, you can achieve fantastic results with very little effort.
