If you gave me a choice of a treat – so we’re not talking about a dessert like pumpkin delight or pumpkin crunch cake, but more a cookie or a bar – I would choose a homemade rice krispy treat every single time. Homemade rice krispie treats are my weakness. When they’re good – the ones that are soft and a little gooey – rice krispy cereal treats are so good. This is a fun Halloween version of that classic treat without having to do as much decoration as say these witch rice krispy treats (cute but more time intensive) or any of my favorite Disneyland Halloween treats. It’s more about what you’re adding to the mixture so the treats are as easy as the classic! It’s those mix-ins that make these really fun treats for the fall season!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Festive treats – these Halloween rice Krispy treats use candies and Halloween sprinkles to make these a really fun treat for this time of year! Easy – just like with classic rice krispie treats, these spooky treats are super easy to make and really only add one step with adding in the candies and decorations! Perfect if you’re like me and looking for easy Halloween party ideas!Make ahead – if you’re looking for the perfect Halloween classroom take home treat, these are a great option! You can make this rice krispie treat recipe ahead of time, bag them individually, and place them into goodie bags or a zip-top bag to send home as Halloween party favors.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Butter – the butter combined with the mini marshmallows are what helps everything melt together smoothly. I recommend using salted butter for this recipe. If you only have unsalted butter, I recommend adding 1/4 tsp of salt to the recipe similar to what I did in these chocolate dipped rice krispie treats. Mini marshmallows – I recommend using mini marshmallows because they melt easier than the big ones but if you only have the big ones, those work too. If you only have big marshmallows, then I recommend using 18 large marshmallows in place of the 2 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows (or about 125 grams). Rice Krispy Cereal – make sure your cereal is fresh and crisp. Just like stale rice krispies aren’t great to eat as a bowl of cereal, they aren’t good in these treats. Festive sprinkles – any sort of Halloween sprinkles will work, but I really liked doing black and orange! Candy corn – while not really something I thin of as a Halloween candy, the candy corn in these is the perfect addition!
How to make Halloween Rice Krispies
Okay now let’s get to actually making these fun Halloween rice krispie treats! If you’ve ever made homemade rice krispies, these will be very similar! Start by lining an 8″ x8″ baking dish with parchment paper. If you want to make a bigger batch, you can also double the recipe and do a 9×13 pan (they’ll be a little thicker but that’s okay!). Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. And when I say melt butter over low heat, I mean low. Melting the butter slow and low is the key to keeping the butter from browning – if the butter browns or heats too fast, you’ll often end up with hard, not chewy, rice krispie treats. Once the butter has melted, add marshmallows to the butter mixture and stir continuously until completely melted. Take the melted marshmallow mixture off the heat and stir in the vanilla first. Then add in the cereal and stir until everything is combined well. Spread the cereal mixture out evenly in the prepared baking dish, gently pressing down with a silicone spatula to create an even layer (but don’t press too hard). Top the rice krispie mixture with candy corn and colorful sprinkles, again trying to evenly distribute across the top so that each treat has some of the candy and sprinkles. Next take a second piece of parchment paper and place it over the the top of the rice krispie treats and press down firmly all over. The mixture may be hot so be careful to press gently! Remove top layer of parchment paper and let cool at room temperature for about an hour (if you can wait). Then pull the entire parchment paper out of the baking dish and cut your candy corn rice krispie treat squares to serve!
Expert Tips
Store leftover rice krispie treats in an airtight container for up to five days before throwing away. Double the recipe for these holiday treats and use a 9×13 pan to make a larger batch. The treats may be a little thicker but they’ll still be yummy! Change things up and add your favorite Halloween treats like candy eyes, colored M&Ms, or really anything else! It’s a fun way to change up the recipe but still get a sweet treat out of it!
More Easy Halloween Treats
If you liked these Halloween rice krispie treats, you’ll love these other fun Halloween treats! They’re a great way to add a little Halloween fun to your next Halloween celebration!
Candy corn desserts – this cute layered pudding cup looks just like a fun candy corn cup! Ghost brownies – a super simple way to make regular box brownies more spooktacular! Caramel apple toppings – is there anything better than a caramel apple? Try some of these yummy toppings to mix it up this year! Halloween dessert board – this witch inspired dessert board uses purple, green, and black items to brew up something special! Hocus Pocus cookies – these festive Halloween cookies are inspired by the iconic Sanderson Sisters!
