Christmas Rice Krispie Treats

Everyone’s favourite treat, these Christmas Rice Krispie Treats are loaded with red and green candy-coated chocolates as well as festive sprinkles and drizzled with melted candy melts. Easy to prepare and fun to eat, these can be prepared with regular or vegan marshmallows if you have any dietary restrictions.

I think Rice Krispie Treats are the epitome of childhood happiness. Am I right? I can remember eating Rice Krispie Treats, or Rice Krispie Squares, as my mom would call them, since I was a little boy. A sense of nostalgia and the idea of something cute brought to life these Christmas Rice Krispie Treats, and I couldn’t be happier with how well they turned out!

Did you eat Rice Krispie treats as a child, Dear Reader? Were they store-bought or homemade? I have nothing against the store-bought kind. In fact, I purchased them many times for McKenna when she was younger. They make a great after-school snack, with just enough sugar to keep the energy level high for homework time!

I haven’t made many Rice Krispie Treats in the past few years because I was never aware of there being a vegan marshmallow on the market. You see, John.e is a vegetarian and I really didn’t need to have a full pan of those treats in our home, because it was only me who could eat them. When McKenna came to live with us, she was also a vegetarian too! When I found Dandies Marshmallows though, all of that changed!

DANDIES VEGAN MARSHMALLOWS

Now, if you just so happen to click on the link for Dandies in the last paragraph, you will note that the brand has both large and mini marshmallows. Depending on the time of year, they also have flavours like pumpkin and peppermint – and now maple too!

This post is not sponsored by Dandies, and I don’t want you to think that I’m preaching veganism at you, because I am far from vegan. However, whenever I find a product that I love, I always share it with you. You most certainly don’t have to be vegan to enjoy Dandies marshmallows. They also have no artificial colours or flavours, which is always a bonus.

If you have any friends or family with food allergies, you might want to consider using Dandies as well. Unlike real marshmallows, there’s no corn syrup, they are kosher, and have no GMOs. Dandies are manufactured in a gluten-free environment and are free from many common allergens such as wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, fish, mustard, corn, and sesame. Seriously, what do you have to lose!?

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So, welcome, Dear Reader, to the start of my annual holiday-themed recipes. Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

This year I’m doing it differently. Rather than sharing multiple back to back series, I’m sharing a new holiday-themed recipe almost every day from now until Christmas Eve. For those of you who have followed my annual Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series, don’t worry, you will still get lots of new cookie recipes this year too. I will not, however, be publishing the cookies back to back in a 24-day series. This would have been my 8th year running the series and it becomes very exhausting, so this year, I’m spreading the recipes out so that I’m not sharing the same type of recipe every day.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Rice Krispies Cereal – Just about everyone is familiar with this. Who could ever forget the craze of the snap, crackle, and pop figures from our childhood?
• Mini Marshmallows – I’m using vegan marshmallows in this recipe. Here’s where you can find them. If they are unavailable in your area, you can use regular mini marshmallows.
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies. 
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Non-stick Cooking Spray
• Red and Green M&Ms
• Holiday Sprinkles

HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Add the butter, vanilla extract, and marshmallows to a large saucepan. Over low heat, and stirring very often, melt the marshmallows until well incorporated into the melted butter. Remove from heat. Add the cereal and half of the sprinkles to the marshmallow mixture. Stir until well combined with a spatula.

Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking dish.  Press the mixture flat, trying to get the surface as evenly as possible.  (If you find your hands are sticking to the mixture, lightly spray one palm with the non-stick cooking spray and rub your palms together.) Once the mixture has been flattened, sprinkle over the M&Ms and the remaining sprinkles and press on them just lightly so that they stick to the surface.

Place candy melts and vegetable oil into a clean microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at half power in 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment until they are melted and smooth. Drizzle over the surface of the rice krispie treats. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and slice into squares. These can be stored in a food-safe container in the fridge for up to five days.

WHAT ARE CANDY MELTS?

Candy melts are small, round discs that are made to emulate white chocolate. They come in a wide range of colours and are usually melted down and used in confections such as the drizzle on these Christmas Rice Krispie Treats. I think the term candy melts is owned by Wilton, which is the only type I’ll use.

I use Wilton’s because I have used the brand many times before and have never been disappointed, but also because they have a lot of different colours to choose from. Oh, and the price is always good too!

If you cannot find candy melts, you can either order them online here, or you can use generic brands that can be found at your local baking supply store. The generic brands are sometimes called melting wafers. Additionally, if you cannot find them or do not want to use them, you can omit the drizzle completely or substitute the candy melts with melted white chocolate.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most snacks and treats, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. They will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Christmas Rice Krispie Treats, you certainly can! Once cut, pack them into food-safe containers. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these for up to three months. With all of that said, you really don’t need to freeze snacks and treats, because for the most part, they are ready in very little time and you should easily be able to prepare them the day you plan to eat them or serve them to guests.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!