Festive Christmas Tree Pops

Marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats are prepared in a round cake pan and cut into large wedges. Insert a lollipop stick and decorate as you wish! These Festive Christmas Tree Pops are such fun to prepare and super delicious too!

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, ever since I was a little boy. A sense of nostalgia and the idea of something cute brought to life these Festive Christmas Tree Pops, 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!?

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will tell you that a representative from Dandies did reach out to me after reading one of my previous recipes using their product. They offered to send me marshmallows twice now – one of those shipments being the peppermint marshmallows used in this recipe. Still, I would not promote the product without fully supporting it. Honestly, they taste wonderful and I’m not sure I could tell the difference between a vegan marshmallow and a “real” one! They’re really that good! So, thank you, Dandies!

NO-BAKE RECIPES

I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter.

To prepare these Festive Christmas Tree Pops, you will need to use your stovetop So, even though they’re no-bake and kid-friendly, you will still need some way to melt the marshmallows. The stovetop is still considered no-bake to me!

Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.

LORD BYRON’S 12 SNACKS & TREATS OF CHRISTMAS

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to my last Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Snacks & Treats of Christmas. Unlike the 24 Cookies of Christmas series that ended a few days ago, this series will focus on easy-to-make snacks and treats that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require the help of a microwave rather than an oven. And, a bunch of them will involve more assembly-type tasks rather than preheating, beating, whipping, etc.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared here, this series will also see a new snack or treat recipe shared with you, Dear Reader, each and every single day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday snacks and treats year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Snacks & Treats of Christmas! Fresh off of my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas, my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, and Volume 5 of my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas series, I’m ready to plow through the next 12 days with you once again.

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! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

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? I’m using a holiday version with red and green, but you can use regular too.
• 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

FOR THE GLAZE AND DECORATION

• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar.  It is used in frostings quite often. 
• Milk – When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated. 
• Mini Christmas M&Ms
• Sanding Sugar
• Star-shaped Candy or Sprinkles

CHOOSING A STICK

As you can see, I was able to source long lollipop sticks from Michaels. They carry them in different lengths. You can find them here on Amazon too. Alternatively, you can use regular wooden grilling skewers. If you choose to use wooden skewers, use a kitchen towel to firmly hold one end of the skewer while dragging it through the towel. This will ensure that you have removed any loose pieces. Since the Festive Christmas Tree Pops are sticky on the inside, you will want to eliminate the risk of them pulling off a splinter!

If you are not planning to wrap them individually like I did, you won’t need to use an extra long stick. In that case, you could use a popsicle stick! One more suggestion – I promise! If all else fails, you can use a sturdy, firm paper straw. Of course, a straw is much thicker than a wooden skewer or lollipop stick, but you can make it work. I tried it myself and you just need to apply a bit more force when using a straw, but the results will be the same.

HOW TO MAKE FESTIVE CHRISTMAS TREE POPS

Lightly grease a spring-form cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Add the butter, vanilla extract, and marshmallows to a large sauce pan. Over low heat, and stirring very often, melt the marshmallows until well incorporated into the melted butter. Remove from heat. Add the cereal to the marshmallow mixture. Stir until well combined with a spatula.

Turn the mixture out onto the prepared cake pan. Press the mixture flat, trying to get the surface as even 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.) One the mixture has been flattened, place in the fridge for two hours to firm.

Remove from fridge and release the spring-form sides from the cake pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into wedges. I made eight large trees, but you can cut smaller wedges to get more trees. Push a lollipop stick into the bottom of each wedge and set aside.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients. Add a drop or two of food colouring if you wish. You can even separate the glaze mixture into separate bowls first and colour each a different colour – like red and green! Transfer the glaze to a small resealable sandwich bag. Cut a small tip from one lower corner and use the bag to gently squeeze out the glaze creating a garland-like pattern onto each wedge.

Before the glaze hardens, affix a star-shaped candy tree topper and mini M&Ms on the body of the trees. Sprinkle over the sanding sugar. Allow glaze to firm and harden before packaging for gift giving.

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 Festive Christmas Tree Pops, you certainly can! Once the glaze has hardened, 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 pops for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen pops as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. If packaging, wait until the condensation has evaporated. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

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 to follow me and never miss another recipe!