Making festive treats to share during the holidays is one of my favorite New England traditions. Star-shaped and chocolate-dipped Christmas Rice Krispie Treats are fun to make with kids, and a delightful treat to bring to holiday events or to leave out for Santa with a glass of milk!
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Who's looking for a fun and festive treat to make this Christmas? You are! You are! Well me too, folks, and that's why I picked up a big ol' box of Rice Krispies and made these Christmas Rice Krispie Treats.
Shaped into Christmas Rice Krispie stars, they're made with holiday-themed cereal and lots of gooey marshmallows—plus a splash of vanilla to make them even more delicious.
Once the stars are cut, they get dipped in chocolate and decorated. This is a really fun recipe to make with kids—or nieces and nephews, roommates, friends... basically, anyone who has a sweet tooth and loves making Christmas treats.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: Colorful, star-shaped treats made with holiday color Rice Krispies. They're dipped in chocolate for a little extra indulgence! It's a nostalgic, sticky-sweet treat that captures the fun of the season.
- You'll love this part: Rediscover how simple and fun it is to make these marshmallowy treats. Chocolate and sprinkles make them look fancy and festive!
- How it's made: Mix melted butter and marshmallows into a sauce to coat the cereal. Press the mixture into a pan, then use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Add chocolate and sprinkles for a holiday-style finish.
Jump to:
Why you'll love these Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
If you don't make Rice Krispies Treats all the time, it's easy to forget that they're so simple and fun. Just combine melted marshmallows with cereal, press the mixture into a pan, and then slice into shapes.
The Christmas Rice Krispie Treats recipe uses holiday-themed cereal, Christmas Rice Krispies that have red and green cereal bits—you can also use regular Krispies or even flavored ones.
Chocolate melts fast in the microwave or on the stovetop, so your treats will be dipped in no time.
To decorate the chocolate-dipped Rice Krispie treats, look for fun holiday and Christmas sprinkles at grocery and craft stores, or online. I like brands that have a blend of shapes and colors in their holiday sprinkles because they're so fun and pretty. Sprinkle Pop is one of my favorite sprinkle companies for these blends.
(I use their St. Patrick's Day sprinkle blend in my Baileys Irish Cream Pie!)
Get out your star-shaped cookie cutter!
For my Rice Krispies treats with chocolate, I use a 2¼-inch star cookie cutter. It's small enough to get lots of star-shaped treats in the first round, and then more when the scraps are pushed together.
Also, because marshmallow treats are SUPER sweet, a smaller size makes them just right for an indulgent snack that doesn't send you into a sugar coma!
My mini star cookie cutter came in a set of star cutters (here's a set on Amazon similar to mine.) If you'd like to pick up the small star on its own, Ann Clark Cookie Cutters sells one on their site. (They're the largest cookie cutter manufacturer in the country—and based in Vermont! How cool is that?!)
More uses!
That small star cutter will come in handy throughout the year. Use it to make my star-topped Cherry Blueberry Tart and these Trifles with little watermelon stars! I also use it to make the star at the center of my Captain America Pie.
🔪 How to make Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
Note: allow for cooling and setting time for the marshmallow-cereal mixture, and once the Rice Krispie Treats stars are dipped in chocolate.
Ingredients:
- Rice Krispies: Look for the red and green holiday version, or use regular or flavored Rice Krispies instead.
- Marshmallows: I use large marshmallows in these treats.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter; Cabot brand is my go-to.
- Vanilla Extract: Use a good quality brand, like Nielsen-Massey.
- Chocolate: Semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips are melted for dipping.
- Sprinkles or Candies: Give each treat a finishing touch with holiday sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or any sweet topping you like.
Make the marshmallow cereal mixture
Melt the marshmallows, butter, and vanilla into a smooth sauce. Stir in the holiday Rice Krispies until they're completely coated.
Get it in a pan and cool
Press the cereal mixture into a rectangular baking pan, pressing them firmly into place. Give the mixture time to cool and dry, then flip it onto a piece of parchment paper to dry on the other side.
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Cut out star shapes
Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 15 stars. Remove the stars to a lined baking sheet. Push together the marshmallow-cereal scraps and continue cutting out stars. There should be roughly 25 stars altogether.
Dip them in chocolate
Melt semisweet chocolate and a little shortening in a bowl in the microwave until it's very smooth. Dip the top of each star into the chocolate, or dip in one half of the star. Place the star on the lined baking sheet, and repeat with the rest.
Add sprinkles
While the chocolate is wet, top the treats with holiday sprinkles and crushed candies. Give the treats at least an hour to dry and firm up.
Enjoy!
The marshmallow treats are ready to eat. Once the chocolate has set completely, the Christmas Rice Krispie Stars should be stored in an airtight container.
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats FAQs
One thing that will make it easier to cut the treats is to let the marshmallow-coated cereal cool completely. It also needs a little time exposed to air to dry the surface. That's why the cereal in the pan is cooled first on one side, and then on the other.
Coating your knife or cookie cutter with butter or vegetable shortening will also help, so it won't get sticky or gunky while cutting.
One reason is that the marshmallow mixture may need more time to cool. There should be no warmth left in it at all. Also, when you pour the mixture into the pan, press it down firmly all over, so that the treats will hold together once they're cut.
Homemade marshmallow treats have a shorter shelf life than store-bought because they don't have preservatives or additives. (That's a good thing!) Put the treats into an airtight container, or a resealable bag with the air pressed out. Keep them at room temperature for 3-4 days.
You'll be able to get more stars out of most of the Krispie treat scraps. For the rest, you can store them in an airtight container and keep them handy for a quick sugar fix!
Or, pretend you're on a show like "Is It Cake?" or "Nailed It" and have fun squeezing the scraps into 3D shapes. If you have fondant or frosting lying around, use them to cover your marshmallow cereal shapes.
Tips:
- Try other chocolates with these marshmallow Christmas treats, too, like white, milk, or dark chocolate.
- It's important to store the treats in an airtight container or resealable bag—otherwise, they'll dry out and be hard to eat.
- Do not put the treats in the fridge: the cold will make them hard to eat and will make the chocolate discolor. Keep the treats at room temperature away from heat and sunlight.
Pick up some cereal and marshmallows, and have fun making these Rice Krispie holiday treats!
Find the recipe for Christmas Rice Krispie Treats below. And here are more holiday treats to try!
💬 How do you like your Christmasy Krispie treats? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
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Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (plus extra to grease the pan)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 15 ounces large marshmallows
- 8 cups holiday red and green Rice Krispies cereal (or regular Rice Krispies)
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
- 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
- Holiday sprinkles or crushed candy canes
Instructions
Make the cereal-marshmallow mixture:
- Use a little butter (or nonstick spray) to coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Hold this aside.
- Melt the ½ cup of butter in a large Dutch oven or pot (one that's large enough to hold all the cereal later) over medium heat. When it's all melted, add in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour in the marshmallows. Stir them in the butter until they're all coated, and then continue stirring until the marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth. (If there are a few stubborn lumps not melting, use a whisk to break them down.)
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour in the Rice Krispies, and stir until they're completely combined with the marshmallow-butter mixture.
Press into the pan:
- Scoop the marshmallow-cereal mixture into the prepared baking pan. Use buttered hands, a buttered piece of wax paper, or butter wrappers to press the mixture into the pan.
- It should fill the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Press the cereal down firmly and smooth the top out as much as possible.
Cool:
- Let the mixture rest, uncovered, until it's cool to the touch on top—about 30 minutes.
- Grease a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. Then, flip the marshmallow-cereal rectangle out of the pan onto the paper, so that the bottom is now on top.
- Let the treats rest for another 30 minutes or so, until the treats firm up and no longer feel sticky to the touch. (This will make them easier to cut.)
Cut out the stars:
- Use a 2¼-inch star cookie cutter to cut star shapes out of the Krispie treats. Press the cutter firmly into the treats, in five rows of three stars.
- Pull the extra away from the stars gently, so that the stars don't get pulled out of shape. Place the stars on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper. If they're a little wonky, just press them lightly to flatten them back out, and pinch the ends into crisp points.
- Gently press the leftover Krispie treat pieces back together, with the smooth tops facing up, and cut out more stars.
- You can get as many as ten extra stars this way before the mixture begins to get too sticky—or until you get tired of it!
- (Any leftover bits of Krispie treat can be saved for snacking.)
Melt the chocolate:
- Place the chocolate chunks or chips and the vegetable shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Zap the chocolate in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, until the chocolate is melted and smooth,
- Be careful not to overheat the chocolate or it will sieze.
- (You can also melt the chocolate on the stove over simmering water in a double boiler.)
Dip the stars:
- Working one at a time, dip a Rice Krispie treat star into the chocolate—the top or dip half of the star shape. Gently tap off the excess and place the dipped star on the lined baking sheet.
- Repeat until all of the stars are dipped.
Add the sprinkles:
- While the chocolate is wet, dust the tops of the Krispie treat stars with holiday sprinkles, crushed candy cane pieces, or your own choice of little candies.
- Let the treats cool at room temperature until the chocolate is set and firm—about an hour.
- Keep the Krispie Treats stored tightly wrapped or in an airtight container to keep them fresh and gooey. They'll stay fresh for five to seven days at room temperature.
Notes
- Try other chocolates with these treats, too, like white, milk, or dark chocolate.
- It's important to store the treats in an airtight container or resealable bag—otherwise, they'll dry out and be hard to eat.
- Do not put the treats in the fridge: the cold will make them hard to eat and will make the chocolate discolor. Keep the treats at room temperature away from heat and sunlight.
Nutrition
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