This rice krispie treats recipe gives you thick, bakery-style squares filled with crispy rice cereal, melted marshmallows, butter, and vanilla for a nostalgic dessert that everyone loves.

A square rice cereal treat on a white plate, with a larger pan of the treats in the background.

I’ve been making these rice krispie treats since high school, and I love just as much now as I did over 30 years ago. They’re a twist on the classic but just as simple to make. My recipe starts with the basic ingredients like crispy rice cereal, butter, and mini marshmallows. Then I add some vanilla extract and extra marshmallows so you get gooey pockets of soft marshmallows in every bite.

I use a 9×13-inch pan, so there’s plenty to share. You get big, thick, gooey treats that make great gifts or treats for school parties. These rice krispie treats are also a wonderful recipe to make with kids.

Some of our other family friendly, holiday recipes are soft sugar cookies, rocky road fudge, peppermint bark, and Valentines Rice Krispie treats but these are my absolute favorite, especially around Christmastime.

My Tips for Making the BEST Rice Krispie Treats

Butter those hands! After you pile the marshmallow and cereal mixture into the baking pan, butter your hands or a spatula and gently press the treats into an even layer. The butter keeps the treats from sticking to your hands.

Prep the ingredients and pan! Before you ever turn on the stove, measure out all of the ingredients and butter or grease the 9×13-inch pan you plan to use.

Use a big pan for cooking. You’ll need a really big pan to mix the rice cereal, marshmallows and butter. If you get a chance to watch my video, you’ll see that my pan was just barely big enough. Some of the cereal and marshmallows kept spilling out over the top.

Amp up the flavor. I’ve always made my rice krispie treats with a bit of vanilla. Technically, it’s optional, but I love the flavor it adds. Sometimes I’ll even add a tiny pinch of salt to bring out all the flavors. Again, it’s optional, but so good!

A white baking dish filled with rice cereal treats, with a few square pieces cut and lifted by a spatula.

How to Keep Your Rice Krispie Treats Soft

Store them at room temp. This is probably the most important advice in the entire post, store your treats in an airtight container at room temperature. If you take the time to wrap each one in plastic wrap, that’s even better. They’ll stay good for about 4 days. Don’t use the fridge! The dry, cool refrigerator air dries them out quick. The same goes for the freezer. These are not freezer friendly.

Cook them over medium-low heat. Don’t use medium or high heat for these. The higher temps dry out the cereal, zap the marshmallows of their moisture, and cause the butter to lose water through evaporation. Cook everything low and slow.

Remove the pan from heat before adding the cereal. That one move stops the marshmallow and butter mixture from getting too hot. You can always put it back for a few seconds to loosen the marshmallows as you stir in the cereal then take it off again.

Press the treats gently. When you transfer the soft treats to the baking pan, press them gently (I barely use any pressure). If you press too much and make them compact, they’re going to get hard.

Pan of cut rice krispie treats with one being removed with a spatula.

Common Questions

Can I use marshmallow creme instead of mini marshmallows?

Simply substitute the miniature marshmallows with two (7.5 ounce) containers of marshmallow creme. Add it to the butter, and melt over low heat. The extra mini marshmallows specific to this recipe can still be added at the end or omitted. It’s up to you.

Can I use store brand cereal?

Absolutely! Every off-brand rice cereal that I’ve tried works great. If you can’t find classic Rice Krispie Treats, use off-brand.