Christmas Rice Krispie Treats - classic rice krispie treats topped with white chocolate and peppermint candy. This easy holiday favorite is as easy and fun as my Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Sticks.
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats turn original Rice Krispie treats into holiday decadence with a white chocolate peppermint bark topping. This no-bake recipe uses your microwave or stove to melt the marshmallows and the rest is conveniently done by hand. These winter holiday treats are family-friendly, festive, and make great edible gifts.
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients
- butter
- vanilla extract
- salt
- marshmallows
- rice krispies cereal
- white chocolate chips
- peppermint extract (optional)
- peppermint candy canes
How to make Christmas Rice Krispie treats
- Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray
- Melt butter and marshmallows via microwave or stove.
- Add rice crispies cereal and stir to coat.
- Immediately press mixture into the baking sheet.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Melt the white chocolate and pour over Rice Krispie treat mixture.
- Sprinkle peppermint over chocolate and allow to chocolate to set.
- Cut into bars and enjoy.
How to melt marshmallows
Microwave - (quickest method) Put marshmallows in a mixing bowl (with melted butter) and heat on med-high power in 15 second intervals, stirring between cycles until creamy.
Stove - To melt marshmallows on the stove, first melt the butter in a large enough sauce pot over low heat, then add marshmallows. Heat and stir until creamy.
How long does it take for Rice Crispy Treats to harden?
Rice Krispie treats begin to harden as soon as the rice crispies cereal and melted marshmallow is combined. This is why we immediately press them into the pan before they become too hard. Once in the pan, they’ll take 15-30 minutes to fully set up.
How to cut Rice Krispie treats
Christmas rice crispy treats are coated with white chocolate and peppermint, making the surface a little harder to cut than original rice crispie treats. So, I use this bench scraper to cut them into 3” x 1” sticks. You can also use a knife or firm spatula.
How to store Rice Crispy Treats
Store rice crispy treats in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week. I'm almost certain they won't last more than ... a day
Recommended Tools
- meat tenderizer (to crush peppermint)
- large heat-safe mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- 13" x 9" baking sheet
- wax paper
- pancake turner
- silicone spatula
- glass 2 cup measure (to microwave the chocolate)
- bench scraper
More holiday recipes
- Cranberry Brie Crostini
- Pear Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Apple Sausage Stuffing
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 5-Minute French Onion Dip
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick Butter
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 10 oz pkg Mini Marshmallows, same as 6 1/2 cups
- 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 1 cup White Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extact, (optional)
- 4-5 Peppermint Candy Canes, about 1 cup
RECIPE VIDEO
Equipment
- meat tenderizer (to crush peppermint)
- large heat-safe mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- baking sheet
- wax paper
- pancake turner
- silicone spatula
- pyrex 2 cup measure
- bench scraper
Recipe Instructions
- Coat a 13” x 9" baking sheet with cooking spray.
Instructions for melted marshmallows
- Microwave BUTTER in a large microwave-safe bowl on medium heat until melted.
- Add VANILLA, SALT, and MARSHMALLOWS to the melted butter.
- Microwave on medium heat in 15-second intervals until marshmallows become sticky when stirred. *see footnotes for stove instructions
Make the rice crispy bars
- Stir RICE KRISPIES CEREAL into melted marshmallows until coated.
- Press mixture into the baking sheet.
- Place waxed paper over the mixture and press flat with a spatula.No wax paper? Just coat the spatula (or your hands) with cooking spray or butter to press the mixture flat. Set aside to cool.
Peppermint white chocolate topping
- Crush the candy canes using a tenderizer (or bottom of a cup).
- Microwave WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS and (optional PEPPERMINT EXTRACT) in a microwave-safe bowl on med-high power in 30-second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring between heat cycles.
- Spread melted chocolate over pan of Rice Krispie treats.
- Sprinkle peppermint over the chocolate.
- Allow chocolate to set at room temperature, or refrigerate for quicker setup.
- Gently remove hardened sheet of bars from the baking sheet.
- Cut into bars and enjoy.
- Store in an airtight container layered with waxed paper up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
- Melt BUTTER in a 4 quart sauce pan over low heat.
- Add marshmallows and stir until melted and creamy.
- Remove from heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
J Allen says
These. are. addictive! Rice krispie treats are always good, but the white chocolate and candy cane make it next level. Another winner, Kitchen Girl!
Thanks! I happen to 100% agree with you J 😉 These are probably my fav Christmas candy lol.
katie says
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Awesome, Katie! So glad to hear it! These are family-friendly indeed ... thanks!!!
Dannii says
We love rice krispie treats at this time of the year. These are so festive.
Thanks, Dannii! So glad you like these 🙂 Cheers!
Alisa Infanti says
I love the added crunch from the candy canes. So good!
Yay, Alisa! I'm right there with you on that 🙂 Thanks so much!
Nathan says
WOW, these look delicious and so festive! I bet they would be delicious with some dark chocolate drizzled over top as well, can't wait to keep them a try!
Thanks, Nathan! Glad you can enjoy these 🙂 And yes, dark chocolate always welcome
Cathy says
Hi, it’s my experience that microwaving marshmallows to melt them will leave you with concrete treats. Microwaves are fine to melt butter, but not marshmallows. I will make your recipe, but I’ll continue use to melt the marshmallows on the stove likely using a double boiler.
Hi Cathy, thanks for the feedback but I've never had that experience from microwave melted marshmallows. They always turn out great, so much that I swore I'd never do stove again LOL. I wonder what's giving us different experiences.
Suzy says
Super fun and tasty treats! Love the peppermint in them!
Thanks, Suzy! Love hearing that ... glad you enjoyed 🙂