These Christmas Rice Krispie squares are festive and would look great on a holiday baking tray! Extra marshmallows and brown butter take these squares to another level! Just like ones you would find in a bakery!
Jump straight to the recipe!
🎄A fun, easy holiday treat
Everyone loves Rice Krispie squares! They are super easy to make, and taste awesome! I set out to make festive ones for the holidays, and wanted them to taste and look like they came from a bakery.
I am so happy how these turned out. Browning the butter really gives the Rice Krispie squares an extra flavour. Brown butter is really easy to make. When melting the butter, just leave it to cook a few minutes longer. The butter will turn an amber colour, and you will start seeing some sediment in the bottom of the pan.
Another addition I made, is adding in extra marshmallows at the end. This makes the Rice Krispie squares super gooey and the pop of the only slightly melted marshmallows make these squares look amazing!
I guarantee these Christmas Rice Krispie squares will make a perfect, easy, and fun addition to your holiday baking!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Mini marshmallows - You can use coloured marshmallows instead of white ones.
- Unsalted butter - Salted butter can be used as well. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Rice Krispie cereal - Make sure that you use fresh cereal for best possible taste. Stale cereal will make stale tasting Rice Krispie squares.
🔪Instructions
Line an 8 inch or 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease it with butter. Set that aside and put the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter until it melted, and starts forming brown solids and smells nutty. This is brown butter and I love it in Rice Krispie squares. I think it takes them to the next level! Take the pan off the heat and add in marshmallows, reserving 1.5 cups for later.
Stir until the marshmallows are melted, and then stir in the vanilla and salt. Add the cereal and combine, and then mix in the reserved marshmallows. Allow the marshmallows to soften just a bit. We want the marshmallows to be only slightly melted, so they can be seen. This extra marshmallow at the end really makes these Christmas Rice Krispie squares super gooey!
Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish, patting it down into an even layer. Use a piece of parchment paper to pat it down. It makes it way easier!
Let the Rice Krispie squares sit for a few hours at room temperature, until they have hardened. Slice into 9 squares and store in an air tight container.
For more step-by-step pictures and instructions, see the web story for Christmas Rice Krispie Squares!
✔️Expert tips
- The squares are tall, like the ones you would get at a bakery. If you would like less thick squares, press into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- You don't have to brown the butter if you don't want to, and the Rice Krispie squares will still taste awesome!
- Definitely reserve some marshmallows for the end. The not quite melted marshmallows in the squares make them extra good!
- Use fresh cereal for best tasting squares.
💭FAQs
Brown butter is just butter that has been cooked a little bit longer until the solids turn a nutty brown colour. Brown butter gives a richness to these Rice Krispie squares that really takes them to another level!
Melt the butter and marshmallows on medium heat. If you rush it and melt them at a higher heat, the squares will be hard. Also, don't pat them down too hard. We don't want to squish everything too close together, which will result in hard squares too.
There's no need to refrigerate these. Let them cool at room temperature, and then store them in an air tight container at room temperature.
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
Christmas Rice Krispie Squares
Equipment
- 1 8 or 9 inch square baking pan
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cold
- 6 cups mini marshmallows divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
Instructions
- Line an 8x8" baking dish with aluminum foil and grease with butter.
- Place butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter until it has melted and starts turning brown and smells nutty, a few minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Reserve 1.5 cups of mini marshmallows, and pour the remainder into the saucepan. Stir until the marshmallows have melted and then stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Add in cereal and stir until it is all mixed into the marshmallows.
- Mix the reserved mini marshmallows in next. I like to put the saucepan back over low heat and stir until the mini marshmallows have softened slightly. Do no let them melt completely.
- Spoon the mixture into the reserved baking dish and press it down evenly with a piece of parchment paper. Allow it to sit until hardened, about 1 hour.
- Remove the Rice Krispie square out of the baking dish and cut into 9 squares. Store the squares in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- The squares are tall, like the ones you would get at a bakery. If you would like less thick squares, press into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- You don't have to brown the butter if you don't want to, and the Rice Krispie squares will still taste awesome!
- Definitely reserve some marshmallows for the end. The not quite melted marshmallows in the squares make them extra good!
- Use fresh cereal for best tasting squares.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️