These strawberry rice krispie treats are a fun little spin on the classic, nostalgic, and gooey marshmallow snack. Not only are these extra gooey, they’re also decently tall and have a good chewy bite—just how I like them!
The strawberry is subtle, but delish, making this a great summertime treat for your next get-together. Let’s bake and I’ll show you just how easy these babies are to make!
Some Materials You’ll Need:
- 8 or 9 inch square cake pan
- Large 10″ sauce pot or deep saucepan (I used my Always Pan)
- Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Food Grinder/Processor/some way to grind up your freeze dried strawberries
Prep Your Ingredients First
Whenever you’re working over the stovetop or with a recipe that’s somewhat time-sensitive, make sure to prep all of your ingredients first! Attempting to fumble out cups of marshmallows over a hot saucepan as it starts to melt is not my idea of good time (I’m actually sweating a little?)—so let’s prep, friends.
Take stress out of these strawberry rice krispie treats and measure out ALL of your ingredients ahead of time—I’m talking before you start to melt that butter. Have a bowl with the cereal, two for the divided marshmallows, little saucers for your extract and salt, and have that cake pan prepped. Also be sure to grind up your freeze dried strawberries too!
While timing may not be as crucial for these gooey rice krispie treats, as opposed to something like a pie dough, that doesn’t mean it’s not important at all. Rice krispie treats like to stiffen up rather quickly once all the components are combined. You don’t want your half-assembled mixture resting in a hot pan as you rush to measure out that last two cups of marshmallows.
So prep and be stress-free! Please, for my sake and general mental well-being?
What kind of pot should you make rice krispie treats in?
Since there’s quite a bit of volume to these strawberry rice krispie treats, you want something that is both wide and deep enough to contain everything.
I used my Always Pan and it was perfectly—quite literally, any smaller and I’d have been fending off our pup from scraps all over the kitchen floor (where he’s already waiting).f
So for me, a deep 10″ inch saucepan/skillet situation worked great! Though you more than likely have a deep saucepan at hand (hopefully 10″) and that’s perfect. You just need to give yourself enough room to stir and fold the mixture without losing any over the edge.
Another bonus is non-stick! As one might assume (no judgement if you didn’t), rice krispie treats get…sticky. You’ll have a much easier time mixing everything together and transferring to your cake pan.
How to Get Extra Gooey Rice Krispie Treats
TIP 1: It should be no secret that the obvious key to ooey gooey rice krispie treats is to add more mini marshmallows! There’s a fair amount that gets melted down initially, but I like to add an additional two cups right at the very end before pressing into the pan to set. These extra marshmallows will remain largely intact, but melt every so slightly—giving you that glorious pull. It’s a dream.
TIP 2: The next step in upping your gooey game has to do with how you press it into the pan. You don’t want to press down too firmly or tightly. This results in a much tighter structure to the bars and ultimately makes them tougher to eat. Press the mixture into an evenly layer without trying to force it all down as far you’re able. I’d say mine picture here are somewhere in the middle!
Stick Fingers TIP: To prevent your fingers from sticking while pressing in the mixture, wet the tips of your fingers! I like to keep a little saucer of water next to meweew while I do this so I’m not running back and forth to the sink. Just dip your fingers in, let the excess water drip off, and then start pressing. Dip as many times as needed.
I’ve seen tips where you spray your hands with cooking spray, which does in fact work, but I’m not about that oily mess life after…
Get ready for some bright and happy strawberry rice krispie treats, friends! Would love to see some mallow pulls over on Instagram too if you make them—be sure to tag me, @joshisbaking.
Happy baking!
Check out my most recent recipes:
- Roasted Crispy Rice Treats Dipped in Chocolate Frosting
- Giant Chocolate Blueberry Pop Tart
- Baked Churro Donuts with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
- Prep Time: 15 Min.
- Chill Time: 1 Hour
- Cook Time: 15 Min.
- Total Time: 1 Hour. 30 Min. (with chill time)
- Yield: 12 Rice Krispie Treat Bars 1x
Description
A bright and happy (but no less gooey) spin on the classic rice krispie treat thanks to some freeze-dried strawberries! Tall, gooey, chewy bars that’ll have you coming back for more (and more and more).
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85g)
- 10 cups mini-marshmallows, divided (430g, ~1 1/2 10oz. bags)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (165g)
- 3–4 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries, grounded (~10-13g)
- Use 3 for subtle flavor and 4 if you want it stronger
Instructions
- Prep an 8 inch square cake pan with parchment paper and set aside (helps to release, but not always necessary). In a large bowl, toss together your rice krispie treats with the grounded freeze-dried strawberries. Some may settle at the bottom of the bowl instead of sticking to the cereal, so just make sure to get it all out later when adding to the mixture.
- Cut your butter into tablespoon-sized (~15g) pieces. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large 10″ sauce pot or deep saucepan. Once the butter has fully melted, add 8 cups of mini marshmallows, reduce heat to low, and stir with a spatula until the marshmallows are completely melted combined with the butter (can take a couple minutes, gently stir to help them melt evenly and faster).
- Turn the heat off and stir in both your vanilla extract and salt until incorporated. Then add in your Rice Krispies/strawberry cereal (making sure no bits or powder get left behind in the bowl), mixing and folding until evenly coated in the marshmallow mixture. Then work quickly to fold in your remaining 2 cups of marshmallows until evenly distributed.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan and gently press down into an even layer (TIP: wet the tips of your fingers to prevent sticking and for looser/gooier pieces, don’t firmly press all the way down—the harder you press down, the tighter/tougher they’ll be to eat).
- Let set in the pan for at least 1 hour at room temperature before cutting/serving.
Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature (don’t store in the fridge or they’ll get too hard).
Notes
- You could use a 9×13 non-stick pan as well, but your bars will be much thinner and with that said—I haven’t tested it that way. So baker beware! If you do try it, leave a comment below so other’s know it’s an option! I just happen to prefer a taller rice krispie treat.
- Be sure to use fresh bags of marshmallows! I know it sounds silly, but using that half-bag of mini marshmallows from the back of your pantry (from who knows how long ago) might be a bit dry and affect the end result. Go fresh and get that gooey pull!
Looking for something else to bake?
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