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These adorable Christmas Rice Krispie Treats are shaped into holiday wreathes, and decorated with red candy ribbons and golden yellow bulbs. They're simple, fun, festive, and an easy treat to make with the kids!
Rice krispie treats are one of those classic childhood desserts. Now they've gotten a holiday makeover with a few simple modifications!
These Christmas Rice Krispie Treats are adorable, and make for a beautiful presentation at a holiday party, bake sale, or school celebration.
Your kids will have a blast creating holiday shapes and decorating these treats.
The best part, you can really get creative with the decorations. Use holiday sprinkles and your own favorite icing and decorating gel to make these your own.
Fun, easy, and the perfect holiday activity to do with the kids, these treats will make everyone come running for more!
Tools and Equipment You'll Need
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
- Rice Krispie Treats: To make the rice krispie treats you'll need rice cereal (brown rice cereal is what I used), marshmallows and butter. To make these christmas rice krispie treats vegetarian friendly, be sure to use marshmallows with no gelatin, like Dandies.
- Natural Food Colors: To keep these on the natural side and avoid artificial colors, use natural food coloring to get the bright green wreath & red ribbon colors.
- Colored Candies: These are colored chocolates that you will melt and shape into bows and balls.
How to Make Christmas Rice Krispie Treats - Step by Step
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Step 2: Add green food coloring to melted marshmallows and mix until tinted.
Step 3: Add rice cereal and fold until all ingredients are well combined. Use a spatula to evenly spread the rice cereal treats mixture onto the lined pan. Shape the rice krispies to be about 8 inches x 10 inches.
Step 4: Allow the Rice Krispies to set for about 10 minutes. Use a circular cookie cutter, 2 ½ inches in diameter in size and cut out circle-shaped rice cereal treats. Use another cookie cutter, ¾ inch in diameter and cut out circles in the center of each treat.
Step 5: Add red candy melts into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing between each interval until melted. Scoop the melted candy into a piping bag. Pipe out a red bow on the bottom of each rice cereal treat wreath. To form the shape of a bow, begin by piping out two circles attached together, similar to an infinity sign. Next, pipe out two lines in the center.
Step 6: Next, melt the yellow candy the same way you did the red candy melts. Scoop into another piping bag, and pipe out little yellow circle dots around the wreath (about 6). Allow to set and serve.
Will Kids Like These Christmas Rice Krispie Treats?
Kids love these holiday treats! Every kid enjoys rice kirspies, and these holiday wreaths are no exception! They make for a fun holiday activity to do with the kids too! You could even cut out different holiday shapes using different cookie cutter shapes.
Recipe FAQS
What can I use instead of marshmallows?
If you don't want to use marshmallows you can use honey to keep the rice krispies stuck together. You'll need to warm the honey first and then add it to the melted butter.
Why are my rice krispie treats hard?
If you cook your marshmallows too long they will get stiff. Immediately remove the pot from the heat when the marshmallows have melted. If you keep it on the heat source it will harden.
Should I put rice krispie treats in the fridge?
No, you don't need to keep them in the fridge. They are best kept at room temperature. If you need them to set more quickly, you can put them in the fridge for a short amount of time to speed up the process.
How do I store and keep Christmas Rice Krispie Treats?
Store in an air tight container at room temperature. They will keep for 3-5 days.
Variations and Substitutions
- Vegan: To make this recipe vegan use vegan marshmallows (like Dandies), and vegan butter. Check that the melted candies for decorating are dairy free before using, or use vegan Christmas sprinkles to decorate.
- Different Shapes: You can easily turn these treats into Christmas trees by using a Christmas tree cookie cutter! Or choose your own favorite holiday shapes!
- Different Flavors: Try adding some chocolate (dark, milk, or white) drizzled on top for chocolate rice krispie treats, use peppermint marshmallows for peppermint rice krispies, add vanilla extract for vanilla flavored treats, or add cinnamon sugar for cinnamon rice krispie treats!
Top Tips for Making Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
- Use a non-stick saucepan that is large enough to fit all of the ingredients. This will help keep the marshmallow mixture from sticking to the pan.
- Be sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy release.
- Spread the rice krispie mixture into an even layer. You can place parchment paper on top of the rice krispie layer, and then another baking sheet on top and press firmly to ensure it is flat and even. Alternatively, you can wet your fingers with water slightly before pressing down to keep them from sticking.
- Don't over-press your treats! Gently press them just until they are spread out. If you pack them in too tightly, they will turn out to be tough vs. moist and soft!
- Make sure your marshmallows are fresh - stale marshmallows will result in stale-tasting treats.
- Use natural food coloring to keep this recipe healthy!
