This homemade recipe for Christmas Rice Krispie Treats is a cute, fun and easy DIY. Keep it simple with these cute Peppermint White Chocolate Rice Krispies or we have ideas for fun variations below like M&M's, trees, wreaths, ornaments, and more for some Pinterest-worthy fun!
These are super popular during the Christmas season and also work for other winter holidays. Switch up the sprinkles to be festive for any holiday or season.
We love putting these on Cookie Plates during the season along with our Christmas Popcorn.
Also try our Eggnog Milkshake, Christmas Chex Mix and our Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies. Add them with these adorable Easy Cut Out Christmas Cookies. They are also great to take to a party.
Also check out our Halloween Rice Krispie Treats!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- Rice Krispies cereal - We tested this recipe with name brand and off brand Rice Krispies and both tasted great. Use your favorite crips rice cereal!
- salted butter -This will help the consistency and also help it not be overly sticky. We tested this recipe with salted and unsalted butter and every taste tester agreed they greatly preferred it with salted butter. It brings out the other flavors so nicely and gives it a hint of that salty- sweet flavor.
- marshmallows (mini or large)- mini marshmallows will melt more quickly, but we use large marshmallows too without any problems.
- white chocolate chips - These will make that yummy white chocolate peppermint flavor that is so delicious!
- red and green sprinkles, I recommend a variety of sizes and shapes.
- candy canes or other hard peppermint candies. These will get crushed and stirred in.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
1. Over medium/ medium low heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add marshmallows.
2. Allow to melt. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking and to heat them evenly.
3. Add Rice Krispies cereal and crushed peppermint candies. Stir a few times until mostly evenly coated (it will become more evenly coated in the next step.
4. Allow to cool about 3 minutes, then stir in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Be careful not to over stir so that they stay nice and light and fluffy.
5. Pour into a 9x13 pan for regular sized treats, or into a 9x9 or even 8x8 for thick, bakery style Rice Krispie treats.
Hint: Allow the mixture to cool a bit and wait to add the white chocolate chips and sprinkles. Otherwise the white chips will melt and the sprinkles will melt a bit and be prone to smearing all over.
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Dots - use the red and green Dots in the Christmas package instead of sprinkles for a chewy and beautiful alternative.
- Cheerios- feel free to make these with Cheerios or other plain cereal if you don’t have Rice Krispies on hand
- Cinnamon - Use red hots instead of crushed candy cane and even cut up some cinnamon bears to throw in for a fun yummy cinnamon variety!
- Hot Cocoa- substitute the white chips for chocolate chips and stir in 1 cup of mini mallows after it has cooled for a few minutes. OR instead of chocolate chips use ½ Cocoa Pebbles and ½ Rice Krispies and stir in mini mallows after allowing to cool a few minutes.
- Rice Krispie Treat Trees- Pour these into a 9x13. After they have cooled, remove from pan and place on a cutting board. Cut diagonally in a zig zag pattern for the trees. You could also use green food coloring in with the marshmallows for a "decorated tree" look.
- Wreaths - use green food coloring into the melted marshmallows. Then form into circles on a piece of wax paper. They will be ornament decorated wreaths.
- Christmas Rice Krispie Treats with M&Ms - throw in 1 cup of your favorite m&ms!
- Chocolate Dipped Ornaments- make as directed above, then form into balls and place on wax paper. Melt some chocolate. You can use regular chocolate or white chocolate. Dip cooled Rice Krispie balls into the chocolate and allow to cool until chocolate hardens.
Microwave Directions
The microwave can be more finicky, but will also work. Place the butter and marshmallows In a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave 1 more minute. Continue to heat in 30 second intervals stirring between each time, until marshmallows are fully melted. Then stir in the Rice Krispies and finish as directed above.
Storing Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
These store great! We recommend storing in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days. If there is any question about air tightness, wrap in saran wrap to preserve freshness. Humidity or dryness will ruin the texture of these!
Top tips
Don’t be too anxious to mix in the mix-ins in! Let them cool for a few minutes to preserve the colors of your sprinkles and keep the white chips whole.
Make sure to butter your pan or these will stick like crazy to the pan. I like to use butter. I have tested this recipe with sprays and they all give the rice krispie treats a subtly funky flavor.
For more peppermint-flavored desserts try our Peppermint Pie, Peppermint Bark Milkshake, Christmas Bark recipe, and Peppermint Brownies.
Recipe
Christmas Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter salted
- 6 ½ cups mini marshmallows or 48 regular jet-puffed
- 6 cups rice krispy cereal
- 3 candy canes or about 15 peppermint candies, crushed
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- festive sprinkles
Instructions
- Butter a 9x13, 9x9 or 8x8 baking dish and set to the side. Crush candy canes or peppermint candies and set to the side.
- Heat butter in a pot over medium/ medium low heat. Once the butter has melted add the marshmallows. Stirring occasionally, keep the marshmallows from sticking and help them heat evenly.
- Once the marshmallows are melted, remove from heat and pour in the crushed candy canes and Rice Krispies cereal. Stir with a spatula until almost combined. Wait 2-4 minutes until they have cooled a bit, then stir in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles. See photos above for a visual guide.
- Pour mixture into buttered baking dish and press lightly. Do not pack in, or Rice Krispie treats will be dense instead of light. Allow to cool then remove from pan to cut into squares using a sharp knife.
Notes
- To maintain softness, wrap in saran wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Easily make these vegan by using vegan butter! They can be made gluten free by using certified gluten free crisp rice cereal
- Don't get too impatient about stirring in the sprinkles. If you don't give them a little cooling time, you'll end up with red and green streaks throughout the treats and your sprinkles won't have much pigment.
- These will stick to your pan like crazy if you don't butter it. We like the taste of a buttered pan with this recipe. We found that cooking sprays left a strange taste on the treats.
Nutrition
FAQ
That usually happens when there is too much cereal! With this recipe, we have extra mallows than usual, which makes them ooey gooey and they will NOT fall apart.
Rice Krispie Treats can be tough and chewy as they cool if they are mixed too much. Only mix until combined, being careful not to over mix!
About 1 day left open to the air. To make last longer, wrap in saran wrap then store in an airtight container. They should last about 4 days this way.
Make as usual, then stir in crushed candy cane, festive sprinkles, and white chocolate chips! You can also use some green and red frosting and pipe it on then add some sparkles on top.
Make Rice Krispie Treats as usual, but use extra marshmallows. Then stir in crushed peppermint candies, white chips and festive sprinkles.
Nicole says
We love these homemade Christmas Rice Krispie Treats. It's a great easy DIY recipe with the white chocolate flavors. Excited to try some of the other fun ideas you've suggest.