Quick and easy to make, Rice Krispie treats are a holiday staple. Kids will love making these Festive Rice Krispie Christmas Trees. Instead of traditional squares, we show you how to make them in Christmas Tree shapes topped with green icing and red, green, and white sprinkles. Rice Krispie Christmas Trees are a wonderful addition to any Christmas dessert platter.
When I think of childhood Christmas fun, I remember making Rice Krispie Christmas Treats with my mama! Not only are they simple to make Christmas treats, but they are also a festive and delicious way to create memories with your kiddos. Bonus, kids feel so proud to share their creations with their friends! Add them to a cookie platter or serve them as a stand-alone dessert.
Make these Rice Krispie Christmas Trees if you are looking for a simple and ridiculously yummy holiday treat for your next Christmas gathering!
Ingredients for Rice Krispy Christmas Trees:
Butter – Use real, salted butter to give your treats the buttery-richness that keeps friends going back for more! If you only have unsalted butter, that’s fine. Just add a pinch of real salt while the butter is melting.
Jumbo marshmallows – Leftover roaster marshmallows from your last bonfire make deliciously chewy Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats! Cook them on medium-low and stir frequently. They take a bit longer to melt down than large or mini marshmallows.
Crispy Rice cereal – Rice Krispies Cereal (name brand) or generic. Baker’s choice!
Green Melting Chips – This is how we take it up a notch! Sweet drizzles turn a traditional Rice Krispie Treat into a festive, fun Christmas tree!
Red, Green, and White Sprinkles – Decorate your trees. Star sprinkles would also add a bit of magic to your treats!
How To Make Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
Step 1:
- Melt butter in a medium to a large saucepan or large pot over low to medium heat. Next, add the marshmallows. Stir until the mixture is melted.
Step 2:
- Place Rice Krispies in a microwave-safe bowl. Remove the melted butter and marshmallow mixture from the stove and pour over the Rice Krispies.
Tip: Keep in mind that microwave cooking time may vary.
Step 3:
- Stir gently until the marshmallow mixture evenly coats the cereal.
TIP: Stirring at this step may be a bit more like folding the Rice Krispies into the marshmallow mixture.
Step 4:
- Transfer the marshmallow and cereal mixture to a greased baking sheet. In an even layer, press the cereal mixture on the baking dish. Allow them to cool completely.
TIP: To keep the rice Krispies from sticking to your hands when pressing them on the baking pan, lightly spray your hands with cooking spray or butter. If you don’t want to get your hands greasy, wax paper works great. Place a sheet of it under your hands while pressing them on the baking sheet.
Step 5:
- Use a Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter to create your treats! It may be easier to cut your shapes if you transfer the entire sheet of Rice Krispies onto a cutting board. You may need to loosen the treats with a knife or spatula.
Step 6:
- Place Rice Krispie Christmas Trees on a sheet pan you’ve covered with parchment paper.
- Melt the green melting chips in the microwave at 30-second intervals until melted. You can also use a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl over a pot of water to melt the chips.
- Place the melted chocolate in a frosting or Ziploc bag and snip a hole at the end. Drizzle a generous amount of melted chocolate horizontally over each cereal treat, then allow it to cool.
TIP: Microwave settings may vary. Make sure you monitor and stir to keep the melting chips from hardening due to high heat.
Step 7:
- Apply the sprinkles for a Pinterest-worthy treat!
- Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
Can I use Puffed Rice instead of Rice Krispies?
Absolutely! Puffed rice cereal is a great gluten-free option to make gluten-free rice crispy treats.
TIP: Be sure to check the label on the package to ensure the puffed rice cereal is certified gluten-free!
Can I make Rice Krispies in the microwave?
Sure! First, make sure you use a microwave-safe bowl. I prefer to use a glass bowl. Grease with cooking spray for easy clean-up! Melt the butter and marshmallows in two 1 1/2 minute intervals on high stirring between. Remove from the microwave and Stir until smooth.
Add rice Krispies cereal, and stir until well coated. Follow the remaining instructions for your Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats!
** Keep in mind that cooking times may vary depending on microwave wattage. Make sure to keep an eye on them, so they aren’t heated for too long.
How Long Does it Take for Rice Krispies to Set?
It takes about an hour for rice crispy treats to set when left at room temperature. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can cool them in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
How to Decorate Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats:
- Grease your Christmas Tree cookie cutter with butter between every few cuts so the cookie cutter can slice cleanly through the sweet treats.
- If you’re in a pinch and don’t have a cookie cutter, spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray and shape 1/3 cup of the mixture into cones. The cone-shaped rice Krispie will resemble a Christmas tree!
- Use a frosting bag, snip off the tip, and drizzle a generous amount of melted chocolate over each cereal treat.
- Use sprinkles to your liking!
Tips for the BEST Rice Krispie Christmas Trees:
- Use real butter! Do not use margarine or other butter alternatives. I prefer salted, so I recommend adding a pinch of real salt to your melted butter if using unsalted.
- Make sure the marshmallows are fresh. Old marshmallows don’t melt nearly as well. Save the older marshmallows for hot cocoa and s’mores, and pick up a fresh bag of marshmallows for a yummy treat!
- Be careful not to overheat. It will make them stiff, hard, and challenging to work with!
- Make sure you use enough marshmallows. The more, the better the ooey-gooey goodness!
- Add Rice Krispies a cup at a time to allow the butter and marshmallow mixture to coat the cereal evenly.
- Resist over-stirring the cereal once it’s added to the marshmallows. You want to fold the rice Krispies into the marshmallow mixture until fully coated. The crispy cereal is delicate, and over-stirring can break the cereal pieces.
- Cook on low heat. I know you’re eager to taste-test the mixture, but high heat will make the treats rock hard!
- No need to “firmly” pack the rice Krispy mixture! Using your fingertips, GENTLY press them in until they are spread out. If you pack them in firmly, you risk breaking cereal pieces, flattening and hardening the mixture, and taking away from the light crunch and chewiness of the treat!
How to Keep Rice Krispies Treats Fresh?
Rice Krispies treats can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. That being said, they are best enjoyed right after they are made.
How to keep them from being sticky?
Grease the pan with non-stick spray or butter, then scoop the Rice Krispie Treat mixture into the pan. Run your hands under water to keep them from getting sticky, then gently press your treat into the pan.
How to keep Rice Krispies from Getting Hard?
High heat will cause your treats to become rock hard! Melt the butter and marshmallows over low to medium heat. This will make deliciously buttery, chewy, and crunchy treats!
Why Are My Krispie Treat Christmas Trees Rubbery?
Generally, the rubbery texture is due to adding too much butter.
Why are my Rice Krispies not Sticking Together?
This may mean your marshmallows were over-melted, or perhaps the butter you used had higher water content.
How Far in Advance can Rice Krispies be Made?
They can be made a day or two in advance, although they are definitely best immediately!
How Do You Store Christmas Rice Krispie Treats?
Make sure to store the treats at room temperature in an airtight container!
Fun Ways to Share These Holiday Rice Krispie Treats
These treats are perfect for snacking on their own or adding a festive touch to a cookie platter or charcuterie board. Kids and parents alike will love these.
Variations to this Recipe
- If you’d like a truly green Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treat, you can use green food coloring to color the entire batch! Add green gel food coloring to your melted marshmallows. Mix well before adding the rice cereal. Then follow the remaining instructions.
- Take creative liberty to add your favorite candies in place of sprinkles! For example, you can substitute the sprinkles for red and green M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces!
- You can also consider adding tree trunks, using pretzel sticks or small Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, as you’d like!
Other Christmas Rice Krispie Treat Recipes You Will Love
More Christmas Dessert Recipes:
- Easy Oreo Bark
- Fun with Kids! Easy Christmas Reminder Pretzels
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls
- Southern Buttermilk Pie Recipe
Rice Krispie Christmas Trees
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan/Pot
- Parchment Paper
- Tree Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 12 oz. jumbo marshmallows
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup green melting chips
- Red, green, and white sprinkles
- Extra butter for baking sheet
Instructions
- Measure out and prep ingredients, so you have everything ready to go!
- Prep a buttered baking sheet by lathering stick butter over the bottoms and sides or spray with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a medium to large saucepan or pot over low to medium heat.
- Once melted, add the marshmallows.
- Stir frequently until the marshmallows are completely melted and smooth.
- Place Rice Krispies in a microwave-safe bowl. Remove the melted butter and marshmallow mixture from the stove and pour over the rice Krispies.
- Fold the mixture and crispy rice cereal together until completely coated.
- Take the bowl and pour the crispy rice mixture onto the butter baking sheet.
- Butter your clean hands and gently form the rice Krispies into the baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Use a Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter to forcefully press into slightly hardened rice Krispies. It may be easier to cut your shapes if you transfer the entire sheet of rice Krispies onto a cutting board. You may need to loosen the treats with a knife or spatula.
- Separate the tree crispy rice treats from the excess and place them on parchment paper.
- Form the excess Krispies back into the pan to cut out more trees, or use your hands to form rice Krispie balls for you and your children to enjoy as you finish your festive treats!
- Melt the green melting chips in the microwave at 30-second intervals until melted. A double boiler is a great way to melt the candy coating if you'd rather melt them on the stove. Place approx 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pot, then place a heat-safe bowl on top with the melting wafers. Stir until melted on low heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the melting wafers if the candy coating gets too thick or begins to thicken when melting.
- Transfer into a piping bag or Ziploc bag, then snip a hole at the end.
- Horizontally drizzle each rice Krispy treat with the melted green candy coating and top with red, green, and white sprinkles. Stand back and admire your creation!
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the candy coating to harden. Once the chocolate has hardened, plate your treats and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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- Barbara’s Organic Brown Rice Crisps Cereal
- One Degree Brown Rice Crisps Cereal
- Nature’s Path Crispy Rice Cereal
- Aldi Crispy Rice
Nutrition
