Rice Krispie Treats are one of my favorite snacks. I love that they are lower in fat than most candy and are simple to make. For the Christmas season, I dressed up the traditional treats to make them festive and fun for kids (and adults). They make an easy take to school, church, or office gathering and are sure to be a crowd pleaser. You’ll get gold star compliments and no one ever has to know that each serving costs 30-50 cents each to make.
TREETS!
I purchased my supplies at Aldi. I paid $1.87 for one box of rice cereal, $.88 for one bag of marshmallows, $.49 for one bottle of green sugar, $1 for butter, and $2.50 for one bag of Hersheys Reece’s Cups, $1 for a bag of M&M’s. My ingredients will make 10-12 trees. To double the recipe for a classroom or larger gathering, you do not need to purchase another sugar, bag of candy, or cereal, just another bag of marshmallows, another stick of butter, and a bag of M&M’s. The cost for 20-24 will be 34 cents each – A BARGAIN!
Supplies
Start by greasing a pan to use for later, keep the peanut butter cups in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use them. They are easier to use when they are cool.
Grease Pan
My recipe for Rice Krispie Treats is 5 1/2 cups of rice cereal, 3/4 stick of butter, and 6 cups of marshmallows. You may adjust this if you want more of any of the ingredients, it doesn’t have to be scientifically perfect. Melt the butter over the stove in a medium to large pot. Once the butter is melted, add marshmallow. Stir the pot – the marshmallows will stick to the sides if you don’t stir, stir, stir.
Melt Marshmallows
The melted marshmallows will begin to turn into a gel.At this stage, add the rice cereal and continue to stir.
Add Cereal
Stir until the rice and marshmallows are well blended.
Stir
For the sake of convenience and to cool the mixture faster, I pour the mixture into a pan.
Pour mixture into pan
Allow mixture to cool to the point it feels barely warm to the touch. Spread a pat of butter into both of your hands so the cereal won’t stick to your skin. Your hands will be messy so be ready…Place about 1/2 cup or less of the mixture in your hands. Begin to mold into a cone shape. Continue molding the mixture into a cone shape until it looks like this.
Mold into tree shape
Flatten the bottom of the cone and press an indention into the bottom for the peanut butter cup base.
Indent the bottom
Your “tree” will look like this when the shape is formed. Place in on a flat surface and let it cool completely.
Allow to cool
Once the tree is cool, unwrap a peanut butter cup and press gently into the indention you made earlier.
Add the peanut butter cup
Sprinkle entire tree with green colored sugar.
Sprinkle the sugar
Press red and green M&M candies into the sides of the tree. Place a yellow candy at the top for the star. Easy – you just made a Rice Krispie Treat Tree!
The final product!
One variation on the cone shape in lieu of molding the cone by hand is to use a funnel or top of a soda bottle. Grease the inside of the funnel or soda bottle top and pack the cereal into the shape. This makes a perfectly uniform cone. You will use more cereal mixture this way, but the result is very uniform.
