If you want the perfect treat to surprise your kids, or you simply have a sweet tooth, knowing how to make rice crispy treats will come in very handy. Crispy treats make delicious, quick snacks. They are also quite easy to make, needing only a few ingredients. All you have to do is grab a box of cereal, a few marshmallows and butter to start baking.
How to Make Rice Crispy Treats at Home
There are a few methods you can use to make rice crispy treats. You can also choose your brand of rice cereal, flavoring and gluten-free ingredients.
The Original Recipe
If you’ve never made rice crispy treats before, using the original recipe is best. It is basic, easy and time-saving. To prepare, you need 6 cups of rice cereal, 4 cups of small marshmallows and 3 tablespoons of margarine.
Step 1: Line a baking tray with parchment. If you don’t have any, use cooking spray.
Step 2: In a large saucepan, heat margarine on low heat until it melts. Add marshmallows and melt them together with margarine. Mix well.
Step 3: Remove pan from heat and stir in rice cereal. Make sure cereal is coated with margarine/marshmallow mixture.
Step 4: Pour the crispy mixture into the baking tray and spread evenly. Use spatula or hands to even out.
Step 5: Set aside to cool completely. Cut the cooled mixture into squares. Serve and enjoy.
How to Make Rice Crispy Treats with Flavoring
You can add many more items to boost the flavor of your crispy treats. Flavoring should ideally be added when melting butter. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, chocolate chips, nuts, fruit pieces or raisins to make treats tastier.
How to Make Rice Crispy Treats without Marshmallows
With sweet treats like these, it is always a good idea to try and make the healthiest version possible. Because marshmallows have high sugar content, the best substitute is corn syrup. You can follow the original recipe but instead of melting marshmallows into butter, you stir in corn syrup. Use ¼ cup of syrup for every 2 cups of cereal.
Another health tip is to use gluten-free rice cereal. Make sure the label reads “gluten-free” and that cereal is not cross-contaminated. You should also consider replacing sugar-loaded flavoring with fruit, nuts and even dark chocolate.
Cooking Tips
Although learning how to make rice crispy treats sounds incredibly easy, it’s possible to make mistakes. One of the most common errors people make is melting ingredients on high heat. Ingredients should always be melted at low heat. It might take longer for them to melt but it prevents burning. Another great trick is to make sure marshmallows are completely melted in margarine/butter before adding any kind of flavoring.
Rice crispy treats make excellent in-between-meals snacks for both kids and adults. You can reduce calories and sugar content by opting for gluten-free cereal and corn syrup instead of marshmallows. Ensure that ingredients are cooking on low heat, stir constantly and feel free to experiment with flavors. Rice Crispy make a good snack or dessert.
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