These Rice Krispie Treats are gooey, soft, stretchy and super flavorful! I provide the perfect tips and tricks to getting the perfect result. You’ll have friends and family coming back for more! 

You may not be a big Rice Krispies fan, but I promise you will be after making this recipe! And when you become a fan, you’ll definitely want to try my M&M Rice Krispie Treats, Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats, Fruity Pebble Treats, S’mores Rice Krispies and Scotcharoos recipes!

A stack of Rice Krispies Treats against a white background.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Includes a secret ingredient. The secret ingredient in this recipe is the salt! Does that surprise you? You know I love salt! But it really is the game changer in these treats. I’ve had far too many bland experiences with Rice Krispies, so I wanted to have a recipe that provided lots of flavor. Hence, the salt!
  • Ultra soft and gooey! Hard, dry and firm anyone? No way! We want ultra gooey, soft, and delicious! Well, that’s what you get with these treats. They are soft and have delicious pockets of gooey melted marshmallows. The trick to getting these soft is to not pack the pan! See my tips below for more details.  

Ingredient Notes

Rice Krispies Treats ingredients in glass bowls on a white textured background.
  • Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand. Just reduce the amount of salt you add to the mixture by 1/2. 
  • Mini Marshmallows: I prefer using mini marshmallows over big marshmallows because the mini ones melt easier, quicker and disperse through the mixture better. 
  • Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is a bigger salt crystal than table salt. If you are using table salt, reduce the amount by 1/3. The addition of salt is crucial because it helps elevate the flavors so the soft Rice Krispie Treats aren’t bland.
  • Vanilla Extract: The vanilla extract helps not only balance the flavor but adds to it so there is more than just the marshmallow flavor. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Prepare the pan. Line a 9×9-inch or 8×8-inch (depending on how thick you want the bars) pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. 
  2. Make the marshmallow mixture. Melt the butter and 8 cups of mini marshmallows in a large pot over medium-low heat. Then stir in the kosher salt and vanilla extract. 
  3. Add the cereal. Gently stir in the Rice Krispy cereal. Mix until the cereal is completely coated in the marshmallow mixture.
  1. Add additional marshmallows. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of mini mallows until incorporated. 
Gooey Rice Krispie Treats mixture in a pot.
  1. Spoon the mixture into the pan. It’s very important to gently place the mixture into the pan. Gently spread the mixture into the corners, but do not pack the mixture into the pan or press down. See tips below. 
  2. Let set and serve! Let the Rice Krispie Treats set for about 30 minutes. Lift the foil from the pan and cut into squares.
Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats pressed into a foil lined square pan against a white background.

Recipe Tips

Spray a spatula, wooden spoon or your hands with nonstick spray to prevent the mixture from sticking.If you are using your hands, be careful as the mixture will be warm! You can also use a sheet of wax paper as a barrier to the sticky Rice Krispie mixture. 

Don’t press the mixture firmly into the pan. Your gooey Rice Krispie Treats will no longer be gooey if you do! They’ll get hard and dry if you pack them into the pan. You want them to be light and gooey, so keep a soft touch when putting them in the pan. 

The secret ingredients to this recipe are the kosher salt and the splash of vanilla extract. They make a world of difference!

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziplock bag (with the air pushed out of it) for 3-5 days to prevent the treats from drying out. 

If making ahead of time, just be sure to store the treats in something you can get airtight! They’ll keep for a few days, so you can definitely make these treats a day or two in advance. 

Don’t store them in the fridge or else they will go hard and won’t soften back up at room temperature. (Same with freezing!)

Close up photo of Rice Krispies Treats cut into squares.

FAQs

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?  

I use unsalted because we’ll be adding some kosher salt to the recipe. However, salted will work fine and you shouldn’t have to make any changes to the recipe. If you want to, you can reduce the amount of kosher salt by a pinch.

Can I use table salt rather than kosher salt? 

Yes you can. Kosher salt is a coarser salt so you’ll need to adjust the measurement. Just be sure to reduce the amount by 1/3. 

Why are my Rice Krispie Treats hard?

If your treats are hard, it could be that the cereal and/or marshmallows were stale, the marshmallow mixture was over cooked or the treats were packed into the pan. Check the expiration dates on your marshmallows and cereal to make sure they aren’t stale! I also recommend the mini marshmallows so the mixture isn’t on the stove as long. Big marshmallows take longer to melt so it can be at greater risk of over cooking. 

What size pan do I use for Rice Krispie Treats? 

The bigger your pan, the thinner the treats will be. Keep that in mind when picking your pan. I use an 8×8-inch pan.

What size marshmallows do you use?

I use the mini marshmallows! I like them because they disperse through the treats easily and melt quicker. Plus we have some mini marshmallows we put into the mixture at the end so you get deliciously gooey pockets of mallows in every bite! 

Two hands pulling a homemade Rice Krispies Treats apart.

More Delicious Treats

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Two hands pulling a homemade Rice Krispies Treats apart.
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5 from 3 votes

Rice Krispie Treats

These Rice Krispie Treats have FLAVOR! And not only that, they are ultra gooey, soft, and stretchy!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Line a 9"x9" or 8"x8" inch pan with foil, spray with cooking spray, set aside. 
  • In a large pot over medium-low to low heat, melt the butter and 8 cups of the marshmallows. Once the marshmallows have just melted, stir in the salt and vanilla. 
  • Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the rice Krispy cereal. Mix until the cereal is completely coated in the marshmallow mixture.
  • Stir in the remaining 2 cups of mini mallows.
  • Spoon the rice Krispy mixture into the lined pan. Press the mixture into the pan (don’t press too hard.. you don’t want it *too* compact).
  • Let set for 30 minutes-60 minutes. 
  • When ready to serve, lift the foil from the pan and cut into squares. 
  • Store at room temperature, covered or in an airtight container for 3-5 days. 

Notes

Spray a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hands with nonstick cooking spray prior to pressing the gooey mixture into the pan. It will prevent it from sticking. 
Don’t press the mixture firmly into the pan. They’ll get hard and dry if you do. You want them to be light and gooey, so keep a soft touch when putting them in the pan. 
Store at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziplock bag (with the air pushed out of it) for 3-5 days to prevent the treats from drying out. 
Don’t store them in the fridge or else they will go hard and won’t soften back up at room temperature. (Same with freezing!)

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 61g (20%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 5g (25%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mg (7%)Sodium: 273mg (11%)Potassium: 29mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 34g (38%)Vitamin A: 1475IU (30%)Vitamin C: 12mg (15%)Calcium: 5mg (1%)Iron: 6mg (33%)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating and review on the blog post letting me know how you liked this recipe! Take a picture and tag @saltandbaker on Instagram and Facebook so I can see what you’re making!

This recipe was originally published on May 25, 2020. It was republished on March 4, 2022, to include additional information and photos.