Description
If you like s’mores and rice krispie treats, you’ll flip for these easy crispy rice squares. Filled with Hershey’s chocolate bars, toasted marshmallows, and graham cracker pieces, every gooey bite tastes like a campfire s’more.
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- two 10-ounce bags (566g; 11 heaping cups) miniature marshmallows, divided
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 7 cups (190g) crispy rice cereal
- 1 and 1/2 cups graham crackers, broken into small pieces (6 graham crackers; 90g)
- 3 Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces (1 heaping cup; 129g)
Topping (optional)
- 1–2 Hershey’s milk chocolate bar(s), melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven’s broiler on high, about 5 minutes.
- Toast half the marshmallows: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of the mini marshmallows (one 10-ounce bag) in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until the marshmallows are toasted and golden-brown on top, which only takes a couple of minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment. I always use a very light mist of nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a very large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the remaining 10 ounces of (non-toasted) marshmallows. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the marshmallows are completely melted.
- Remove from heat, then immediately stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Fold in the crispy rice cereal and graham cracker pieces until mostly combined. Allow to slightly cool for a minute or two, and then fold in the chocolate and toasted marshmallows.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula (greasing it lightly helps), gently spread mixture to fit the pan. Lightly grease the back of a flat spatula and very gently press the mixture down into the pan. Do not pack it down with force, just lightly press down until it is secure in the pan.
- Allow treats to set for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 1 day. Cover tightly if leaving out for more than a few hours.
- Optional topping: Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cooled treats, if using, and place in the refrigerator for about 15–20 minutes to set the chocolate. (Not too much longer, or the treats will be too hard to cut.)
- Lift the rice krispie treats as a whole out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Cut into squares.
- Cover and store leftover treats at room temperature for up to 3 days. To store, place in an airtight container, with sheets of parchment or wax paper between layers.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Rice krispie treats aren’t the best dessert to freeze because the texture isn’t always completely the same after thawing. That being said, you can still freeze these squares. Freeze in layers between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Large Pot (such as a Dutch Oven) | Silicone Spatula | Flat Spatula
- For the pinch of salt, I add a little less than 1/8 teaspoon.
- Chocolate: Instead of Hershey’s bars in the treats, you can use chocolate chips. For the topping, you can use any milk or semi-sweet/dark chocolate.
- Recipe updated in 2024: This recipe used to call for 6 cups of crispy rice cereal, 1/4 cup butter, one 10-ounce bag of marshmallows, 1 cup of chocolate chips, and the vanilla, salt, and graham crackers as listed above. I have since increased the volume to fit a 9×13-inch baking pan, and an additional bag of marshmallows for toasting to add wonderful toasted marshmallow flavor!