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Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats are everything you love about classic rice krispies – but shaped into a Christmas tree and decorated for the holidays! Gooey marshmallows, butter, crispy rice cereal, and tree decorations like melted chocolate and candies. You seriously cannot go wrong with this easy Christmas treat recipe.
Want more cute & festive Christmas tree treats🎄Make these Christmas Tree Cookie Cups and Christmas Tree Brownies.
Christmas Rice Krispies Shaped Like A Christmas Tree
Simple Ingredients Needed
- Butter : I prefer using salted butter when baking and making treats, but unsalted butter can work just as well if that’s what you prefer.
- Mini Marshmallows : One 10-ounce bag or 6 cups is what you’ll need.
- Vanilla Extract
- Green Gel Food Coloring : It’s best to use gel food coloring because the color is more concentrated, which means you don’t need as much of it.
- Rice Krispies Cereal
- White Chocolate Chips, White Almond Bark, or White Melting Wafers : This creates the ribbon decoration on the tree.
- Mini M&M’s : These are the ornaments on the tree.
- Star Shaped Sprinkles : Every Christmas tree needs a star on top🌟
How To Make Rice Krispies For Christmas (Printable Recipe Card)
Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large pot, over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Once the butter is melted add in the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until they’re completely smooth and melted.
Remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract and a 2-3 drops of the green gel food coloring (or more as needed). Stir until the color is even.
Add in the Rice Krispies cereal and stir until the the cereal is coated well and combined thoroughly.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down very gently, with a light hand, into an even layer. Use wax paper or lightly spray your clean hands with nonstick cooking spray. Don’t press too hard or your trees will end up tough and dry.
Allow the Rice Krispies to set slightly and cool, at room temperature, for 20 minutes.
Once set, lift the treats out of the pan, use a sharp knife to cut into long rectangles first and then slice each rectangle diagonally to form a tree/triangle shape.
Melt the white chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave, in 20-second bursts, stirring well after each one until melted and completely smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag or Ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe the tree garland across each Christmas tree.
While the chocolate is still wet, place a star at the top of each tree, and add mini M&M’s as ornaments to decorate the trees.
Let the chocolate set and harden completely before serving or storing. Enjoy!
How To Store Rice Krispie Treats
Once decorated and set, store the Christmas tree rice krispies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.
Rice Krispie treats are best made and served the day they’re made, however, if you want to make them ahead of time you can – just make sure the chocolate is set and then store them at room temperature, covered tightly with a lid or plastic wrap.
Or if you are throwing a party and want to decorate the krispie treats at the party, prepare the Christmas tree krispie treats and store them covered. They lay out the decorations and melted chocolate for everyone to decorate their own tree with.
Substitutions & Ingredient Notes
- Butter : Salted butter or unsalted butter works just fine, whichever you prefer.
- Mini Marshmallows : If you are using a larger bag of marshmallows then you’ll need 6 cups or the 10 ounce bag called for in the recipe.
- White Chocolate Chips : Any white chocolate or vanilla meltable chocolate will work fine; almond bark, melting wafers, candy melts, white chocolate bar, baking bar, etc.
- Mini M&M’s : Any small shaped candy works well such as Sixlets or mini skittles, etc.
- Star Shaped Sprinkles : If you can’t find these then try just placing a yellow mini m&m at the top of the tree instead.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- Make sure you are using gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring will dilute the color (because it’s not as concentrated as gel), and you won’t get that bold Christmas tree green color.
- If your marshmallows are old or stale, they won’t melt as nicely and smooth. Fresh, newly bought marshmallows are best to use when making Rice Krispie treats.
- Lightly greasing your hands or spatula, or wax paper, helps keep the cereal mixture from sticking to you or the spatula when you’re pressing it into the pan.
- Do not compact and tightly push down on the Krispie treats when you’re pressing them into the pan. Be very gentle, a light touch, while pressing them into an even layer inside the pan.
- For added decoration add a sprinkle of festive Christmas sprinkles over top the wet white chocolate garland.
Christmas Tree Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- green gel food coloring
- 9 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 cup white chocolate chips OR white melting wafers
- mini m&m's
- star-shaped sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.*I recommend lining with parchment paper and leaving an overhang, so it's easier to lift the treats out to cut them into the tree shape.
- In a large pot, over medium-low heat, melt the butter.4 tablespoons butter
- Once the butter is melted add in the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until they're completely smooth and melted.1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows
- Remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract and a 2-3 drops of the green gel food coloring (or more as needed). Stir until the color is even.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, green gel food coloring
- Add in the Rice Krispies cereal and stir until the cereal is coated well and combined thoroughly.9 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down very gently, with a light hand, into an even layer. Use wax paper or lightly spray your clean hands with nonstick cooking spray. Don't press too hard or your trees will end up tough and dry.
- Allow the Rice Krispies to set slightly and cool, at room temperature, for 20 minutes.
- Lift the treats out of the pan, use a sharp knife to cut into two long rectangles first, and then slice each rectangle diagonally (6 triangles per rectangle shape) to form a tree/triangle shape.
- Melt the white chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave, in 20-second bursts, stirring well after each one until melted and completely smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag or Ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe the tree garland across each Christmas tree.1 cup white chocolate chips OR white melting wafers
- While the chocolate is still wet, place a star at the top of each tree, and add mini M&M's as ornaments to decorate the trees.mini m&m's, star-shaped sprinkles
- Let the chocolate set and harden completely before serving or storing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you are using gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring will dilute the color (because it’s not as concentrated as gel), and you won’t get that bold Christmas tree green color.
- If your marshmallows are old or stale, they won’t melt as nicely and smooth. Fresh, newly bought marshmallows are best to use when making Rice Krispie treats.
- Lightly greasing your hands or spatula, or wax paper, helps keep the cereal mixture from sticking to you or the spatula when you’re pressing it into the pan.
- Do not compact and tightly push down on the Krispie treats when you’re pressing them into the pan. Be very gentle, a light touch, while pressing them into an even layer inside the pan.
- For added decoration add a sprinkle of festive Christmas sprinkles over top the wet white chocolate garland.
Nutrition
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