Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
Strawberry Rice Krispie treats are soft and gooey, loaded with marshmallows and bold strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries. A berry delicious twist on a classic treat!
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Crisp rice cereal is coated in gooey marshmallows with pieces of freeze-dried strawberry for the best, bold strawberry flavor in these Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats. Who doesn’t love a fun rice krispie treat flavor?! I’ve had a bit of a freeze-dried berry obsession lately and can’t get enough of adding them to all the sweet treats. I love the bold, natural flavor the freeze-dried strawberries add to these krispie treats and you can’t beat that bright, beautiful color they add.
If you want even more ooey-gooey krispie treats, be sure to check out my Lucky Charms Krispie Treats, Reese’s Pieces Krispie Treats, and a summer staple, S’mores Krispie Treats!
Ingredient Notes
Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter so you can control how much salt you’re adding in. You’ll need one stick of butter (4 ounces).
Marshmallows: I like using mini marshmallows because they melt a little quicker, but jumbo marshmallows would also work. Be sure to use fresh marshmallows because I’ve found that older ones (somehow I always seem to have a bag of old, stuck-together marshmallows in the pantry) don’t melt well.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These give the treats their bold, real strawberry flavor without adding any moisture like jam or fresh or frozen strawberries would do. I like to crush a few extras and add them on top, like strawberry sprinkles.
Rice Cereal: The rice cereal is a staple in this recipe. You can use the store brand or name brand – whichever you prefer.
Vanilla & Salt: Vanilla for extra flavor and a little bit of salt goes a long way to offset the sweetness of these treats!
See the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below!
How to Make Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
Melt the Butter
Start with a large pot, big enough to fit all the marshmallows and 6 cups of cereal, plus room to stir it all together. The butter is added to the pot and melted over medium-low heat.
Melt the Marshmallows
Once the butter is melted, the heat gets turned off and 16 ounces of mini marshmallows are stirred in. The heat from the butter and the pan should be enough to melt the marshmallows by stirring vigorously. The marshmallows can be gently heated on low if they aren’t fully melting but be careful not to overheat them.
Mix in the strawberries and cereal
Next, the crushed freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla, and salt are stirred into the melted marshmallows. Rice cereal is stirred into the marshmallow mixture until mostly coated followed by 4 more ounces of mini marshmallows. These should stay whole and not dissolve into the mixture, so you get a mix of melty and whole marshmallows.
Press into pan
The krispie mixture gets poured into a greased pan (no parchment paper needed) and pressed down gently. Using a rubber spatula or piece of parchment sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray helps to keep the marshmallow from sticking. Add more crushed freeze-dried strawberries and gently press them into the top. Then the treats need to cool.
Cut and enjoy!
After the treats have had time to cool and set, they are cut into pieces with a sharp knife and are ready to enjoy!
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
Krispie Treat FAQs
What Is The Best Way To Store Krispie Treats?
Store the rice krispie treats in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze the treats?
Yes, rice krispie treats freeze great! Store in a zip-top bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature overnight.
Do I Need To Use Parchment In The Pan?
No, I’ve found that greasing the bottom and sides of the pan well is all you need. I’ve also found that the parchment just makes it more difficult with the sticky marshmallows. Once the treats have cooled, run a knife or metal offset spatula around the edges then flip the pan upside down and tap firmly on a hard surface to release the treats.
What if my marshmallows aren’t melting?
I recommend turning off the heat after the butter is melted and then allowing the heat from the butter and the pot to melt the marshmallows. Constantly stirring will help melt the marshmallows too. If you still have trouble getting them to melt fully, turn the heat on very low heat while continually stirring. Just be careful not to overheat the marshmallows.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Krispie Treats
- Crush the strawberries. Place the freeze-dried raspberries in a zip-top bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to crush the berries. You can grind them in a food processor instead but I find that this makes them into a very fine powder and I prefer the coarser texture you get when they’re crushed.
- Don’t overheat the marshmallows. I’ve made this mistake more times than I’d like to admit but don’t make the same mistake! If the marshmallows get too hot, they will become a thick and rubbery blob that will not mix with the cereal. Turn the heat off after the butter has melted and the marshmallows should melt just from the residual heat. Keep stirring until they are all fully melted.
- Work quickly. The melted marshmallow mixture is super sticky and sets up fast so it gets more difficult to work with as it cools down. Be sure to get the cereal mixed in as soon as the marshmallows are melted and work quickly to get it all in the pan and pressed down evenly before it hardens too much.
- Press the treats down lightly. When filling the pan and pressing the treats down to get an even layer, don’t use too much pressure. The more you compress the krispie treat mixture, the more dense the texture will become. For a lighter and chewier treat, gently press the treats into the pan. Lightly grease your spatula to help move the mixture around more easily.
More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love
- Strawberry Lemonade Cookies
- Strawberry Buttercream
- Strawberry Yuzu Pound Cake
- Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 2 cups (44g) freeze-dried strawberries, plus more for topping
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter
- 20 oz mini marshmallows, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups (160g) rice cereal
Instructions
- Grease a 9” x 9” square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Crush or roughly chop the freeze-dried strawberries and set aside.
- In a large pot, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat and add 16 ounces of marshmallows to the pot, reserving the remaining 4 ounces. Stir until the marshmallows have completely melted.
- Add the crushed freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla, and salt and mix until combined.
- Add the cereal to the marshmallow mixture and mix until the cereal is almost completely coated. Add in the 4 ounces of remaining marshmallows. Stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Pour the krispie treat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mixture out evenly and press down lightly, using a greased rubber spatula or piece of parchment paper, to even out the top. Press the additional freeze-dried strawberries into the top.
- Allow the rice krispie treats to cool completely, then remove from the pan, cut into squares, and enjoy!
