Description
Create festive and fun Monster Rice Krispies Treats, perfect for Halloween parties! This giant layered recipe features classic gooey marshmallow and crispy rice cereal treats with colorful Halloween-themed layers, chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, and playful decorations like candy eyeballs and candy corn.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 (10 ounce) package marshmallows (mini marshmallows work best)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or your favorite rice cereal)
Toppings and Mix-ins
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 1/2 cup pretzels, roughly crushed
- 1/4 cup candy corn (optional)
Decorations and Coloring
- Green food coloring (gel or liquid)
- Red food coloring (gel or liquid)
- Black food coloring (gel or liquid)
- Miniature marshmallows for decoration (optional)
- Candy eyeballs (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan generously with butter or cooking spray to prevent the treats from sticking.
- Melt Butter: In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter slowly to avoid burning.
- Add and Melt Marshmallows: Add marshmallows to the melted butter and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.
- Add Vanilla: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract to add depth of flavor.
- Mix in Cereal: Gently fold in the Rice Krispies cereal until evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture.
- Create Base Layer: Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to form the base layer.
- Add Chocolate Layer: Melt the chocolate chips using a microwave or double boiler, then spread the melted chocolate evenly over the first Rice Krispies layer.
- Layer Peanut Butter: Spread the peanut butter over the chocolate layer, creating a smooth and creamy next layer.
- Add Pretzels: Sprinkle the roughly crushed pretzels evenly across the peanut butter layer for crunch and flavor contrast.
- Divide Remaining Mixture: Divide the remaining half of the Rice Krispies mixture into three separate portions for coloring.
- Color the Portions: Add green food coloring to one portion, red to another, and black to the last portion, mixing thoroughly to distribute color.
- Layer Green Portion: Spread the green-colored Rice Krispies mixture evenly over the pretzels layer.
- Create Mouth with Red Portion: Use the red mixture to form the shape of a mouth on top of the green layer.
- Create Eyes with Black Portion: Shape the black mixture to create eyes on the monster treat.
- Add Candy Corn: Optionally, place candy corn around the edges to enhance the Halloween theme.
- Decorate: Optionally, add miniature marshmallows and candy eyeballs to decorate the monster’s face and add character.
- Press Layers: Gently press down on the top colored layers to ensure all layers stick together firmly.
- Cool: Let the entire treat cool completely at room temperature to set the layers.
- Serve: Cut into squares and serve at your Halloween celebration for a spooky candy treat everyone will love.
Notes
- Use gelatin-free marshmallows if you need to keep the recipe vegetarian.
- For easier cutting, let the treats chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes after cooling at room temperature.
- You can substitute peanut butter with almond butter for a different flavor or to accommodate peanut allergies.
- If you don’t have all the food coloring, you can use only one or two colors and still create a fun monster effect.
- Be careful not to overheat the marshmallows to avoid burning them.
- These treats are best eaten within 3 days for optimal freshness.
