Gluten-Free M&M Rice Krispie Treats

These gluten-free m&m rice krispie treats are a fun twist on the classic! Made with colorful mini m&ms and a secret ingredient, they’re as delicious as they are fun!

I LOVE a classic with a twist, and when you’re looking for a fun twist on classic Rice Krispie treats, these easy M&M Rice Krispies Treats are a great option!

These no-bake treats are just as easy to make as the original recipe, but have the fun addition of colorful M&M candies to add a fun pop of color to every bite. They look so fun on a dessert tray and are a great sweet treat to serve at movie nights and parties.

And the best part is: they’re made with a handful of simple ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. Here’s what you need to get started on this easy recipe…

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• Gluten-Free Crisp Rice Cereal. In the United States, Rice Krispies Brand cereal is NOT gluten-free, so it’s important to use gluten-free crispy rice cereal brands instead. Today we’re using Aldi’s brand.
• FRESH Marshmallows. I recommend mini marshmallows here! The fresher your marshmallows are, the better they’ll melt, so now’s not the time to use that old bag of stale marshmallows in your pantry.
• Butter. A must for soft rice krispie treats! (Vegan butter also works, if you want to keep them dairy-free!)
• Creamy Peanut Butter. My magic ingredient. Taking a note from our Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats, we add peanut butter. It keeps these easy treats soft for DAYS and complements the flavor of the m&m candies beautifully. I recommend traditional peanut butter rather than drippy natural peanut butter for the best texture. (Sometimes natural peanut butter gets greasy in a recipe like this.)
• Vanilla. This little trick adds that extra little something that keeps people coming back for more.
• Mini M&Ms. I prefer using Mini M&Ms to regular size M&M candy since they distribute more evenly and blend in better texturally.
• Salt. A tiny pinch of salt is the perfect finish. It keeps this fun dessert from being too sweet without making them taste salty.

How To Make M&M Rice Krispie Treats, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the printable recipe card below.

1. Prepare. First, add crisp rice cereal to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper. Make sure you have everything ready to go, since the recipe moves quickly once you start.
2. Set Aside 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows to stir in at the end.
3. Melt Butter & Marshmallows. Add butter and the remaining marshmallows to a large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows are melted and gooey. (Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid any scorching or sticking!)
4. Add Peanut Butter & Vanilla. Turn off the heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir quickly until smooth.

5. Pour melted marshmallow mixture over the crisp rice cereal and add reserved cup of mini marshmallows. Stir to coat the cereal evenly. (This works best with a flexible silicone or rubber spatula.) Then, add 1/2 cup mini M&Ms and gently stir to distribute. (Be gentle and add them here at the end, so you don’t melt them!)
6. Transfer the cereal mixture to the prepared pan and gently pat out into an even layer. (You don’t want to compact it too much, so it keeps a nice airy texture.) Garnish with a few flakes of flaky sea salt and a few more mini m&ms on top of the rice krispie treats, if desired. Let the rice crispy treats cool completely before you cut them into squares. Store in a bag or airtight container at room temperature 3-4 days.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best M&M Rice Krispie Treats

A Trick For Perfect Texture. My ideal M&M rice crispy treats have some softness and gooey-ness from the marshmallow mixture, but still have a light, crispy texture. My biggest tip? Don’t pack them down too tightly! Use gentle pressure to spread them into an even layer, then just leave them to cool.

Can I Make These Without Peanut Butter? Yes. If you have a peanut allergy or don’t like peanut butter, you can add m&ms to our Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats recipe instead. Keep in mind, the M&Ms will be more likely to melt in that recipe, since they don’t have the peanut butter to act as a buffer.

Extras To Try. We almost always make this colorful m&m rice krispies treats recipe exactly as written, but when you want a change of pace, you can…

• Use Sprinkles! WHY NOT? Right after you pat the cereal mixture into the pan, sprinkle the cereal treats with some colorful sprinkles for a fun touch. I like nonpareils for this job, but check out our Sprinkles 101 post to learn more about different types of sprinkles & how to use them.
• Add Peanut Butter Chips. For an even more decadent treat, you can mix in a few peanut butter chips or even butterscotch chips along with the marshmallows.

More Fun Cereal Treats To Try

Gluten-Free Scotcheroos

Gluten-Free Lucky Charms Treats

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Recipe Card

Gluten-Free M&M Rice Krispie Treats

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 9–16 Squares 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Ingredients

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• 4 cups gluten-free crisp rice cereal (NOT Rice Krispies brand!)*
• 1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows
• 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick/57 grams)
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini M&Ms
• pinch flaky salt (1/8 teaspoon)

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Instructions

1. Prepare. First, add crisp rice cereal to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper. Make sure you have everything ready to go, since the recipe moves quickly once you start.
2. Set Aside 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows to stir in at the end.
3. Melt Marshmallows & Butter. Add butter and the rest of the mini marshmallows to a large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows are melted and gooey.
4. Add Peanut Butter & Vanilla. Turn off the heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir quickly until smooth.
5. Pour melted marshmallow mixture over the crisp rice cereal and add reserved cup of mini marshmallows. Stir to coat the cereal evenly. (This works best with a flexible silicone or rubber spatula.) Then, add 1/2 cup mini M&Ms and gently stir to distribute. (Be gentle and add them here at the end, so you don’t melt them!)
6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and gently pat out into an even layer. (You don’t want to compact it too much, so it keeps a nice airy texture.) Garnish with a few flakes of flaky sea salt and a few more mini m&ms, if desired. Let the rice krispie treats cool completely before you cut them into squares. Store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature 3-4 days.

Notes

• Keep The Candy Coating From Melting. This no-bake recipe isn’t fussy at all, but you do need to follow the directions to keep the M&M candy coating from melting. First, adding the M&Ms candies LAST allows the marshmallow mixture to cool slightly. Then, stirring gently prevents you from rubbing the candy coating off onto the cereal.
• A Trick For Perfect Texture. My ideal M&M rice crispy treats have some softness and gooey-ness from the marshmallow mixture, but still have a light, crispy texture. The secret? Don’t pack them down too tightly! Use gentle pressure to spread them into an even layer, then just leave them to cool.
• Gluten-Free Crisp Rice Cereal. In the United States, Rice Krispies Brand cereal is NOT gluten-free, so it’s important to use gluten-free crispy rice cereal brands instead, like Aldi’s brand or One Degree.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 Minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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