Ingredients
Scale
- 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)
Instructions
- 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.
- Set Aside 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows to stir in at the end.
- 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.
- Add Peanut Butter & Vanilla. Turn off the heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir quickly until smooth.
- 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!)
- 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
