Description
These Christmas Tree Rice Krispies Treats are a festive and fun holiday dessert that’s perfect for parties and family gatherings. Made with classic crispy rice cereal and melted marshmallows tinted green to resemble Christmas trees, these treats are shaped into cones and beautifully decorated with red sprinkles, star candies, and miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups acting as tree trunks. Easy to make and visually delightful, they bring a playful holiday spirit to any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp (42g) salted butter, diced into 1-Tbsp pieces
- 1 (10 oz) bag mini marshmallows
- Green gel food coloring (such as Wilton brand)
- 6 cups (170g) Rice Krispies cereal
Decorations
- White decorating icing (store-bought)
- 16 miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups, unwrapped
- Round red sprinkles
- 16 star sprinkles or yellow mini M&Ms
Instructions
- Melt Butter: Melt the diced butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until fully liquid but not browned, which helps create a smooth marshmallow mix.
- Add Marshmallows and Color: Stir in the mini marshmallows continuously until they completely melt into a gooey, smooth mixture. Add green gel food coloring a few drops at a time, stirring until you achieve your desired shade of green resembling a Christmas tree.
- Mix in Rice Krispies Cereal: Remove the saucepan from heat and immediately fold in the Rice Krispies cereal, stirring gently but thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated with the green marshmallow mixture. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes to make shaping easier and prevent burns.
- Shape Trees: Lightly spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Take about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture and firmly press and shape it into cone shapes to simulate Christmas trees. Press firmly so the cones hold their shape without crumbling.
- Decorate: Use the white decorating icing as glue to attach round red sprinkles like ornaments and star sprinkles or yellow mini M&Ms as tree toppers onto each cone. Also, pipe some icing on the base of each tree and press a miniature Reese’s peanut butter cup underneath to form the tree trunk.
- Set and Serve: You can enjoy your Christmas tree treats immediately or allow the icing to harden overnight to help decorations set firmly. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh.
- Recipe Source: Adapted from Family Circle.
Notes
- Spray your hands well with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the mixture from sticking while shaping.
- If you prefer sturdy decorations, let the icing harden overnight before serving.
- For allergy-friendly alternatives, substitute Reese’s cups with similar nut-free candies.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning the marshmallow mixture.
- Store the treats in an airtight container for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 treat
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
