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Nothing is better than chocolate rice krispie treats! If you love rice krispie treats, you love this twist on a classic. No oven required, ready in 10 minutes, and you only need 6 simple ingredients!
Rice krispie treats are just so nostalgic to me! These homemade chocolate rice krispie treats are gooey, delicious, and perfect for when you're short on time too!
Chocolate rice krispie squares are made with cocoa powder and chocolate chips, plus I love to sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top for an extra hit of chocolate!
If you’re looking for more of a classic rice krispie treat, then you definitely need to check out my chocolate covered rice krispie treats.
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
- You only need 6 simple ingredients to make chocolate rice krispie treats! I bet you already have everything you need in your pantry.
- These are perfect for chocolate lovers since I’ve got three different forms of chocolate in them!
- This is a simple and easy no bake recipe, so it’s perfect to make if it’s too hot to turn on the oven or you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
- These chocolate rice krispie squares hold up really well, so they are perfect to serve at parties, potlucks, or bake sales!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: you can use regular butter or vegan butter if you’re dairy-free!
- Mini Marshmallows: I prefer using mini marshmallows because they melt faster, but in a pinch, you can use regular marshmallows.
- Cocoa Powder: I used dutch process cocoa powder but feel free to swap it out for what you have in the pantry.
- Rice Krispies Cereal: you’ll find this in the cereal aisle at the grocery store!
- Toppings: I love adding a pinch of flakey sea salt, mini marshmallows or sprinkles to the top of the rice krispies treats!
Step by Step Instructions
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1: Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
Step 3: Add in the cocoa powder and stir until combined. If your cocoa powder is lumpy I recommend whisking it before adding to the pot!
Step 4: Add 6 cups of marshmallows (leave 1 cup to the side for later) and stir with the butter until the marshmallows have melted. Add in the vanilla extract and chocolate chips and give it a quick stir. We don’t need the chocolate chips to melt completely!
Step 5: Pour in the rice krispie cereal and remaining marshmallows and stir quickly until combined.
Step 6: Pour the rice krispie mixture into your prepared pan and use a greased rubber spatula or your hands to gently press down into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with some flakey sea salt, mini chocolate chips or sprinkles! Let firm up completely before removing from the pan and slicing.
FAQs and Expert Tips
You can easily make these rice krispie squares work for those with food allergies! To make them gluten free, just make sure you’re using gluten free certified marshmallows and rice krispie cereal. To make these treats dairy free, use vegan butter and dairy free chocolate chips.
You definitely can, they will take a bit longer to melt in the rice krispie mixture.
You may have pressed them too hard when you put the mixture into the pan! I recommend gently pressing the mixture in until it’s even.
Expert Tips
- You can make this in a 9x9 baking pan, but just note that the bars will be slightly thinner compared to an 8x8 baking pan.
- Don’t melt the marshmallows on too high of a heat because they can easily burn.
- If you don’t have mini marshmallows and are using large marshmallows, I recommend chopping them up before stirring them in.
- Work quickly once you’ve added the rice krispie cereal, as the mixture starts to set pretty quickly!
- Let the treats set completely before removing them and slicing them into bars, otherwise, they’ll fall apart.
- To make a big batch of these, you can double the recipe and use a 9x13 baking dish.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store the sliced bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I've also frozen them successfully in an airtight ziploc freezer bag for up to 2 months! Let thaw at room temperature.
More No Bake Recipes You'll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Video
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 8x8 square baking pan or 9x9 square baking pan
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons butter (regular or dairy free)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (regular or dairy free)
- 7 cups mini marshmallows, separated
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (regular or dairy free)
- flakey sea salt, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the cocoa powder until combined (use a whisk if your cocoa powder is clumpy).
- Add 6 cups of marshmallows (leaving one cup to the side!) and stir with the melted butter until the marshmallows have melted. Add in the vanilla extract and chocolate chips and give them a quick stir (no need to melt the chocolate chips completely).
- Add in the rice krispie cereal and remaining cup of marshmallows. Stir quickly until combined.
- Pour the rice krispie mixture into your lined pan and use a greased spatula or your hands to gently press the mixture down into an even layer. Sprinkle with sea salt, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
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