Fancy Rice Krispy Treats

Name: Fancy Rice Krispy Treats
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter; 15 ounces mini marshmallows - about one and a half 10 ounce bags; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup chopped walnuts (plus 1 tablespoon for the topping); 2/3 cup dried cranberries (plus 2 tablespoons for the topping); 1 teaspoon orange peel zest; 7 cups Rice Krispy cereal

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Fancy Rice Krispy Treats taste similar to an orange creamsicle and are perfect anytime you need a fast dessert or a quick after school treat. It only takes about 15 minutes to put these together. I've added chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, vanilla extract and orange zest to give them a wonderful and "fancy" touch. Everyone loves these!

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Rice Krispie treats stacked with a wedge of orange on the side.

Easy to Make

I hesitate to call this a recipe since it's SO easy and is inspired by a treat we've all made a million times. Rice Krispie Treats. But the combination of flavors in this version makes this a very special treat. It's yummy enough to serve for the holidays and best of all, these are so kid-friendly! The orange-vanilla-cranberry essence is something that's delicious all year long. Special hat tip to my son Kyle who came up with the idea to add the orange zest to this recipe. Delicious! Give it a try and be sure to rate the recipe below.

Ingredients to Have on Hand

These are the ingredients I keep in my pantry, especially during the holidays, so I can put this together quickly and be ready any time a treat is called for.

Rice Krispie Cereal

Mini-Marshmallows, 2 10 ounce bags

Walnuts

Dried Cranberries

Vanilla Extract

Mini-marshmallows and butter melting in a pot on the stove. — I prefer to use bagged marshmallows instead of jarred marshmallow cream. The mini-marshmallows melt quickly in the hot butter on the stove.

Can I substitute marshmallows for marshmallow cream?

You can. I've tried it both ways and I personally prefer the texture that comes from melting the marshmallows on the stove with the butter on low heat. But marshmallow cream, which you buy in a jar, works fine. You can substitute the mini-marshmallows in this recipe with about 10 ounces of marshmallow creme, which is about a jar and a half if you buy 7 ounce jars.

Rice Krispie square with mini-marshmallows and dried cranberries on top.

How to Store

Fancy Rice Krispie Treats stay fresh and delicious for 3-5 days at room temperature. Just cover your pan lightly with plastic wrap or remove each square and place in a zipped plastic storage bag. Use waxed paper to separate each layer. You can also freeze these treats. Just cut into squares, layer with plastic wrap or waxed paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours and enjoy.

Looking for more ideas? Here's another kid-friendly dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies these are chewy, tender and delicious... and not just for kids.