Description
These festive Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins are a fun and easy no-bake treat perfect for autumn celebrations and Halloween. Made by coloring classic Rice Krispie treats orange with food coloring and topped with Mini Rolos and green M&M’s to resemble pumpkin stems and leaves, they delight both kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1 bag large marshmallows (approximately 40 marshmallows)
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- Red & Yellow Liquid Food Coloring
- 1/4 cup cooking oil or melted butter (for coating hands)
Decorations
- Mini Rolos (for pumpkin stems)
- Green M&M’s (for pumpkin leaves)
Instructions
- Melt Butter: In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat, ensuring it does not brown or burn.
- Add Marshmallows: Add the large marshmallows to the melted butter and stir continuously until the marshmallows are completely melted and fully combined with the butter, creating a smooth mixture.
- Color Mixture: Remove the pot from heat. Add several drops of yellow food coloring and mix well. Then, add red food coloring one drop at a time, mixing after each addition until you achieve the desired orange color (approximately 12 drops yellow and 4 drops red for a vibrant pumpkin hue).
- Combine Cereal: Add the Rice Krispies cereal to the colored marshmallow mixture, stirring thoroughly to coat all the cereal evenly.
- Shape Pumpkins: Coat both hands generously with cooking oil or melted butter to prevent sticking. Roll portions of the mixture into small balls to form pumpkin shapes, placing each ball on parchment paper. Reapply oil or butter to your hands as needed after shaping each pumpkin.
- Add Toppings: While the balls are still warm, gently press a Mini Rolo on top of each as the pumpkin stem, and place a green M&M next to it to resemble the leaf. If the treats cool before decorating, create a small indentation in the top of the pumpkin using the end of a thick marker or an apple corer to hold the chocolates in place.
- Cool and Set: Allow the Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins to cool completely until firm before serving or storing.
Notes
- Use gloves or coat hands liberally with oil/butter to prevent the sticky mixture from clinging to your fingers.
- The color intensity can be adjusted by varying the amounts of red and yellow food coloring.
- If the pumpkins harden before decorating, slightly warm them or make indents to help the toppings stick.
- Store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- You can substitute Mini Rolos with small caramel candies and green M&M’s with green licorice pieces if preferred.
