Crispy Treat Bar Classic (Printable Version)

A chewy, crunchy dessert bar with crispy rice cereal and melted marshmallows for easy snacking.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Base

01 - 6 cups crispy rice cereal
02 - 4 cups mini marshmallows
03 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Optional Add-ins

04 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
05 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the unsalted butter.
03 - Add mini marshmallows to the melted butter and stir continuously until smooth and fully melted.
04 - Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt if using.
05 - Fold in the crispy rice cereal until evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture.
06 - Quickly pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly with a buttered spatula or wax paper.
07 - If desired, sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and press gently into the surface.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
09 - Cut into 16 bars and serve.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • They're impossibly easy to make but taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, which is the kind of small magic that feels like winning.
  • The texture is exactly what you crave—crispy cereal giving way to gooey marshmallow in every bite, no two bars ever quite the same.
  • Everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, gravitates toward these at gatherings, and you'll have none left by the end of the afternoon.
02 -
  • Low heat when melting marshmallows is the difference between a beautiful golden mixture and a burnt, grainy disaster—I learned this the hard way and spent 20 minutes scrubbing the pan.
  • Folding instead of stirring vigorously keeps the cereal crispy rather than crushing it into dust, which changes the whole texture from light and airy to dense and heavy.
  • Cooling time cannot be rushed; bars cut while still warm will crumble, but those that cool fully slice cleanly and hold their shape.
03 -
  • Butter your spatula or the back of a spoon before pressing the mixture into the pan—it makes all the difference between a clean press and one that sticks and tears.
  • Use a fresh, sharp knife for cutting; a dull blade will compress the bars and ruin the texture, so a quick hone or swap to a serrated knife changes everything.

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