For holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, or any other special occasion, you can never go wrong with the rice Krispie treats recipe. They are a perfect blend of the right amount of crispy rice cereal, marshmallows, and creamy butter.
Rice Krispie treats were made for the first time in 1939 by Mildred Day and Melitta Jensen at the Kellogg’s fundraiser ever since, this dish has remained a favorite among all generations of Americans.
So did we find the best and winning recipe for Rice Krispie treats? Very simple. We held a blind tasting of several popular versions of this recipe and picked the one that got the most votes. The test was conducted among 22 dessert lovers with 22 different versions of the Rice Krispie treat recipe. And let me tell you, it is soo easy to find 22 people to try these delicates.
Apart from being delicious and satisfying, the other reasons that make them a hit among Americans are that it is the easiest and quickest treats you can whip up in less time. You need only three readily available ingredients to make this treat, and the ingredients are also inexpensive.
We also found out that people of all ages relish this confection. Sometimes when you are unsure what to bring to a party, I say just go with Rice Krispie treats because you will most likely return home with an empty container.
As a kid, this is the first dish that I learned how to make. And since then, I have made them a crazy number of times. Now my kids are learning how to make them.
I was all over the place trying to get my hands on the best recipe, and my search finally did pay off. You may wonder how a dish that uses only three simple ingredients can have so many versions. The recipes differ in terms of ingredient ratios. If you get the measurements right, you will come up with a rice Krispie with the right amount of gooeyness, perfect crispiness, and a delightful buttery and creamy marshmallow flavor.
There is nothing like a lousy Rice Krispie treat. Each version had only subtle taste differences, and our taste testers agreed with us. Some recipes were definitely better than others, and the secret was in getting the ratios right.
The recipe is extremely simple:
Although the basic recipe sounds simple, you need to perfect all three ingredients if you want to get them right. Too much cereal can dry the treat, and too many marshmallows will make it sticky and too sweet. And if there isn’t enough butter, you will end up with a bland treat.
And after days of hard work, we finally found the correct ratio of ingredients.
Initially, we started off with six different versions of the recipe, each one of them with differing amounts of the three ingredients. But the recipes used the same brand of cereal, marshmallows, and butter. The pans used were also different. Some recipes called for using an 8 – inch by 8 – inch pan, while others used a 9 – inch by 13 – inch pan. To get unbiased reviews, we did not reveal the recipes to the testers.
Before we reveal the best recipe, take a look at the first six versions that we tried:
16 ounces of marshmallows, 7 cups of Rice Krispies Cereal and 6 tablespoons of butter in a 9″X13″ pan. This ratio was voted the best. Tasters loved the perfect ration of chew to the crunch, the right creaminess, and the rich flavor.
Yes, we have figured out the ratios for smaller batches. To make in smaller batches, use an 8 – inch or 9 – inch square pan. For the ingredients, use a 10-ounce bag of marshmallows, 4 2/3 cup rice crispy cereal, and 4 tablespoons butter. If you can find only an 11-ounce bag of marshmallows, you can use it. There won’t be any significant difference in the taste. If you are using a 9 – inch pan, the final treats will be a little thinner than those made in an 8 – inch pan.
None of the recipes were totally bad. However, everyone expressed an opinion about each one of the recipes.
Once the perfect ratio of ingredients was determined, we tested the recipes using different brands of ingredients. So we made smaller quantities of the treats using different brands of ingredients to figure out which products made the best-tasting treats. We made them in small portions using the quantities below:
Next, we pressed the Krispies into a lasagna pan with three long sections. Each section had a removable tray which made it easy to lift the Krispies. This technique ensured that the treats were all of the same thickness. The taste difference was significant in the Krispies made with different brands of the same ingredients.
We made use of five different brands of butter, both salted and unsalted. We made two batches for all our vegan friends – one with vegan butter and the other with virgin coconut oil.
The result?
Our entire batch of 22 taste testers loved the treats made using salted butter. The taste difference between using salted and unsalted butter is quite significant. We highly recommend using salted butter for making a delicious crispy treat.
Will sprinkle some amount of salt do the trick? Nope. We tried, and it does not work. The salt does not spread evenly and causes the treats to taste too salty. Whereas when using salted butter, it makes the treat taste richer and more appetizing instead of making them taste salty.
Is there any difference between American butter and European butter? Yes, there is a huge difference between how the two taste.
Butters made in Europe must have at least 82% fat content while those made in America require to have only 80%. As you can see, the fat content difference is minimal, but if you are using American butter, it will release more water and less fat, making your treats have less flavor. But if you are using European butter, the Krispies will taste creamier and richer.
To make the different versions of Krispie treats, we used the following brands of butter:
For making vegan treats, we tried:
Our participants equally loved the Krispies made using Kroger Private Selection Creamy French Style Salted Butter, Kerry Gold Butter, and President Salted Butter. The treats made using these brands of butter had more flavor and creaminess. Treats made using the Land-O-Lakes new European Style Salted Butter made it to the fourth position; it also tasted good.
Except for one of the tasters, the rest disliked the treat made using the Kroger brand unsalted butter. The one who liked the flavor mentioned that she uses a similar tasting butter for all other dishes. So it was the familiarity that made her like this brand.
The salted butter was the most preferred. The Unsalted one didn’t impress anyone. Land-O-Lakes unsalted butter fell to the bottom right above Kroger unsalted butter. The Land-O-Lakes salted butter was somewhere in the middle of the list. But their European Style Salted Butter (new) ranked better. The Plugra salted butter, on the other hand, received mixed reviews. Three of the participants who tasted the Krispies made with Plugra Butter found it peppery, and two others felt that the flavor was a little off. On the contrary, two other tasters described the treats made with this butter as the tastiest.
To be honest, neither we nor any of the tasters enjoyed the treats made using vegan butter. The treats made using virgin coconut oil had a coconut flavor and aroma. And the tasters who liked the coconut flavor really enjoyed this version.
We made the remaining versions of Krispie treats using Kroger Private Selection French Style Butter. It is less expensive than President’s Butter and also tastes good. We highly recommend that you make your Krispie treats using this butter brand.
You don’t need to think twice, do you? Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal makes the most delicious Krispie treats. We used three different brands –
The brands of butter and marshmallows were the same. This meant that the tasters would compare only the cereals.
Let’s begin with what they liked about the rice cereal treats
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal – this was the favorite among the tasters. They commented that the toasted rice puffs remained crispy in the treats. They had the most outstanding flavor among all the other rice cereals.
Kroger brand – this came in second. Some of them found the taste bland and mentioned that the treats were slightly harder.
Target’s Market Pantry Toasted Rice cereal – this was the ultimate loser. None of the tasters liked this rice cereal’s flavor and texture. They complained that the treats bruised the roof of their mouth and that it also dug into their gums. The cereal was too hard and crunchy, and we are not big fans of its flavor either.
We also tested another brand – Walmart cereal, which seemed similar to Kroger cereal.
No, because there is gluten in Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal. However, you can use a gluten-free rice crispy cereal.
Now that we are done with the first two ingredients, let’s get into the final one – The Marshmallows. The one that won our hearts was the Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows.
Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows – we all loved the vanilla flavor of this marshmallow which was not overpowering, and neither was it too sweet. The chew was just perfect. When we pulled the marshmallows apart, we were very surprised at how gooey they were without being sticky.
Kroger Marshmallows – when it came to flavor, Kroger did a great job. But the final treats ended up being very chewy and sticky. The treats also came out looking dense. And these marshmallows were so sticky that we had a hard time blending them with the rice cereal. It was not an easy option to work with.
Dandies Marshmallows – these are vegan marshmallows, and they taste incredible. The flavor is fantastic, but on the downside, they were comparatively firmer. It took us more time to melt these marshmallows. The flavor and taste were as good as the other brands, but it is a lot of work. This is a great option if you want to make vegan Krispie treats. We used these for making our vegan treats, and these are better than the mini marshmallows. But you need to cut them into four smaller pieces because of the large size. They are also hard to mix, so you might need to use your hands to blend them in thoroughly.
Mini Marshmallows
Kellogg’s original Rice Krispie treat recipe mentions 4 cups of mini marshmallows in the 10-ounce bags. But when we measured and weighed the bag, we found that it contained almost 6 cups in the 10-ounce bags.
Once we figured out the perfect Krispie treat recipes using Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal, Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, and European-style salted butter, we wanted to try adding vanilla to see if it enhanced the flavor of the treats.
Some of them loved the idea of adding vanilla. They found both the vanilla bean paste and the pure vanilla extract made the Krispie treats more tempting and flavorsome. Some of them even ranked this sample as their absolute favorite.
On the other hand, a few others were disappointed by the addition of vanilla as they felt it overwhelmed the original flavors of the Rice Krispie treats. They were big fans of the original version and felt the vanilla ruined the Krispies.
The tasters were divided on this, and so we will offer our opinion. We felt that adding vanilla indeed changes the flavor of the original treats. But if you love vanilla flavor, you can try adding half a teaspoon of the extract or vanilla bean paste.
Ok, after hours of testing, it is time to make the best ever rice Krispie treats, so gather the ingredients and let’s start.