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My kids love Rice Krispie treats. They especially love it when I make these adorable and fun Pumpkin Rice Krispie treats each fall. They look like mini pumpkins with all the flavor of a traditional Krispie treat. Best of all, they are easy to make!
Now, before we get going with the recipe, I am going to let you in on a secret as to how to NOT get your hands so sticky when rolling these into little balls.
THE SECRET TO ROLLING PERFECT KRISPIE TREAT PUMPKINS
First, remove your jewelry (such as rings) and make sure your hands are clean. Then, get your non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil and spray or rub it all over your hands. Make sure you cover the palms, between your fingers and backs of your hands. Now, when you grab your treats to shape them, they will be much less likely to stick to your skin, which makes it easier to roll and shape. You will need to recoat them between each treat but this simple tip makes them easier to handle.
HOW TO MAKE HALLOWEEN RICE KRISPIE PUMPKINS
Now, let’s talk about these adorable pumpkinRice Krispie treats! If you really want a nice vibrant orange color (like mine), don’t use the liquid food coloring drops. Skip those and use gel coloring from Wilton. Trust me, you can never go wrong with their dyes because the colors are much more vibrant.
The idea is pretty simple. You will start by making a basic Krispie treat — the exact same recipe you’ve used all along. But, you will add food coloring to the melted marshmallows and butter before you add in the cereal. Add the coloring a little a time until you get the orange tint you are going for. Then, mix in the cereal until it is all coated. Then, go to town rolling them into small balls.
I’ve seen people use Rolo candies for the stems before, but I don’t think those look nearly as authentic. I purchased Tootsie Roll minis to make my stems. To make them curve slightly (just like real pumpkins do), hold each one in your hand for around 3 – 5 seconds to warm them. Then, you can add the curve you want and then put them into the center of the pumpkin.
The last thing to add is the leaves. Again, I never liked the look of the M&M candy, so I bought Fruit Rollups that had green on them. I used a knife and cut small leaf shapes and then added them to the tops. You can, of course, use M&Ms for the leaf if you want. Either way still makes for an adorable Rice Krispie pumpkin.
There are other fun Halloween treats you can make such as Rice Krispie Ghosts, Spiderweb Pretzels,and Edible Eyeballs. They make the perfect pairing for your upcoming Halloween party — and the kids will love them!
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Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
Print Recipe
These adorable little Rice Krispie Treat pumpkins are easy to make and the perfect dessert for any Halloween party.
Author:Tracie
Prep Time:20 mins
Total Time:20 mins
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
Scale
3 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Red & Yellow Food Coloring Drops OR Orange Food Coloring Gel
5 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows
6 cups of rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
Mini Tootsie Rolls
Fruit Rollups (find the variety with green stripes)
Instructions
Melt butter in a large pan.
Add in vanilla extract and marshmallows.
Mix until melted and well blended. Add in food coloring (use your own judgment until you achieve the correct level of orange you want).
Add in the cereal and mix well, making sure to coat all with the mixture so that it is all orange.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly (but not too much or it will harden and set up).
Spray your hands with cooking spray (to avoid the sticky mess).
Form mixture into balls.
Open the tootsie roll and warm slightly in your hand so you can bend it, to make it look more like a stem. Stick onto the top of your pumpkin (you may want to make a slight indentation in the top of the pumpkin to make the tootsie roll stick in properly).
Cut small green strips from the fruit roll-up and place on the top of the pumpkin (this is optional and is not needed).
Allow to set up and then put into an airtight container.
Serve to your own little pumpkins and watch their faces light up!!
Notes
The recipe works best when cooked on the stove rather than using the microwave.
What happens if you put too much butter in Rice Krispies Treats? If you put too much butter in rice krispies treats they will become oily, the cereal will soak up the butter and the treats will become soggy, rather than crispy.
If you melt the marshmallows too fast, it might result in a Rice Kripsy treat that is harder and crunchy than chewy. Take your time and let the butter and marshmallows melt slowly. Use an 8×8 or slightly smaller pan. Use a small and deep pan if you want thick and chewy rice Krispy treats.
High heat is the prime culprit for rock hard rice krispie treats. → Follow this tip: It will take a few more minutes of cook time, but melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat. You'll be rewarded with delicious, soft and chewy treats!
* Make sure your marshmallows are fresh. Stale, hard marshmallows won't result in nice, chewy bars. ** Any brand is fine, but be sure the cereal you use is fresh. Stale cereal will make for stale-tasting Rice Crispy Treats.
Besides the fortified cereal's iron, folate, and B vitamins, the packaged version of Rice Krispie Treats has virtually no nutritional value. It also has too much added sugar which can affect blood sugar. The homemade version is significantly less unhealthy.
Once you've cut up your extra rice crispy treats, stack them in an airtight container. Place a sheet of wax paper in between each layer to keep them from sticking, then seal the top. You can store the container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze the treats for up to 6 weeks. Enjoy!
It's Cheaper – The ingredients in this recipe cost me $5.01 and made 16.1 ounces of rice krispies, roughly 30 cents per ounce. I bought an 8-piece box at the store for $4.43 cents, with each piece weighing 0.78 ounces. That's about 70 cents per ounce.
Another addition that can bring Rice Krispie treats to a whole other level, and make them softer and more moist, is sweetened condensed milk. In fact, it can keep these sweets from being too dry and chewy from the moment that you bite into them.
To make evenly sized rice crispy treats without measuring, you can use a ruler or a baking pan with marked measurements as a guide.Simply press the treats into the pan and score them with a knife before they fully set. This will allow for equally-sized bars once they are cut.
You can soften hard marshmallows by dipping a sealed bag in a hot pot of water boiling for a couple of minutes. The expiration date is just a best by date.
The substitute breaks down like this: combine an invert sugar (like syrup or honey) with a nut or seed butter to create a sweet adhesive for your Rice Krispy treats. Not only does this sticky mix work as a proper swap for marshmallows, but it also brings its own unique flavor to your crunchy bars.
Allow to thaw at room temperature before serving. Make-ahead- I truly believe the best rice krispies are the ones fresh from the pan but if you want to make them in advance remember to make them no more than 3 days before you plan to serve them or freeze them right away.
- Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container. - To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
If the butter yields too easily to pressure and appears melted and oily, it will produce a silky batter that rises too soon and collapses. Your cake will have big air pockets and an uneven texture.
But one unexpected error bakers can make is adding too much of a good thing, butter. Although butter generally makes it all better, bakers who go overboard with it are dooming their cookies to a greasy and crumbly texture.
Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.
Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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