These Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats are soft, gooey, sweet, tart and packed with real strawberry flavor! Freeze-dried strawberry powder is infused into the marshmallow cream, which gets combined with crispy rice cereal, mini marshmallows, and pieces of freeze-dried strawberries. It's then topped with melted white chocolate and adorable heart sprinkles for the easiest and quickest Valentine's Day treat!
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♡ Why You Will Love these Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats 🍓
- Fun flavor twist. The addition of freeze dried strawberries add a delightful tart berry flavor, which is a fun twist from classic rice krispie treats.
- Easy to make. You only need a handful of basic ingredients and no baking is required, which makes this great for beginning bakers.
- Crowd-pleaser. This nostalgic treat is loved by both kids and adults! You may need to make a double batch because they don't last very long.
- Perfect for any occasion. Not only are these pink rice krispie treats perfect for Valentine's Day, they are also great for any holiday or occasion.
Looking for more Valentine's Day recipes? Check out my Valentine's Day brown butter blondies, raspberry mousse cake, strawberry cheesecake donuts, and chocolate madeleines!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used in these Strawberry Rice Crispy Treats. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
- Rice Krispies Cereal - Any puffed rice cereal will work. You can even use cornflakes, cocoa pebbles, fruity pebbles, lucky charms, special K with strawberries, chex, etc.
- Mini Marshmallows - I like using mini marshmallows because they melt quickly, plus we're folding in extra mini marshmallows to add extra gooeyness.
- Butter - I'm using unsalted butter, but you can use salt butter. Just omit the extra salt.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries - Can be found at Trader Joe's, Target, most grocery stores and Amazon.
- Vanilla - I'm using vanilla bean paste, but you can also use vanilla extract or even clear vanilla.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness.
- White Chocolate (optional) - This is totally optional, but the sweet white chocolate works so well with the tart strawberries. You can also just drizzle it over the treats, rather than spreading a thin layer on top like I did.
- Sprinkles (optional) - Sprinkles just add a fun and festive pop of color. You can use regular rainbow sprinkles, or any fun sprinkles, or omit completly.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Roughly chop + grind freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder.
Step 2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.
Step 3. Next, add mini marshmallows and using a rubber spatula, stir until completely melted.
Step 4. Off heat, stir sifted strawberry powder, vanilla and a pinch of salt into the melted marshmallows.
Step 5. Add the crispy rice cereal and stir until evenly coated.
Step 6. Then, fold in the mini marshmallows and chopped freeze-dried strawberries.
Step 7. Press the cereal mixture into an 8x8-inch (20cm) square pan lined with parchment paper. Don't pack too firmly, or the bars can turn out dense.
Step 8. Optional - Spread an even layer of melted white chocolate over the top, and then top with sprinkles. Let set for at least an hour, then slice and enjoy!
Storage
- Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
⭐️ Expert Tips
This recipe moves quickly, so have everything ready. Have you pan prepped, freeze-dried strawberries chopped and ground, cereal portioned out and marshmallows divided.
Use fresh marshmallows only. Old stale marshmallows may not melt smoothly and can make your treats hard.
Use fresh rice cereal. For obvious reasons, you'll also want to use fresh cereal because no one likes a stale, cardboard tasting krispie treat! ☺️
Don't cook the marshmallows for too long. Use medium-low heat and as soon as the marshmallows are completely melted, turn the heat off.
Don't pack too firmly when pressing the cereal in the pan. This will make the krispie treats hard and dense, rather than soft and gooey.
FAQ
You may have added too much cereal, cooked the marshmallows at a high heat/for too long, or packed the treats too firmly in the pan.
Yes you can! You can press it into a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Yes, but I would recommend cutting into smaller pieces to help it melt quicker.
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Grinder or Food Processor
- 8x8-Inch Pan
- Silicone Spatula
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ¼ Cup Freeze-Dried Strawberries, divided roughly chopped + pulsed into powder
- 5 Tablespoons (70g) Unsalted Butter
- 10 Ounce Bag (283g) Mini Marshmallows, divided (save 1 cup to mix in at the end)
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- Pinch of Salt
- 3 ½ to 4 Cups (98g to 112g) Rice Krispies Cereal
- 3 to 4 Ounces (85g to 113g) White Chocolate Bar (optional) melted
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Pan - Lightly butter an 8x8-inch pan, and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Lightly butter the inside of the paper too.
- Prep Freeze-Dried Strawberries - In a food processor or grinder, pulse 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Then, roughly chop ¼ cup of freeze-dried strawberries (feel free to chop more). Set aside.1 ¼ Cup Freeze-Dried Strawberries, divided
- Melt Butter - In a large pot, and over medium-low heat, melt butter completely.5 Tablespoons (70g) Unsalted Butter
- Melt Marshmallows - Add mini marshmallows, and using a silicone spatula, stir until completely melted. Reserve 1 cup for later.10 Ounce Bag (283g) Mini Marshmallows, divided (save 1 cup to mix in at the end)
- Off heat, stir in sifted strawberry powder (discard seeds), vanilla and a pinch of salt.½ Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or ExtractPinch of Salt
- Add Cereal + Add-Ins - Add the rice cereal and mix until evenly coated. Then, fold in the reserved mini marshmallows and chopped freeze-dried strawberries.3 ½ to 4 Cups (98g to 112g) Rice Krispies Cereal
- Press into Pan - Transfer the mixture into your prepared pan. Use a butter wrapper, or greased silicone spatula, and evenly press it into the pan. Don't pack it down too firmly or the bars will be hard.
- Decorate (Optional) - Add finely chopped white chocolate into a heatproof bowl. You can either melt it in the microwave in 10-second intervals or over a small pot of simmering water.3 to 4 Ounces (85g to 113g) White Chocolate Bar (optional)Spread the melted white chocolate on top of the treats and add sprinkles if you'd like. You can also just drizzle the white chocolate over the top.
- Let Set - Let the treats set at room temperature for at least one hour. Once they're set, lift them out using the parchment sling and slice into squares. Enjoy!
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