Looking for an ooey-gooey treat to munch on for a sweet fix? These M&M Rice Krispies Treats are the perfect balance of crunchy, sticky, sweet, and chocolate!
A nostalgic treat with the addition of classic candy-coated chocolate M&M’s makes for a subtle new twist on the humble Rice Krispies Treat.
I love taking this much-loved recipe and adding a little something to it (see also: Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats), just to elevate it a little bit!
This simple and colorful sweet treat recipe is as easy as it is delicious, requiring no baking, only one pot, and just 4 simple ingredients. As a mom managing her time with a passion for dessert, something this easy is right up my alley!
M&M Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter. It’ll help melt down the marshmallows and avoid your treats from sticking to the pan.
- Marshmallows. You can use large or mini marshmallows.
- Rice Krispies. Or a similar brand of “crispy rice” cereal.
- Classic M&M’s. A colorful, chocolatey addition to this classic treat.
Salted Vs Unsalted Butter for Rice Krispy Treats
Listen, I truly love a salt and chocolate moment, but you can definitely take it too far in this Rice Krispie treats recipe. Using salted butter makes these treats overall slightly too salty for my taste.
If you want your Rice Krispie Treats a little saltier, it’s best to add some flaky salt on top at the end of this no-bake dessert, rather than use salted butter.
How to Make M&M Rice Krispies Treats
Prep Your Pan
I highly recommend lining or greasing your pan before you start making your Rice Krispies Treats with M&M’s.
As you probably know, Rice Krispies treats are super sticky. Parchment paper is by far the easiest way to lift them out of then pan.
You can use either a 9×13-inch pan (as pictured), or, if you want thicker treats, use a 8×8 or 9×9-inch square pan.
Make Your Rice Krispies Mixture
Add the butter to a large pot over low heat and allow it melt completely. Then, still over low heat, add the marshmallows and stir frequently until it melts and mixes with the butter.
Once your butter and marshmallows are completely melted, you’ll be left with a sticky paste.
Keep your heat low, you don’t want to overheat the marshmallows, it will result in a too-tacky, almost-rough rice krispie treat.
Once your butter and marshmallows are melted together, remove the pot from the heat and add the cereal. Gently fold to coat the Rice Krispies in the mixture, careful not to completely crush the cereal.
Once everything is well-combined, add about ⅔ of the M&M’s and quickly stir in. Don’t overwork it. The more you stir, the more likely the M&M’s color is to bleed into the Rice Krispies.
Transfer to Your Baking Dish
Transfer the M&M Rice Krispies to your prepped pan. Use wet hands to slightly press it down in an even layer. The water on your hands will help with the stickiness and give you more control.
Resist the urge to press down too hard while you are flattening it. You want to keep them as light and airy as possible and pressing too hard makes them dense.
Sprinkle the rest of the M&M’s on top and press them lightly into the top. Allow them to set completely (about an hour or so)before removing them from the dish and cutting it into squares, roughly 2 inches by 2 inches.
To speed up the setting process, you can stick them in the refrigerator. That way, they’ll be set in about 30-45 minutes.
How to Properly Store Rice Krispy Treats with M&M’s
Rice Krispie treats do not have to be refrigerated. In fact, they are best kept at room temperature. They tend to get a little too hard to bite into when they are kept in the fridge.
Store your treats at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for a week! Make sure to seal them in an airtight container to avoid staleness.
To freeze, store cut pieces in an airtight freezer-safe bag and thaw before enjoying. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to two months.
4-Ingredient M&M Rice Krispie Treats
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEIngredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 cups mini marshmallows
- 6 cups Rice Krispies
- 1 cup classic M&M's
Instructions
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Use a 9-inch x 13-inch for 1-inch-thick treats, or you can use a 9×9 or 8×8-inch square baking dish for thicker treats.
- To a large pot over low heat, add the butter and melt until liquefied.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 8 cups mini marshmallows
- Still over low heat, add the marshmallows and stir frequently until melted. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir to ensure nothing sticks to the pot and burns.
- Remove the pot from heat and fold in the Rice Krispies, careful not to crush the cereal.6 cups Rice Krispies
- Stir in about ⅔ of the M&M's. Don't stir it too much, the color on the outside of the M&M's will bleed into the cereal.1 cup classic M&M's
- Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and use wet hands to lightly press, spreading it into an even layer. Add the remaining M&M's on top and press those lightly into the top.
- Allow them to set at room temperature for about an hour, or in the refrigerator for 45 minutes before removing from the tray and cutting into 2-inch x 2-inch squares.
Pro Tips
- Use unsalted butter to avoid your treats being too salty.
4 thoughts on “4-Ingredient M&M Rice Krispies Treats”
M&M’s are like bacon – they just make everything taste better! We made these last night and not even 12 hours later it’s complete gone. Thoroughly enjoyed the little bits of surprises from the M&M’s when biting into the rice krispie treat.
I soooo agree!! M&M’s are ALWAYS a good idea! I’m so glad you enjoyed– thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback!
These Rice Krispie treats are the best I ever had!!!!
(Review provided by a family/friend of marleysmenu.com)
So ooey gooey!! So glad you enjoyed!