Grinch Rice Krispie Treats are a fun and festive, green-covered snack that will make every Grinch lover’s heart grow three sizes! It is so quick and easy to make these soft, sweet Christmas cereal treats, simply by stirring together a few ingredients and spreading them into a pan–a perfect no-bake recipe for the hectic holiday season.
Grinch Treats Grow Big Hearts
These homemade Grinch Rice Krispie Treats are similar to the traditional Rice Krispie snack, but mine is made with less effort because I’ve revised the recipe with a simple twist.
My secret for creating a rich and creamy bar is substituting marshmallow fluff for the other version’s marshmallows, which not only makes it easier and faster to melt and mix with the butter, but also because the texture is less sticky, which means you can bite into them with braces and they won’t destroy your teeth!
Grinch Treats taste like the original dessert–they’re still loaded with marshmallow flavor combined with the classic krispie cereal, then these are drizzled with melted chocolate and topped with candy hearts.
I love the story of the Grinch because it reminds me that Christmas is about spreading love and joy. That’s why this recipe is so special because I can spend time in the kitchen making memories with my kids; it’s my favorite family activity that always makes my heart grow 3 sizes. And covering these treats with bright green chocolate and red heart-shaped sprinkles can remind us all that even the grumpiest Grinch deserves a delicious dessert to be shared and enjoyed for a very Merry Christmas.
How do you throw the ultimate Grinchmas party? Serve the perfect snacks, like my Grinch Cake Mix Cookies, Grinch Punch, and these Grinch treats!
Why We Love This Christmas Dessert Recipe
- Quick and easy no-bake recipe.
- Made using only 6 simple ingredients (3 of them are for decorating).
- Soft, gooey, and not super sticky.
- Fun to make with kids and eat while watching the How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie.
- Perfect for a Grinch themed party, a Christmas cookie tray, or a holiday dessert platter.
Ingredients
- Rice crispy cereal
- Salted butter: If you decide to use unsalted butter instead, add a pinch of salt to help cut through the sweetness.
- Can marshmallow fluff: You can switch this out for regular mini marshmallows, use about a cup and a half.
- Vanilla almond bark: You can replace the almond bark with white or green melting chocolate or white chocolate chips.
- Green food coloring
- Sprinkles: I used heart sprinkles and red nonpareils, but feel free to get creative with your decorations!
Substitutions and Additions
- Tasty Toppings: Sprinkle some crushed candy canes, green and red M&Ms, or holiday sprinkles on top of your treats to add some extra Christmas crunch and color.
- Fun Flavors: For a festive Christmas flavor, feel free to add a teaspoon of mint or vanilla extract. Or you can add some lemon or lime juice to the marshmallow mixture (but don’t add too much because it will make the treats more difficult to stick together). You could even add some caramel to the mixture for another fun flavor.
- Cookie Cutters: Instead of cutting your Grinch Treats into bars, you can use cookie cutters to form festive shapes, such as trees, hearts, stars, or even shape them into little grinch heads.
- Change The Cereal: Rice Krispies cereal comes in a variety of flavors. Instead of the original flavor, you can make your Grinch Treats with Rice Krispies with holiday colors, Frosted Krispies, Cocoa Krispies, Cookies & Creme Krispies, or choose your other favorites.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- 9×13 inch pan
- Parchment paper
- Large pan
- Mixing tools
- Measuring tools
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How to Make Grinch Rice Krispie Treats
This Grinch Treats recipe is so simple because of my secret swap: I use marshmallow fluff instead of marshmallows because they are easier to stir and spread into a pan and melts more quickly. Drizzled with green chocolate and topped with red hearts, these sweet squares are a fun and festive way to spread Christmas cheer.
- Heat the butter in a saucepan.
- Stir marshmallow fluff into the heated butter and cook on medium low until it loosens and creams together with the butter, about 3 minutes.
Pro-Tip: When heating the butter and marshmallow fluff, you should stir constantly. When it smooths out, and begins to pull away from the bottom of the pan, it’s ready. Do not overcook; it doesn’t need to be piping hot.
- Remove mixture from the heat and mix in the cereal until completely combined.
- Immediately pour the Rice Krispies mixture into the pan and press the cereal until it reaches the edges. Place in the refrigerator until ready to decorate.
Pro-Tip: I highly recommend that you prepare your pan before you mix everything together. The marshmallow will want to dry quickly! - Heat almond bark in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until completely melted.
- Add food coloring and stir to combine.
Pro-Tip: For a darker green hue, add more food coloring; for a lighter, more neon green, add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring. I prefer to use gel food coloring because the color is more vibrant than typical water-based food colorings. - Drizzle melted almond bark over the chilled Rice Krispies.
- Add heart-shaped sprinkles to decorate.
- Allow treats to sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the chocolate is completely set, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut into bars and serve. Enjoy!
Tips
- For a darker green hue, add more food coloring; for a lighter, more neon green, add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring. I prefer to use gel food coloring because the color is more vibrant than typical water-based food colorings.
- I highly recommend that you prepare your pan before you mix everything together. The marshmallow will want to dry quickly!
- When heating the butter and marshmallow fluff, you should stir constantly. When it smooths out, and begins to pull away from the bottom of the pan, it’s ready. Do not overcook; it doesn’t need to be piping hot.
Storage Tips
- To Store: can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze Grinch Treats in an airtight container for up to six weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Marshmallow fluff is essentially a spreadable version of marshmallows. It’s made out of corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and egg whites, and while it’s smooth and creamy, it’s gelatin-free.
You can absolutely use marshmallows instead of fluff for this recipe. Use 12 regular-sized marshmallows (120 mini marshmallows) as a substitute for every one cup of marshmallow fluff.
Yes, you can make these treats easily with a simple marshmallow fluff substitution: almond butter and maple syrup! Almond butter (or any nut butter) and maple syrup work together to create a sticky mixture that acts as a great substitute for marshmallows. Simply heat the two together, mix in the cereal, and pour it into your baking pan! And it’s vegan too!
Other Easy Christmas Treat Recipes
- Ugly Sweater Cake
- Christmas Dog Treats
- Cinnamon Ornaments
- Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
- Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies
- Grinch Cake Pops
Grinch Treats
Ingredients
- 4½ cups rice crispy cereal
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 7 ounce can marshmallow fluff
- ¾ cup vanilla almond bark
- Green food coloring
- Sprinkles (I used heart sprinkles and red nonpareils)
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat the salted butter up in a large pan. Spoon the marshmallow fluff into the saucepan with the butter and stir.
- Over medium low heat, cook the marshmallow fluff until it loosens and creams together with the butter, about 3 minutes.
- Take off heat and pour the cereal over the marshmallow fluff in the pan. Gently stir everything together until thoroughly combined.
- Immediately pour the rice krispies mixture into the 9×13 inch pan and press the cereal until it reaches the edges. Place in the refrigerator until ready to decorate.
- Place almond bark into a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Heat bark in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until completely melted.
- Add in your desired amount of green food coloring and stir until combined.
- Drizzle melted almond bark over the rice krispies. Add on sprinkles to decorate.
- Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the chocolate is completely set, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut into bars and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze Grinch Treats in an airtight container for up to six weeks.
- For a darker green hue, add more food coloring; for a lighter, more neon green, add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring. I prefer to use gel food coloring because the color is more vibrant than typical water-based food colorings.
- I highly recommend that you prepare your pan before you mix everything together. The marshmallow will want to dry quickly!
- When heating the butter and marshmallow fluff, you should stir constantly. When it smooths out, and begins to pull away from the bottom of the pan, it’s ready. Do not overcook; it doesn’t need to be piping hot.
super easy. Who doesn’t like good easy recipes.