Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats is an edible Christmas craft to make with kids during the holiday season – starting with a soft and chewy Rice Krispie treat.
It’s always fun to turn traditional Rice Krispies treats into festive desserts by dressing them up to look like Rudolf and his friends, complete with pretzel antlers, candy eyes, M&Ms, and sprinkles.
Rice Krispie Reindeer Treats
Our Reindeer Rice Krispies Christmas Treats are so simple to make and create the cutest kid-friendly edible craft that can double as a delicious dessert or festive holiday decor.
The base of these Rice Krispie reindeer treats can be made in minutes using only cereal, marshmallows, and margarine and spreading the mixture into a round cake pan; once it’s sliced into wedges, you can have fun adding eyes, antlers, a nose, and even some hair.
These holiday Rice Krispie treats are not too sticky yet have a satisfying sweet crunch, perfect for biting into with braces and a great gift to leave for Santa!
Why We Love This Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- No-bake base uses only 3 ingredients.
- Fun holiday project to make and decorate with kids.
- Delicious dessert with a festive twist on the traditional store-bought treat.
- A school safe snack if made with all nut free products.
- Perfect for a Christmas cookie platter, holiday dessert table, classroom party, cookie exchange, or wrapped up as an edible gift for friends and teachers.
Ingredients for Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
- Margarine: I used Blue Bonnet for this recipe but you can use your favorite brand.
- M&Ms
- Candy Eyes
- Sprinkles
- Rice Krispies cereal: I used Great Value brand but but you can use any brand of crispy rice cereal.
- Almond Bark
- Marshmallows: You can use full-size or mini marshmallows.
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Cereal: Any brand of crispy rice cereal will work for this recipe. You can even use brown puffed rice, white puffed rice, or a holiday version of Rice Krispie cereal.
- Rudolph’s Red Nose: Feel free to replace the red M&Ms with red skittles, sixlets, red hots, gummy bears, or jelly beans. You may need to cut your candy into the shape of a reindeer nose.
- Add Some Sprinkles: Using some Christmas-themed sprinkles, colorful sprinkles, or nonpareils will add a bit of color between the antler and act as hair for the reindeer.
Other Easy Christmas Treat Recipes
Recommended Tools
- 10-inch springform pan
- 5 to 6-quart heavy-bottomed stock pot
- Large cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Microwave safe bowl
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
- Prepare Your Pan: Use your hands to spread the margarine around a springform pan. You can also place a parchment paper circle on top of the buttered bottom for easy removal.
- Melt The Marshmallows: Add marshmallows to melted butter and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.
- Create The Rice Krispies: Stir the cereal into the melted marshmallow mixture and then pour and press into the prepared pan. Cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut Triangle Treats: Remove the treats from the springform pan and slice into 8 triangles.
- Decorate: Use melted almond bark to add antlers, eyes, a nose, and sprinkles for hair.
- Serve: Dry completely before serving. Enjoy!
Tips From Our Recipe Developer
- You can substitute chocolate almond bark for the dabs that secure the pretzel ears.
- If you cannot find chocolate-covered pretzels, you can dip plain twisted pretzels in chocolate almond bark.
- Make sure you completely melt your marshmallows, otherwise it can cause the Rice Krispies to lose all of the classic crunch.
- These treats make adorable edible Christmas gifts. Put them in a little clear gift bag, tie it up with a pretty ribbon, and add a printable gift tag.
How to cut rice Krispie Treats?
Use a large sharp knife to cut and divide the circle of treats in half. Then divide that circle in half. Slice the 4 triangles like you would slice a piece of pie.
How to store rice krispie treats
- To Store: You can store the rice krispie treats at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also store the reindeer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
- To Freeze: To freeze the treats, wrap each individually in wax paper, then in 2 layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Allow the reindeer treats to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Rice Krispie Treats Recipes
- Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
- Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
- S’mores Rice Krispie Treats
- Grinch Rice Krispie Treats
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
- Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
Serves — 8
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats are the perfect festive sweet treat for Christmas parties and dessert platters. So easy to make and even more fun to eat, this edible kid-friendly craft creates the cutest herd of holiday reindeer, including Rudolph.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons margarine divided into 4 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons (your favorite brand – I used Blue Bonnet)
- 10 ounce package of full-size marshmallows (40 marshmallows or 5½ cups mini marshmallows)
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (I used Great Value brand)
- 2 ounces white almond bark
- 16 Chocolate covered pretzels
- 1 red M&M (for Rudolph’s nose)
- 7 brown M&M’s
- 16 candy eyes
- Colorful sprinkles for “hair”
Instructions
- Use your hands to spread 2 tablespoons of the margarine around a 10-inch springform pan. (You can also place a parchment paper circle on top of the buttered bottom of the springform pan. It’s not a necessary step, but it is an option)
- Add the remaining margarine to a 5 to 6-quart heavy-bottomed stock pot, and melt the margarine over medium-high heat.
- Once the margarine is completely melted, add the marshmallows, and stir continuously until the marshmallows are completely melted. (If the marshmallows are not completely melted, it can cause the Rice Krispies to lose all of the crunch associated with Rice Krispie treats.) Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the Rice Krispies and continue to stir until completely incorporated.
- Pour the marshmallow Krispies into the prepared pan. Gently press the marshmallow Krispies down to ensure a level surface. Allow the Krispies to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the Krispies are cooled, place a large cutting board on top of the pan. Flip the pan over and release and carefully remove the sides and bottom of the springform pan.
- Use a large sharp knife to cut/divide the circle of treats in half. Then divide that circle in half. Slice the 4 triangles like you would slice a piece of pie.
- Add the 2 ounces of white almond bark to a small heat-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.
- On the top 2 corners of each triangle, dab a small dot of the melted almond bark. Lay 1 of the chocolate-covered pretzels on each dot.
- In the center of the triangle, dab 2 dots of the almond bark. Place the eyes on the dabs.
- At the point of the triangle, dab another dot for the nose (either the brown or red m&m).
- In between the chocolate-covered pretzels, dab a final dot of almond bark for the colorful sprinkles of your choice. Allow the reindeer to dry completely before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store the reindeer at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also store the reindeer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
- To Freeze: To freeze the reindeer, wrap each treat individually in wax paper, then in 2 layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Allow the reindeer to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- You can substitute chocolate almond bark for the dabs that secure the pretzel ears.
If you cannot find chocolate-covered pretzels, you can dip plain twisted pretzels in chocolate almond bark. - Make sure you completely melt your marshmallows, otherwise it can cause the Rice Krispies to lose all of the classic crunch.
- These treats make adorable edible Christmas gifts. Put them in a little clear gift bag, tie it up with a pretty ribbon, and add a printable gift tag.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1775IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 7mg
