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These no-bake Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats are easy to prepare and make a festive dessert that’s fun to dress up like Rudolph. This adorable reindeer-inspired recipe quickly combines 4 simple ingredients that are cut into rectangles and decorated with antlers, eyes, and a bright red nose; the best Rice Krispie treat recipe and perfect for a kids’ Christmas craft and that looks almost too cute to eat!
Easy Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
This Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats recipe was inspired by my love for the famous story of Santa’s reindeer, and how Rudolph’s differences made him useful (he saves Christmas after all!)
While my revised recipe may not prevent overeating at a party or too much munching on cookies and cake, my simple substitutions will save you time and make your holiday cooking less hectic. Instead of mixing only marshmallows with the cereal, I use a combination of marshmallow fluff and mini marshmallows because it melts easier and more quickly than marshmallows alone and makes it simple to spread in the pan.
I also use extra butter than the original Krispie Treat because it enhances its rich, buttery flavor that just tastes better than the competition!
Making edible crafts for Christmas is so much fun with kids. Although I will forever appreciate the traditional sweet treat, this one is the perfect blank canvas for creativity. Little cooks can decorate and design a dessert that’s dressed to look like reindeer, complete with pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and Rudolph’s shiny red nose.
These Reindeer 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 Krispies Treats Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare.
- Only uses 4 ingredients to make the Rice Krispies Treats and a few others for decoration.
- Fun holiday project to make and decorate with kids.
- Delicious dessert that tastes sweet and rich with a satisfying crunch.
- Perfect for a Christmas cookie platter, holiday dessert table, cookie exchange, or wrapped up as an edible gift for friends and teachers.
Ingredients
- Rice Krispies cereal: I used the name brand cereal for this recipe, but feel free to use any brand crispy rice cereal you prefer.
- Salted butter: Unsalted butter will also work for this. You can add an extra pinch of salt if you like that extra bit of saltiness with sweetness.
- Mini marshmallows
- Jar marshmallow fluff: You can use 4 cups of mini marshmallows or 40 large marshmallows instead for this recipe. The amount of time it takes to melt the marshmallows may differ slightly, so just keep stirring until they have fully melted and incorporated into the butter. However, you will want to use a larger saucepan to make room for all the marshmallows.
- White frosting: White cookie icing is also an option. Really, anything that will help the decorations stick to the rice Krispie treats can be used.
- Mini pretzel twists: If you have waffle pretzels, those can be substituted, though they will look pretty different. I also like breaking the twists in half to make branched antlers instead.
- Candy eyes: You can draw some eyes with white and black icing if you are especially artistic. You can also omit the candy eyes altogether. You will still be able to tell that it’s a reindeer with the other decorations.
- Red M&Ms: You can use any other small red candy for the nose.
Substitutions and Additions
- Customize Your Krispies: Use cookie cutters to cut out your own custom shapes for the holidays. Have fun decorating gingerbread men, Christmas trees, stars, or your other favorite cut-outs.
- Chocolate Krispies: You can melt candy wafers or chocolate morsels in a microwave safe bowl to coat your Krispies or use Cocoa Krispies instead of original Rice Krispies to create a chocolate treat.
- Rudolph’s Red Nose: Feel free to replace the red M&Ms with skittles, sixlets, twizzlers, gummy bears, or jelly beans. For some of these options, you may need to cut them into the shape of a reindeer nose.
Recommended Tools
- 8×8 inch baking dish
- Cooking spray
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing tools
- Measuring tools
- Knife
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make the Best Rice Krispie Treats
These delicious Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats are so easy to prepare and make a fun activity to decorate with kids. Perfectly festive for your holiday cookie swap, Christmas parties, or to leave for Santa on Christmas Eve!
- Pour the Rice Krispies cereal into a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
- Add the marshmallow fluff and mini marshmallows to the melted butter and stir continuously until the marshmallow has completely melted.
Pro Tip: It will take about 3 minutes to melt and completely mix with the butter. It will be glossy and smooth when done. Don’t let your marshmallow fluff burn as you are heating it up. When it burns it creates some brown spots, which you don’t want to include in your reindeer! It can take longer for your marshmallow fluff to melt than you may think. Keep heating it on low until all of it is a glossy, even liquid. Don’t use a higher heat or you may burn spots of it.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with the Rice Krispie cereal.
- Stir until the cereal is completely coated with the marshmallow.
- Spread the Rice Krispies treats into the bottom of the baking pan with a spatula or spoon.
Pro Tip: Spray your baking pan well with cooking spray! For thinner reindeer treats, feel free to use a 9×13 inch pan. The treats will be thinner, but you will get more out of the recipe if needed. - Cool completely until Rice Krispie treats are set.
Pro Tip: It will take at least 30 minutes, but closer to one hour to completely set. - Cut the Rice Krispies treats into 2×3 inch rectangles with a sharp knife.
- Add 2 antlers to each treat by wiping about ⅛ teaspoon of white frosting on the bottom of the mini pretzel twists and then attaching them to the top of the treat.
- Add the eyes by putting a dot of white frosting on the back side of the candy eyes and pressing them into the Rice Krispies treat, frosting side down and placed just under the antlers.
Pro-Tip: Use a piping bag and narrow tip to be more precise as you “glue” your pretzels and candy eyes to your Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats. - Add a dab of frosting on the back of a red M&M and place it just under the eyes for Rudolf’s red nose.
- Serve and enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store: Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: You can store these treats in the freezer, wrapped tightly, for up to three months. Let them thaw at room temperature before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes, you must use fresh marshmallow fluff! Don’t be tempted to use that marshmallow creme that’s been sitting there for ages. It will not work. Even though it may melt, it will harden right back up and not create the gooey Rice Krispie treats we all love.
These treats are super easy to make into a fun activity with children! Teach them how to glue on the pretzels and candy eyes with some homemade piping bags made of plastic baggies. Just cut a little hole out of the corner, fill them with white frosting, and voila! Simple piping bags that make for kitchen “glue guns.” Have fun!
These Reindeer Rice Krispies can be made with the pre-made individually wrapped Rice Krispies you can get at the store if you are truly pressed for time. But….ours are soooo much better. The most fun part is the decorating! For a quick win, all you need to do is to add the eyes, nose, and antlers and you’ve created the cutest little treat for Christmas!
Other Easy Holiday Treats to Make With Kids
- Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
- Reindeer Pretzel Rods
- Melted Snowman Chocolate Bark
- Christmas Light Cookies
- Grinch Rice Krispie Treats
Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
- 4½ cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
- 1½ tbsp white frosting
- 18 mini pretzel twists
- 18 candy eyes
- 18 red M&ms
Instructions
- Use cooking spray to spray the inside of an 8×8 inch baking pan.
- Pour the Rice Krispies cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the salted butter over low heat.
- Add the marshmallow fluff and mini marshmallows into the saucepan with the butter and stir continuously until the marshmallows has completely melted and incorporated with the butter (about 3 minutes). It should be glossy and smooth.
- Once the butter, mini marshmallows and marshmallow fluff is smoothly combined, pour the mixture into the bowl with the Rice Krispie cereal.
- Stir everything together until the cereal is completely and evenly coated with the marshmallow.
- Using a spatula or spoon, scoop and evenly spread the Rice Krispies treats into the bottom of the baking pan.
- Let the rice krispies treats cool completely until they are set (at least 30 minutes, but closer to one hour).
- Cut the rice krispie treats into 2×3 inch rectangles using a sharp knife.
- Decorate the squares by first adding the antlers. Use a knife to wipe about ⅛ teaspoon of white frosting on the bottom of a mini pretzel twist. Stick that portion of the pretzel to the top of the rice krispie treat as one of its antlers. Do the same with the other pretzel.
- Next, add the candy eyes. Put a dot of white frosting on the back side of the candy eyes and press them into the rice krispie treat, frosting side down, just under the antlers to create two eyes.
- Lastly, place 1 red M&M just under the eyes for Rudolf’s red nose, using a dab of frosting on the back.
- Place on your favorite Christmas platter and enjoy!
Notes
- To Store: Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: You can store these treats in the freezer, wrapped tightly, for up to three months. Let them thaw at room temperature before eating.
- For thinner reindeer treats, feel free to use a 9×13 inch pan. The treats will be thinner, but you will get more out of the recipe if needed.
- Make sure to use fresh marshmallow fluff! Don’t be tempted to use that marshmallow creme that’s been sitting there for ages. It will not work. Even though it may melt, it will harden right back up and not create the gooey rice krispie treats we all love.
- Don’t let your marshmallow fluff burn as you are heating it up. When it burns it creates some brown spots, which you don’t want to include in your reindeer!
- It can take longer for your marshmallow fluff to melt than you may think. Keep heating it on low until all of it is a glossy, even liquid. Don’t use a higher heat or you may burn spots of it.
- Use a piping bag and narrow tip to be more precise as you “glue” your pretzels and candy eyes to your Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutrition information is an estimate. Please utilize your own brand information to double check against our estimates.
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