Loaded Rice Crispy Treats

These Loaded Rice Crispy Treats are the perfect sweet and salty combination – They’re totally loaded with goodies like crunchy salty pretzels, salted peanuts, sweet toffee bits, and lots of sweet melty chocolate.

Easy and quick to make with simple pantry ingredients, they’re perfect to serve at tailgating parties and on any game day!

This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen ATK via their One-Hour Comfort Cookbook. I was given a copy of this book for review but all my opinions are my own.

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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Tailgating Snacks Month

There’s something classic and appealing about original rice krispies treats. I mean, they are so easy to make and everyone loves them, no matter how old you are!

And when I saw this recipe for loaded krispies squares, I knew they would be perfect for Tailgating Snacks Month! And, boy, they didn’t disappoint.

Sweet. Salty. Thick. Sticky sweet and chewy. Mmmmm…

One-Hour Comfort

{affiliate link} One-Hour Comfort: Quick, Cozy, Modern Dishes for All Your Cravings by America’s Test Kitchen certainly lives up to its name. And, I look forward to trying so many of the recipes in this book!

This comfort food cookbook will be your go to guide no matter what you’re craving. It could be brothy-slurpy ramen, ultra-melty grilled cheese, Korean fried chicken, or a sweet chocolaty dessert. And you want to get to the eating part fast, right?

This cookbook with its diverse collection of uncomplicated dishes shows you how to get comfort food on the table quickly. It proves that great recipes don’t need to take all day to cook. Even traditionally slow-cooked comfort foods are within reach using ATK’s creative, can-do methods.

And I think this book will be a valuable recourse for anyone making Thanksgiving dinner or even just one dish for the holidays.

I’ve picked out a few recipes that I need to try! Like the Creamy Corn Bucatini on page 105 and the Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes on page 282.

If you love ATK you’ll totally want to check out some of their other recipes I’ve shared like White bean arugula salad with frico, Shrimp Ramen, The best pumpkin pie, and Pasta in Cashew Cream Sauce.

How to make

The process to make these loaded ones is pretty much the same one you’re used to. Just melt the butter and marshmallows. Add in the crispy rice cereal. But here you get to stir in lots of added yummies!

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

make a foil sling

Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to one another, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray with vegetable oil spray.

The foil sling lets you remove the uncut treats from the dish with ease.

For thick, substantial squares to really sink your teeth into, this recipe uses an 8-inch square pan instead of the usual 13 by 9-inch pan.

I like to measure out all of the ad-in ingredients and have them ready to go in a big bowl.

melt the marshmallows

Melt butter in Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, vanilla, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 6 minutes.

Pro tip: Don’t use old marshmallows! Old marshmallows don’t melt well. Instead of becoming soft and gooey, they melt into hard to chew mess.

mix in ad-ins

Off heat, stir in cereal, pretzels, peanuts, toffee bits, and chocolate chips until incorporated.

Any brand of toasted rice cereal will work here.

Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer with greased spatula or with buttered hands.

form and cut the squares

When pressing them into the pan, don’t press too hard. Just use enough pressure to get them to stick together and be an even layer. Pressing too hard will pack them in too tightly and break the rice cereal, making them hard and tough rather than chewy.

Let ATK crispy rice treats cool for 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, remove treats from pan.

Cut into 16 squares and serve. Oil or butter the knife you use to slice the bars to ensure that you produce neat-looking treats and the marshmallow won’t stick to the knife as much.

Rice Krispies Treats troubleshooting

Can I make this in the microwave?

While it is possible to make treats in the microwave (just melt the butter and marshmallows, then add the rice cereal).

But microwaves do have hot spots and can overcook the marshmallows, so I don’t recommend making these in the microwave. If you decide you want to try it, do it in short cooking intervals, stirring after each time to help ensure no burning.

Can mini marshmallows be used in the recipe?

Yes, you can use mini marshmallows in these crispy rice cereal treats.

Storage

It’s best to store the homemade treats at room temperature covered with plastic wrap on the counter for up to a couple of days.

It isn’t necessary to refrigerate the treats.

Variations

For Salty Cashew-Caramel Rice Crispy Treats: Omit pretzels, peanuts, toffee bits, and chocolate chips. Stir 1½ cups salted roasted cashews, chopped coarse, and 4½ ounces quartered soft caramels into marshmallow mixture with the cereal.

Use chopped almonds or walnuts in place of peanuts.

Swap the chocolate chips for M&Ms. This is a great way to use leftover Halloween candy too.

You could also swap the chocolate chips for any flavored chips like peanut butter, cinnamon, caramel, or butterscotch. Or use large chocolate chunks.

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Loaded Rice Crispy Treats Recipe