Halloween Rice Krispie Treats

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats are a fun, spooky no-bake dessert for the whole family to enjoy! Make ‘em from scratch before slicing into rectangles and turning them into monsters, complete with edible eyes. This Halloween dessert recipe is ready in less than an hour but requires a little cooling time. Makes 12 krispie treats.

Love Halloween recipes? Try out Fizzy Potion Halloween Punch and Halloween Funfetti Cookies!

I got a wild hair last week. As someone who loves baking with her kids and making all sorts of recipes, I realized that I didn’t have some classic desserts on my site that, well, I needed to introduce my girls to.

This led us to making three batches of Rice Krispie Treats in the span of two hours.

It also led us down a decoration rabbit hole that was wonderfully fun, messy and perfect for a day off.

Why I love this recipe

It’s hard not to love a crispy rice treat, right? They taste like childhood, and there’s something so beautiful about the balance of flavors in one that’s done right.

My biggest thing is that these Halloween Rice Krispie Treats, even with the candy melts and candy eyeballs, aren’t too sweet. They’re super cute, yes, but they also taste really dang good.

They’re also really fun to make with your kids. Keep in mind that kids have different skill levels. Do what works best for you and yours.

Also, make sure to grab the specialty ingredients to make this recipe because they really do make all the difference in elevating the humble Rice Krispie Treat into a spooky-cute halloween treat.

Other easy desserts to make with your kids: No Bake Scotcheroo Cookies | Funfetti Dip | Speculoos No-Bake Cookies | Chocolate Cheesecake Dip | Halloween Oreo Rice Krispie Treats | Christmas Rice Krispie Treats

Got sweet teeth? Check out my Dessert Recipe Index for inspiration.

What you need to make this recipe

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• Nonstick cooking spray
• Wax paper
• A large pot (like a 6-7 qt. Dutch oven large)
• 9”x13” baking dish
• A large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Metal spatula

In addition to these tools to make this treat, you’re also going to need some ingredients to make these homemade rice krispie treats. Some of them are specialty ones, so I’m including links for you to purchase them online if you can’t find them in stores.

• Crispy rice cereal—use your favorite brand! I’ve been known to make these with the whole wheat variety, but honestly, any brand is good so long as they’re fresh!
• Butter—you can use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted butter, don’t add the extra salt. If using unsalted butter, you need a little extra sprinkle of salt. I have more details about this below so you know how much to add.
• Vanilla extract—this adds just a little more flavor, in my opinion, and the combination of vanilla with marshmallow and butter is simply divine.
• Marshmallows—mini marshmallows melt best and easiest! Make sure they’re fresh.
• Candy melts—I used white candy melts, black candy melts and orange candy melts to create these monster krispie treats, but you could honestly use whatever colors you like! The key is melting them for about a minute in the microwave, until gooey, and then dipping your treats immediately and spreading them with a knife.
• Candy eyes— in order to get the whole monster effect, you’ve GOT to invest in candy eyeball sprinkles! These are pretty readily available at grocery stores and craft stores, so grab ‘em where you find ‘em and use as many as you want to decorate your monsters. I find the ones with multiple eyes wonderfully (and creepily) cute.

How to make Rice Krispie Treats

Prepare the pan. I like using a 9”x13” baking dish and lining it with wax paper. This will make removing the treats easy. You can spritz the pan (sans paper) with nonstick cooking spray to ensure your treats will remove easily. Set aside.

Measure out the cereal into a large bowl, and set aside. We won’t be mixing these in the bowl itself , but having this measured out before our marshmallow-butter mixture is melty is important.

Make the krispie treat base. In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat with the salt, then add marshmallows and stir. Continually stir until completely melted, then splash in the vanilla and stir.

Mix the treats. Remove from heat, and pour the cereal into the pot with the marshmallow mixture. Stir quickly until the cereal is completely coated.

Make the bars. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Gently spread it into an even layer with a rubber spatula. If your spatula begins sticking, spritz with the nonstick cooking spray.

Do not be tempted to press down hard on the mixture because this will make your treats more compact and have less crunch.

Let the treats cool for about an hour, then cut into rectangles with a sharp knife.

Decorate! Melt the candy melts in separate bowls for about a minute and stir until smooth. When the melts are at the desired temperature, dip the krispie treats into the melted candy. Use a knife or spoon to spread it into an even-ish layer and add candy eyeballs.

You can create a little texture with a spoon or knife after you’ve spread the candy melts over the krispie treats. Do this before you add the eyeball sprinkles to give your monsters some texture.

Let the treats sit for another 30-45 minutes, or until the candy is set, and enjoy!

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

These Halloween Rice Krispie Treats would make the cutest no-bake Halloween party dessert. They’re perfect for kids and adults, and they’re super fun to decorate, too, so what’s not to love.

If you want to share these at a party or another entertaining event, here are some ideas for you:

• Make the krispie treats the day before the event. When they’re totally cool, cover with plastic wrap, and keep at room temperature.
• Double or triple the recipe. This one makes 12 treats, depending on the size, and if you think your guests will want or need more, definitely plan ahead and make more.
• Alternately, use store-bought krispie treats. If you don’t have time to make them on your own, purchase the pre-packaged ones from the store and just decorate them!
• Decorate the monsters with enough time to set them on a platter for guests to choose. Have fun with ‘em and use all kinds of colors and candy eyeballs. While I used white, black and orange candy melts, green and purple would be awesome options for more, too.
• Let your guests decorate the monsters. Wouldn’t it be fun to get guests in on the decorating? If hosting kids and adults, let the adults handle the candy melts, as they get pretty hot, and let the kids handle the spreading of the candy melts (depending on their ages), as well as the candy eyeballs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Tips and Tricks for the best crispy rice treats

• Use fresh marshmallows. They melt more easily and will provide a better texture for your treats. (How do I know this? I’ve attempted this recipe with older marshmallows, and they didn’t turn out quite right.)
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. After this point, the treats will begin to harden.
• Make them your own. While I made these into monsters, I can envision Halloween Rice Krispie treats being turned into ghosts or even mummies, too! No matter what you do, have fun with it. 🙂

More Halloween dessert recipes:

• Halloween Peanut Butter Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Halloween Brownies
• Dessert Nachos
• Easy Halloween Rum Balls