July 4 Rice Krispie Treats

Marshmallowy, crispy and colorful, these patriotic July 4 Rice Krispie Treats will make your summer holidays even sweeter. Cheer on the red, white and blue with these chewy, childhood-favorite treats decorated with drizzles of tri-colored icing. 

July 4 Rice Krispie Treats Recipe 

No-bake desserts are a MUST in the summer. The Texas heat does not mess around, and I never want to turn on my oven when it’s sizzling outside.

Rice krispie treats are everyone’s favorite, so they are a good no-bake choice to have at any gathering. They’re kid-friendly, but they also remind grown-ups of their childhood. We love a nostalgic dessert around these parts.

They’re also so fun to change up with flavors and mix-ins like peanut butter and Oreos. A tray of rice krispie treats also makes a great blank slate to decorate for any holiday, like for Easter with Peeps or for Halloween with monster candy.

This July 4 version is THE dessert of summer because it’s perfect to have around for patriotic holidays. It’s no bake and it’s fun to decorate. You can even invite the kids to help!

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This is a riff on my classic treats with patriotic colors and decorations. This could be done for any holiday, if you want, but it’s especially great for these summer holidays when you don’t want to turn on the oven.

Why I love this recipe: 

Homemade Rice Krispie Treats are full of marshmallowy goodness, and they so incredibly simple to make. 

They’re also insanely easy to decorate with patriotic colors and to eat (and keep eating). 

​Honestly, there are a lot of reasons to love these Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats. They include…

• This Rice Krispie 4th of July treats recipe is no bake! Perfect for summertime when you avoid turning on the oven. (You do have to stand by the stove for a bit though, but it’s fast!) 
• Rice Krispies are so fun to decorate. My kids, in particular, love this part, and I bet yours will, too.
• These are your classic rice krispie treats but with some holiday pizzazz. 

Depending on your kids’ ages, you can have them help at the stovetop, too. If they’re too young, they can help out with the measuring and the patting down (so long as they have a watchful eye and helping hand to assist, if necessary, since these are hot when they come out of the pot.)

More patriotic recipes to try: Mixed Berry Muffins | Patriotic Popsicles | Red White & Blue Appetizers | Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Nonstick cooking spray
• Wax paper or parchment paper
• A large pot (like a 6-7 qt. Dutch oven)
• 9”x13” baking dish
• A large mixing bowl (it’s important for it to be a heat safe bowl)
• Rubber spatula
• Metal spatula
• Piping bags

Here are the simple ingredients that you’ll need:

• Crispy rice cereal — use your favorite brand! Rice Krispies cereal is a classic, but I’ve been known to make these with the whole wheat variety for my kids, but honestly, any variation is good. You could even use chocolate rice krispies. If you want to make gluten free treats, make sure to purchase gluten free crispy rice cereal. 
• Butter — you can use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted butter, don’t add the 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, promise.
• Kosher salt — you only need to add this if you’re using unsalted butter! Otherwise, they’ll be too salty. 
• 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 most easily! If you have jumbo ones, cut them up into small pieces with kitchen shears so that they melt more efficiently.
• Sprinkles — patriotic sprinkles make these stand out. Use little stars or red and blue jimmies. Have fun with this! 
• Candy melts — you’ll need red, white and blue candy melts to drizzle on top of the treats. These add a little extra punch of sweetness, as well as that fabulous color. 

How to jazz up crispy rice treats

Rice Krispie Treats are easily made festive for any occasion or celebration. Stick to a holiday color scheme — like red, white and blue — and go from there. 

We’ve used candy melts, as well as sprinkles and holiday-themed chocolate-coated candies to decorate our rice krispie treats to elevate them .

Here are a few more ideas:

• Stir in patriotic sprinkles at the very end, and transform these into Confetti Rice Krispie Treats. The red and blue speckles throughout each bite will be a nice surprise when you bite into them. 
• Add mini chocolate chips to the top as a chocolatey topping! I caution against stirring them in because they will melt into the hot marshmallow mixture. You could use white chocolate chips for the “white” in red, white and blue. 
• Decorate like a flag. Spread on the blue candy melts in the top left corner with a spatula and sprinkle with star sprinkles or candies. Drizzle on the red and white ones in a striped fashion. (The American flag has 13 red and white stripes: 7 red and 6 white. The top and bottom stripes are both red.) 
• Dip cut bars in colorful candy melts, white chocolate or dark chocolate on top to make Dipped Rice Krispie Treats. You could also add another drizzle of candy melts in a contrasting color.
• Switch up the extract. Use the same amount of almond extract, lemon extract, peppermint extract in place of the vanilla extract to switch up the flavor in these no bake dessert bars.
• Use a different cereal, like Cocoa Krispies or Fruity Pebbles for a colorful cereal treats! Cap’n Crunch makes a red, white and blue cereal that they sell in the summertime. 
• Make layered bars. Divide the recipe into thirds and make three separate layers. Add red food coloring to one batch, then clean the pot. Press down the red layer. Then make a regular “white” layer, then add blue food coloring to the third. 

How to make Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treats

Everyone will be starry-eyed for these patriotic 4th of July rice krispie treats. Here’s what to do: 

Prepare the pan. I like using a 9”x13” baking dish and lining it with wax paper or a piece of parchment paper. This will make removing the crispy rice treats easy. You can also give the paper a spritz 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 pinch of salt, then add marshmallows and stir.

Continually stir until these have melted completely, then splash in the vanilla and stir.

Please note that we are making these on the stovetop, not in the microwave. I have not tried that method with this particular recipe.

Mix the treats. Turn off the 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 cereal 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.

Decorate! Sprinkle the sprinkles on top of the treats, and gently press them in with a rubber spatula or with greased hands.

Then melt colored candy melts according to package directions and drizzle over your treats in whatever pattern is pleasing to you. 

Let cool. I know it’s tempting to eat them now, but they need to cool for 30 minutes before removing them from the dish and cutting them into squares. Enjoy!

How to store:

Keep rice krispie treats in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. After this point, the treats will begin to harden and be chewier.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

This patriotic dessert are the perfect treat to make and share, be it for a summer bbqs, a potluck or more.

They’re fabulous for any patriot holidays, like Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day and July celebrations.

Here is some advice I’ve got about them for entertaining:

• In the hot summer, I recommend putting these in the fridge for a couple hours before bringing them outside so they hold their shape a little longer. 
• They WILL melt in the hot sunshine, so if they’re not gone in a flash, stick them in a cooler or bring them inside. 
• If you’re having a July 4 gathering, why not let your party guests help you decorate while you enjoy appetizers, then they’ll be ready by the time you’re ready for this easy dessert?

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks to making the best Fourth of July Krispie 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. There are so many rice krispie treat variations out there, so have fun with them! Add sprinkles, frosting and more to make ’em unique and perfect for holidays.

More July desserts to try:

• Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles
• Mint S’mores Bars
• Blackberry Cobbler
• Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Here’s how you make these…