Description
These festive Rice Krispie Christmas Trees are a fun and delicious holiday treat. Soft marshmallow-coated cereal is shaped into vibrant green tree triangles, adorned with pretzel stick trunks, and decorated with drizzled white chocolate and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for holiday parties or to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces marshmallows (about 64 regular marshmallows or 8 cups of miniature marshmallows)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
- Green gel food coloring (as needed for desired tree color)
Decorations
- 12 mini pretzel sticks
- Christmas sprinkles (quantity as desired)
- 4 ounces white candy melts or white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside. This will prevent the Rice Krispie mixture from sticking.
- Melt butter and marshmallows: In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and marshmallows together, stirring continuously with a silicone spatula to avoid burning. Once melted and smooth, stir in the vanilla extract quickly.
- Add food coloring and cereal: Turn off the heat and immediately stir in green gel food coloring until the mixture reaches your desired shade of green. Then quickly add the Rice Krispie cereal and stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Press mixture into pan: Transfer the green Rice Krispie mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place an extra piece of parchment paper over the top and gently but firmly press the mixture flat into the pan to create an even layer. Let it cool completely for at least one hour.
- Cut into tree shapes: Lift the cooled Rice Krispie block out of the pan using the parchment paper. Place it on a cutting board and cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. Then cut each long piece into six triangles to form holiday tree shapes. Carefully insert a mini pretzel stick at the base of each triangle to serve as the tree trunk.
- Melt white chocolate and decorate: Place white candy melts or white chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. Melt according to package instructions at half power until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate into a freezer zip-top bag, snip a small corner, and drizzle the chocolate over each tree. Immediately sprinkle Christmas sprinkles on top. Allow the chocolate to cool and set before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have parchment paper, grease the baking dish generously with butter or non-stick spray.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant green without affecting the texture of the marshmallow mixture.
- Mini pretzel sticks provide the perfect size for tree trunks, but regular pretzels can be cut to fit.
- The white chocolate drizzle can be substituted with colored melts or icing for different decoration options.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Rice Krispie Treats, Christmas Treats, Holiday Snacks, Festive Desserts, Marshmallow Treats, No Bake Desserts, Christmas Tree Snacks
