These Valentine's Day rice krispie treats are easy treats to make for your loved ones. They're chewy and gooey with a satisfying crispiness and they're topped with chocolate ganache, freeze-dried raspberries, and sprinkles!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft, chewy, and gooey rice krispie treats. They have a satisfying chewy yet crispy texture. I've included tips for making rice krispie treats soft and gooey rather than hard and dense.
- Rich chocolate ganache layer. The addition of chocolate ganache takes these rice krispie treats to another level. Perfect for chocolate lovers!
- Customizable toppings. You can make the toppings as simple (just a sprinkle of flaky salt) or as fancy (add everything!) as you like. The toppings completely change the vibe so you can use the same recipe for Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas, or just for an everyday treat.
- Easy to make recipe. You can make these in less than an hour. They're perfect for making large batches or for making them with kids.
Tools
- 9x9" square pan - This recipe is scaled for a 9x9" pan or container. Since you don't need to bake anything, you can use just about any kind of container you like as long as you line it with parchment paper or wax paper. If you're using a larger pan, you can easily double the recipe.
Ingredients
As always, the fullย recipe cardย with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to theย recipe.
- Unsalted butter
- Mini marshmallows -ย Use mini-sized marshmallows so that they melt faster. If you only have large marshmallows, you can always cut them up into smaller pieces to mimic the same size - it's all the same once they're melted down. We're going to add a portion of the marshmallows near the end so that there are some larger marshmallow pieces in the rice krispie treats.
- Vanilla extract
- Rice Krispies cereal - You can't have rice krispie treats without the cereal that started it all. You can also use other kinds of similar puffed rice cereal for the same effect.
- Dark or milk chocolate -ย This is for the chocolate ganache layer on top. Dark chocolate balances out the sweetness of the marshmallow nicely but you can also use milk chocolate or a combination of both. It just depends on your tastes. Roughly chop the chocolate into smaller pieces so that they melt evenly.
- Heavy cream - We're using a ratio of 1:1 cream to chocolate for a pourable ganache that sets firmly for easy slicing. You can also use whipping cream with a lower fat content - it works just as well as heavy cream.
- Toppings - Use any toppings of your choice. Some ideas include: flaky salt, freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries, dried fruit, nuts, extra mini marshmallows, and sprinkles. Since these are Valentine's Day rice krispie treats, I opted for all pink and red-themed toppings.
How to make Valentine's Day rice krispie treats
Skip ahead to the recipe card for ingredient amounts and instructions.
Prep:ย Line a 9x9" pan with parchment paper on the bottom and all sides. Set aside.
Melt butter:ย In a large sautรฉ pan or saucepan, melt the butter on low-medium heat.
Melt marshmallows:ย Once melted, add ยพ of the marshmallows and vanilla extract into the pan, keeping the heat at low-medium. Stir the marshmallows around until they melt into a puffy and gooey mixture.
Fold in cereal:ย Add all the Rice Krispies cereal and the remaining marshmallows. Fold them together until everything is coated. It's ready when the last marshmallows you added just begin to melt.
Pat into pan:ย Transfer the mixture to your lined pan. Gently pat it into the corners of the pan. Don't press down too hard otherwise, your rice krispie treats will be tough. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
Add hot cream to chocolate:ย Place your chopped chocolate into a small heat-safe bowl and set aside. Heat heavy cream on the stovetop or in the microwave until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot heavy cream into the bowl of chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Stir ganache:ย Stir the cream and chocolate mixture until all the chocolate has melted and it becomes a smooth and glossy ganache.
Spread ganache layer:ย Pour the ganache over the rice krispie treats and smooth it into an even layer.
Add toppings:ย While the ganache is still warm, sprinkle the top with toppings of your choice (eg. flaky salt, extra marshmallows, freeze-dried raspberries, sprinkles). Let the ganache set until firm to the touch before slicing into squares.
Storage
These Valentine's Day rice krispie treats should be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Leftovers can be frozen by placing them in a freezer bag or wrapping them in plastic wrap and freezing for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before eating.
Tips for success
- Use low-medium heat. Your stove temperature is key to making rice krispie treats that are soft, chewy, and gooey. High heat will cook the sugar in the marshmallows to a candy stage which is what causes rice krispie treats to become hard. You don't need to go any higher than low-medium heat to melt the marshmallows and be careful not to overcook it either.
- Don't press them into the pan too hard. Many recipes will say to "press" the rice krispie mixture into the pan so it can be tempting to press it down hard and compress it into a flat layer. You should actually just gently "pat" the mixture into the pan, just enough to push it into the corners. Compacting them down too much can make your rice krispie treats too dense and tough.
More Valentine's Day dessert recipes to try
- Matcha-Covered Strawberries
- Matcha Strawberry Cake
- Heart-Shaped Chocolate Meringues
- Strawberry Chiffon Cake
- Strawberry Soju Cocktail
Recipe
Valentine's Day Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
Ingredientsย ย
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 300 g mini marshmallows, plus a handful extra for topping
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 g Rice Krispies cereal
- 150 g dark or milk chocolate, roughly chopped
- 150 g heavy cream
- flaky salt
- freeze-dried raspberries
- sprinkles
Instructionsย
- Prep: Line a 9x9" pan with parchment paper on the bottom and all sides. Set aside.
- Melt butter: In a large sautรฉ pan or saucepan, melt the butter on low-medium heat.
- Melt marshmallows: Once melted, add ยพ of the marshmallows and vanilla extract into the pan, keeping the heat at low-medium. Stir the marshmallows around until they melt into a puffy and gooey mixture.
- Fold in cereal: Add all the Rice Krispies cereal and the remaining marshmallows. Fold them together until everything is coated. It's ready when the last marshmallows you added just begin to melt.
- Pat into pan: Transfer the mixture to your lined pan. Gently pat it into the corners of the pan. Don't press down too hard otherwise, your rice krispie treats will be tough. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
- Add hot cream to chocolate: Place your chopped chocolate into a small heat-safe bowl and set aside. Heat heavy cream on the stovetop or in the microwave until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot heavy cream into the bowl of chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Stir ganache: Stir the cream and chocolate mixture until all the chocolate has melted and it becomes a smooth and glossy ganache.
- Spread ganache layer: Pour the ganache over the rice krispie treats and smooth it into an even layer.
- Add toppings: While the ganache is still warm, sprinkle the top with toppings of your choice (eg. flaky salt, extra marshmallows, freeze-dried raspberries, sprinkles). Let the ganache set until firm to the touch before slicing into squares.
Robin Happle says
How do o convert grams into cups etc? Very confusing and Iโve been wanting to make this for a few days now but Iโm confused by the grams. Please help. Thank you!