black Rice Krispie Treats

It's easy to create any color Rice Krispie Treats! Simply mix in food coloring .

black Rice Krispie Treats

To make black Rice Krispie Treats, start with our BEST, taste-tested Rice Krispie Treat recipe and mix food coloring into the marshmallow and butter mixture.

For most of our colorful Rice Krispie Treat recipes, such as pink, blue, and yellow, we provide instructions for both liquid and gel food coloring.

However, black is a bit trickier. Because it's so dark, it takes a good bit of food coloring, and black liquid food coloring isn't easy to find. Therefore, we recommend specific black gel paste food coloring that will maximize color with the fewest drops to not affect the taste of the treats.

Because to achieve dark colors requires so much food coloring, do keep in mind that the food coloring can temporarily stain hands and, more importantly, temporarily stain mouths and teeth.

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ingredients

You only need a few ingredients to make these no-bake treats.

• butter - After extensive taste-testing, we found using European-style salted butter gives the very best flavor.
• crisp rice cereal - Kellogg's Rice Krispies is our go-to cereal when making treats.
• marshmallows - You can use mini or regular marshmallows just be sure to use a fresh package.
  • Old marshmallows will be too dry and will cause your treats to be dry.
  • We highly recommend using Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows. Store-bought marshmallows can be too chewy and sticky.
  • Read our Marshmallow Conversion post for tips on how different brands have different weights.
• black food coloring

which food coloring do I use?

For the best coloring with little effect on altering the taste of the treats, I suggest using GEL paste food coloring. You can find gel pastes in the craft store. Specifically, I recommend using Americolor Soft Gel Paste Super Black, found online.

TOOLS you'll need:

Extra large mixing bowl -- It's best to have room to mix the cereal with the marshmallow mixture. Grease the bowl with butter or non-stick spray.

Medium sauce pan OR large microwave-safe bowl -- You may melt the butter and marshmallows either on the stove-top or the microwave.

8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan -- I prefer the smaller size for thicker treats.

silicone spatulas -- My personal preference for mixing treats.

Non-stick cooking spray and non-stick foil --It helps to spray your pan, bowls, and spatulas with cooking spray. You may also line the baking pan with non-stick foil.

Instructions:

Add the Rice Krispies to a greased, large bowl.

Line an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper OR grease well.

To make Rice Krispie Treats on the stove-top:

Start to melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and heat, stirring frequently, until almost all of the marshmallows have melted.

Remove from the heat and stir well until very smooth.

To make Rice Krispie Treats in the microwave:

Place the marshmallows and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

Heat for 1 minute and let sit for a couple minutes. Stir very well until smooth and melted. If needed, microwave for an additional 15 seconds.

Add food coloring

Add a few drops of black food coloring to the marshmallow mixture and stir well. Continue adding drops and stirring until you reach the desired shade.

With a spatula, scrape the mixture over the cereal and stir until well combined. We do NOT recommend pouring the cereal into the hot marshmallow mixture because your treats will become soggy.

Transfer to the baking pan and flatten gently.

Let the treats cool and set 1 to 2 hours before cutting into squares.

Storage

Store your treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

To keep them longer, you can place the treats in a zip-top bag, remove all the air, and freeze them for up to 3 months.

For more information, check out our post on freezing Rice Krispie Treats.

Can I make these treats in a 9x13-inch pan?

Yes, but you'll need to adjust the quantities. See the notes in the recipe card.

What can I make with black Rice Krispie Treats?

• Top with Halloween-themed sprinkles for an easy Halloween treat.
• Cut out cats, bats, and witch hats for Halloween. Check out our post on how to make an entire sheet pan of Rice Krispie Treats to cut out with cookie cutters.
• Make "coal" treats for Christmas.
• These no-bake treats would be perfect to make spider Rice Krispie Treats
• Or Mickey Mouse treats.

printable recipe

black Rice Krispie Treats

Meaghan Mountford

How to make Black Rice Krispie Treats with gel paste food coloring. Great for Halloween, "coal" for Christmas, or Mickey Mouse treats.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 minute min

Rest for 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 treats

Calories 115 kcal

Equipment

• non-stick cooking spray
• non-stick foil or parchment paper (or, grease the baking pan well)
• 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan (see notes for 9 x 13 inch baking pan instructions)
• large mixing bowl
• saucepan OR microwave-safe bowl
• silicone spatulas

Ingredients

  

• 4 ⅔ cups Rice Krispies
• 4 tablespoons salted, European-style butter
• 10 ounces marshmallows (about 40 regular or 6 cups mini)
• black gel paste food coloring (Americolor Soft Gel Paste in Super Black recommended)

Instructions

 

• TIP: Grease your bowls and spatulas with non-stick cooking spray.
• Grease a large bowl and add the cereal. 
• To make in the microwave, place the marshmallows and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute and let sit for a couple minutes.Stir very well until smooth.
• To make on the stove-top, start to melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir well.After 75% of the marshmallows have melted, remove from heat and stir well to completely melt the marshmallows. The mixture should be smooth.
• Add several drops of black food coloring to the marshmallow mixture. Add additional drops, stirring, until desired shade is achieved. You'll need quite a bit of food coloring, but I only go for a dark grey. Too much food coloring can affect the taste.
• Use a spatula to scrape the mixture over the cereal. Stir well until evenly coated.
• Transfer to the baking pan. Flatten gently and evenly.
• Let set 1 to 2 hours before cutting into squares.

Notes

Store your treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You may also freeze the treats. 

To make treats in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, use these measurements. 

•   6 tablespoons butter
• 16 ounces marshmallows
• 7 cups Rice Krispies 

WARNING: The food coloring can temporarily stain your mouth after eating the tinted Rice Krispie Treats, and food coloring can stain your hands when working with the dye. 

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