These Cap'n Crunch Cereal Treats will bring out the kid in anyone. Each crunchy bar is loaded with gooey marshmallows and can be made using plain Cap'n Crunch cereal or Crunch Berries.
Did you grow up eating Cap'n Crunch cereal? How about Rice Krispie Treats?
Imagine blending these childhood favorites together to create these crispy, crunchy, chewy, Cap'n Crunch Cereal Treats.
We've had so much fun using a variety of kid-friendly cereals to create delicious marshmallow treats including Fruity Pebbles Rice Crispy Treats, Cocoa Krispie Treats, and Froot Loops Cereal Bars.
These new treats made using Cap'n Crunch Berries Cereal are my absolute favorite, so far! I really thought they would be too sweet but they were not as sweet as expected. These bars really taste like cereal and milk.
Unlike a traditional rice crispy treat, that is made using small crisp rice cereal, these treats made using Cap'n Crunch Berries Cereal have much fewer cereal pieces to blend with the marshmallows, so you really see the gooey marshmallows when you look at these bars.
I really enjoyed the fruit flavors of the Crunch Berries but you can definitely make these with plain Captain Crunch cereal.
I also love the bright colors of the berry-flavored cereal balls. These treats are colorful and fun enough to serve for a birthday party but are easy enough to make for an afternoon snack.
Let's make Cap'n Crunch Bars!
You'll Need:
- 4 tablespoons of European-style salted butter (this will give you the absolute best flavor)
- 10 ounces Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows (store brand marshmallows might be a bit stickier, so you may need to add more cereal if you use store brand marshmallows)
- 6 cups Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries Cereal
- 8-inch or 9-inch pan (well-buttered or sprayed with non-stick baking spray)
Stovetop method:
- Begin melting the butter in a saucepan set over low heat.
- Then add the marshmallows and stir occasionally until about 75% of the marshmallows are melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir, smashing the marshmallows using a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, until the marshmallows completely melt and become smooth.
- Stir in the Cap'n Crunch Berries Cereal.
- Pour into a well-buttered 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Allow them to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into rectangles or squares.
Microwave Method:
- Combine the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat on high power for 1 minute then remove and stir until the melted butter blends with the marshmallows.
- Keep stirring until the marshmallows melt.
- If needed, reheat for 15-second increments, stirring after each, until the marshmallows are fully melted.
- Stir in the Cap'n Crunch Cereal then spread into a well-buttered 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Give the cereal treats time to cool before cutting.
Pro Tips
- Do not overheat your marshmallows.
- If marshmallows get too hot, the sugar will begin to caramelize, thereby making your treats hard and crunchy instead of gooey.
How to store cereal bars
- These treats are best the day they are made but they can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
- If you refrigerate the treats, the cereal may become too soft.
- If you wrap the treats well in non-stick tin foil and then place them in a zip-top bag you may freeze the treats for up to a month. To thaw set the treats on your counter for at least 1 hour before un-wrapping the treats.
Oops All Berries Treats
You can buy boxes of just the berry-flavored round puffs of Cap'n Crunch cereal and use them to make delicious fruit-flavored cereal treats.
You can use the same ratio of marshmallows, butter, and cereal if you use Cap'n Crunch Oops All Berries Cereal instead of Cap'n Crunch Berries Cereal.
Just follow the recipe below and swap out the cereal.
Treats made using this cereal are brightly colored and fruit-flavored.
4th of July Marshmallow Treats
Cap'n Crunch Marshmallow Treats Recipe
Did you make this recipe or have questions? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below.
Cap'n Crunch Cereal Treats
Equipment
- 8-inch or 9-inch pan (well-buttered or sprayed with non-stick baking spray)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 10 ounces Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows
- 6 cups Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries Cereal
Instructions
Stovetop method:
- Begin melting the butter in a saucepan set over low heat.
- Then add the marshmallows and stir occasionally until about 75% of the marshmallows are melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir, smashing the marshmallows using a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, until the marshmallows completely melt and become smooth.
- Stir in the Cap'n Crunch Berries Cereal.
- Pour into a well-buttered 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Allow to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into rectangles or squares.
Microwave Method:
- Combine the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat on high power for 1 minute then remove and stir until the melted butter blends with the marshmallows.
- Keep stirring until the marshmallows melt.
- If needed, reheat for 15-second increments, stirring after each, until the marshmallows are fully melted.
- Stir in the Cap'n Crunch Cereal then spread into a well-buttered 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Give the cereal treats time to cool before cutting.
Notes
- Do not overheat your marshmallows. If marshmallows get too hot, the sugar will begin to caramelize, thereby making your treats hard and crunchy instead of gooey.
- These treats are best the day they are made but can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
- If you refrigerate the treats, the cereal may become too soft, so I do not suggest storing these cereal bars in the refrigerator.
- Instead, place the treats in a large zip-top bag and freeze for up to a month. To thaw set the treats on your counter for at least 1 hour before opening the bag.
- If you use berry-flavored Red, White, and Blue Crunch Cereal (star-shaped Cap'n Crunch cereal), you might want to add an additional 1 cup of cereal so your treats won't be too sticky.
Large Batch Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 16 ounces marshmallows
- 9 cups Cap'n Crunch Cereal
- Follow the instructions above but spread the cereal treat mixture into a 9x13-inch pan.
More Kid's Cereal Treat Recipe Ideas
Cake Batter Funfetti Rice Krispie Treats
Florentina Bella
My daughter begged me to make these for her and she wanted me to tell you that they were the best dessert we've made during the time we've been stuck at home. I've made cakes and cookies and even pies and she loved these treats made with 3 ingredients the best. HaHa. They did taste better than I ever imagined and they made her very happy.
HowToMakeCerealTreats
That's so cute! Sometimes it's the simplest desserts that make people the happiest. - Beth
Maya Swart
YUM, YUM, YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin M.
We just made a pan of these cereal bars and my family ate the entire pan in one sitting. This recipe is a keeper.
HowToMakeCerealTreats
These treats are definitely irresistible. I'm glad you all enjoyed them.
Loreen Laney
I have always loved Cap'n Crunch and it's my son's favorite breakfast cereal. We made these treats this week and they are now his favorite dessert ever! Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth Klosterboer
I'm so happy to hear your son loved these Cap'n Crunch Cereal Treats!
G. Anesh
YUM!!!! Cap'n Crunch is my favorite cereal and these treats were the bomb!
Jacklyn Mounts
My kids loved these treats and so did their mom! LOL!
Meaghan Mountford
That's wonderful Jacklyn, thank you!
Sharon
What is the ingredient ratio for Cap'n Crunch original in a 13 x 9 x 2 please? I thought it might be the same as Fruity Pebbles because they are almost the same size, but the ingredients for small was not the same as small Cap'n Crunch so I'm pretty sure the large will be different, too. Thank you.
B. Collins
Too good to be true!!!