Grinch Rice Krispie Treats

They say that "the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day" after seeing the Christmas spirit in the hearts of the Whos down in Whoville. Share the love by making these Grinch Rice Krispie Treats for your family and friends.

The Grinch was a grouchy old guy until that fateful Christmas day in Whoville when his heart grew three sizes. I think the story of the Grinch reminds us all that Christmas is about sharing love and joy.

My favorite way to do that is to create something sweet to give to my family and friends. 

I've seen lots of Grinch Rice Krispie Treats this holiday season, but as I sat and watched two versions of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas this year, I was struck by the part where his heart grows three sizes so I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into my version of these Christmas Rice Krispie Treats. 

Grinch Rice Krispie Treat Video

 

How to make Grinch Rice Krispie Treats

These Grinch cereal treats are so easy to make but you definitely will want to start with the very best Rice Krispie Treat recipe. We taste-tested over 20 recipes to come up with the best. 

You'll need:

• 6 tablespoons European Salted Butter (for the very best flavor)
• 16 ounces Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmallows
• 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal*
• heart sprinkles, in 3 different sizes

*This recipe will produce really chewy treats loaded with marshmallows. You can add one extra cup of cereal if you prefer your treats a little less chewy but don't add any more or your treats will be a bit too dry.

Why use 3 different size heart sprinkles?

I wanted to represent the Grinch's small heart growing 3 sizes on Christmas day. Here are the sprinkles I used:

You can find these heart sprinkles from Amazon. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use the links above. There are other options out there so just use what you can find. 

Let's make the treats...

Instructions:

You can make your Grinch Rice Krispie Treats using the stovetop or the microwave, but the most important thing is that you do not overheat your marshmallows, or your treats will be hard. Just heat them until 75% of them are melted then stir and smash them until the remaining pieces melt. 

Stovetop method:

• Begin to melt the butter over low heat in a medium or large saucepan.
• Add the marshmallows to the saucepan and stir. 
• Continue to stir often, 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.
• Add green food coloring and stir. 
• If needed continue to add more coloring until you get a really vibrant "grinchy" green color. 
• Pour the marshmallows over the cereal and toss to combine.
• If your cereal treats are not green enough, you can add more drops of green food coloring then mix the cereal and marshmallows until the color blends through the entire batch of treats.*
• Pour into a well-buttered 9″X13″ pan.
• Quickly, while the marshmallow is still warm and sticky, add sets of 3 different sized heart sprinkles on top of the treats in 7 rows of 4.
  • This will make 28 relatively square treats. If you want larger treats then add fewer sets of the hearts. 
• Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour or so, before cutting into rectangles or squares.

*I prefer to add my coloring to the marshmallow mixture, but you'll notice in the video that I added more coloring to the cereal and marshmallow mixture. I wanted my treats to be vibrantly green so I added more coloring. It's a bit more challenging to get the color mixed in at that point but it will work with a lot of mixing. 

When you stir the coloring into the marshmallows it may look perfect but when you add the cereal and blend it all together the color will lighten quite a bit. So, make your color brighter than you want it in the end. 

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 and smashing the marshmallows until they all melt.
• If needed, reheat for 15-30 second increments, stirring after each until the marshmallows are fully melted.
• Stir in the green food coloring then toss with the rice crispy cereal.
• Spread into a well-buttered 9 by 13-inch pan.
• Attach the heart sprinkles (3 in each of 28 squares).
• Give the cereal treats time to cool before cutting.

NOTES:

• Every microwave is different so use these instructions as a guide.
• Be cautious not to overheat the marshmallows as they may burn.
• Also if you get the marshmallows too hot you end up with hard, rather than chewy, Rice Krispie Treats.
• Keep stirring the marshmallows to see if they will melt fully before heating them again.
• When you watch the video below you will notice that the marshmallows do not even look melted when they come out of the microwave but with consistent stirring they do melt fully.

What if my heart sprinkles won't stick?

If your sprinkles will not stick to your Rice Krispie Treats then you can use something sticky to attach them.

• My favorite choice would be to use Clear Piping Gel to attach the heart sprinkles to the cereal treats but you can also use green candy melts or green frosting. 
  • Dip a food-use-only paintbrush or toothpick into the piping gel, candy melts or frosting then brush a dab on a heart. 
  • Press it onto the cereal treat with the sticky stuff facing towards the treat. 

Green Grinch Cereal Treats Recipe

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