Enjoy the flavors of pumpkin pie in a cereal treat. These 3-ingredient Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats will make a wonderful dessert for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
If you love the flavor of pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread and you love Rice Krispie Treats, you can combine the two into one delicious fall dessert.
When I first decided to make pumpkin-flavored rice crispy treats I went the obvious route of adding pumpkin puree to our very best Rice Krispie Treat recipe.
I knew I needed to remove as much moisture from the pumpkin puree as possible, so I spread it on paper towels and pressed out all the liquid before stirring it into the marshmallow and cereal mixture. Then I added pumpkin pie spice.
I had high hopes!
Did Pumpkin Puree Work?
NOPE!
The flavor was wonderful, but sadly the texture was awful.
The pumpkin treats tasted stale and soggy. Not good.
So, I had to find an alternative.
Kraft Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
These pumpkin-shaped and pumpkin spice flavored marshmallows worked perfectly.
They added just the right amount of pumpkin pie flavor to the treats. They also gave the treats a nice fall color.
I do realize these are a seasonal product. If you can’t find the marshmallows, you can opt to add a bit of pumpkin flavoring to the marshmallows, then add pumpkin pie spice.
I have not tried this, so I can’t tell you exact measurements, but I’m guessing you’ll need 1/2 – 1 teaspoon pumpkin flavoring and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (unless the oil is already flavored with the spices).
How to make pumpkin treats.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 ounces pumpkin spice marshmallows*
*Notes about Pumpkin Marshmallows
- Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows come in 8-ounce bags, instead of 10-ounce or 16-ounce like their regular marshmallows.
- I tried the Walmart pumpkin spice marshmallows and found they had virtually no pumpkin flavor. I actually thought they tasted like cream soda. They were odd. I wouldn’t recommend using them to make these cereal bars.
- SmashMallows Pumpkin Pie Marshmallows would be delicious in these treats, but they are a bit pricey.
Stovetop Method:
- Grease a large mixing bowl with butter, or spray it with cooking spray, then pour in the 4 cups Rice Krispies Cereal.
- Begin to melt 3 tablespoons of salted butter in a medium-large saucepan set over low heat.
- Add one (8-ounce) bag of the pumpkin spice marshmallows to the pan.
- Stir the marshmallows occasionally until about 75% of them are melted.
- Then remove the pan from the heat, and continue to stir, smashing the marshmallows, until they have all melted.
- This process keeps your marshmallows from getting too hot. Overheated marshmallows create hard cereal treats.
- Pour the melted marshmallows over the cereal and toss to coat.
- Spread into a well-greased 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Allow the treats to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
- Remove the treats from the pan and cut into squares or rectangles.
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 rice crispy cereal then spread the mixture into a well-buttered 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan.
- Cut into 16 squares.
How to store these treats?
- Place them in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature for about for up to 5 days.
- Be sure you keep them out of direct sunlight and away from any heat source.
- I’m guessing that these will not stick around that long and that you’ll be heading to the store to buy more ingredients to make another batch well before day five!
Can I freeze them?
Yes, you can!
- If you want to freeze the treats, wrap them really well in non-stick tin foil or wax paper, then place them in a large zip-top bag, and place them in the freezer for up to three months.
- To thaw the treats, pull them out of the freezer and let them sit at room temperature in the packaging for at least an hour before opening the bag.
We are sharing some of the very best Rice Krispie Treat recipes here on our site and also have lots of tips and tricks to save you time and money when making your own treats at home. Be sure to check out our Rice Krispie Treat FAQ to read them all.
Can I make this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan?
- 8 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 16 ounces pumpkin spice marshmallows
- (this is 2 bags of Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Marshmallows)
You can find items needed to make this recipe on Amazon. I earn a small commission for sales using the links in this post at no extra cost to you.
Watch the video to see how easy this recipe is to make for your fall dessert.
Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- 8-inch or 9-inch square pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 ounces pumpkin spice marshmallows
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan and a large mixing bowl with butter or non-stick spray.
- Pour the Rice Krispies Cereal into the large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan set over low heat.
- Add the pumpkin spice marshmallows and toss to coat in the butter.
- Stir the marshmallows occasionally until about 75% of them are melted.
- Then remove the pan from the heat, and continue to stir, smashing the marshmallows, until they have all melted.
- This process keeps your marshmallows from getting too hot. Overheated marshmallows create hard cereal treats.
- Pour the melted marshmallows over the cereal and toss to coat.
- Spread into your prepared pan.
- Allow the treats to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
- Remove the treats from the pan and cut into 16 squares.
Notes
- Store these treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- You can easily double this recipe and spread the mixture into a 9x13-inch pan.
You might also like these other Fall and Halloween Rice Krispie Treat recipes…
Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins
Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats
Did you make this recipe and think it was great or do have any questions? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe using stars (5 stars is the best!)
We love creating easy Rice Krispie Treats recipes to share with you and hope you find our tips and instructions helpful.
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