Color marshmallow cereal treats using pink food coloring. Create light pink, medium pink, or bright pink Rice Krispie Treats to use for baby showers, birthdays, or Valentine's Day.
Grease an extra-large mixing bowl and an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with butter.
Pour the cereal into the mixing bowl.
Cut the butter into 4 pieces and place in a medium saucepan.
Set the saucepan on LOW heat on the stove.
Allow the butter to begin melting, then add the marshmallows.
Let the marshmallows begin to melt, stirring often.
Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as about 75% of the marshmallows have melted. It will take about 5 minutes to reach this point.
Off heat, stir the marshmallows until they are completely melted.
Do not melt the marshmallows completely on the heat or overheat them as this will cause the sugar to crystalize causing your treats to be hard instead of nicely chewy.
Add a few drops of pink food coloring (for light pink treats) and stir until well blended. If you want brighter pink, add more drops of food coloring. Add more coloring as needed.
Be sure your marshmallows are brighter than you want your treats to be. Once they are mixed with the cereal, the color will be muted.
Pour the pink-colored melted marshmallows over the cereal and stir until well blended.
Spoon the marshmallow cereal mixture into the well-greased baking pan.
Gently press the cereal into an even layer in the pan. Do not compact the cereal or your treats will be too hard.
Allow the treats to cool down at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cutting them into squares.
Notes
Large Batch
To make your treats in a 9x13-inch pan, use these quantities:
7 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
6 tablespoons butter
16 ounces marshmallows
Microwave Melting Method:
If you prefer to use the microwave, combine the butter and marshmallows in a mixing bowl (preferably one with a spout and handle). Heat on high power for 1 minute. Then, let the bowl rest in the microwave for 3 minutes to allow the residual heat to continue to warm the marshmallows.Remove the bowl and stir until melted.Only if needed, you can reheat for 10-15 seconds. Remove and stir. Do not overheat!!!Pour over the cereal, mix, then spread into the pan.
Storage
Store your pink rice crispy treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or freeze them in an airtight container or large zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
Best ingredients to use:
Marshmallows
Use fresh marshmallows. Old marshmallows will cause your treats to be tough. Store-brand marshmallows tend to be overly sticky and are hard to blend with the cereal. We recommend using Jet-Puffed or Stay-Puff Marshmallows for the best results. Be sure to check out our Marshmallow Conversion chart to find out how many marshmallows are in 10 ounces (or 16 ounces) for this recipe.
Butter
Our taste testers preferred Rice Krispie Treats made using European-style salted butter. We recommend using something like Kerry Gold or President butter.
Natural Food Coloring
You may opt to use a store-bought natural pink food coloring or you can use crushed freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries or crushed candy canes to add a pink hue to your treats.
Tips for making perfectly chewy treats:
Do not smash the cereal mixture into the pan, overheat the marshmallows, or use old marshmallows.Do not pour your cereal into a hot saucepan or the cereal may get soggy making your treats taste stale.