Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats. What’s not to love here? These are one of my all-time favorite holiday treats because they’re kind of fancy, yet so super easy to make and everyone loves them.
Ingredients Needed
- mini marshmallows
- butter – no substitutions!
- Rice Krispie-style cereal
- peppermint extract
- semi-sweet dark, or peppermint chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- vegetable oil
- candy canes – you’ll want to crush these, and then separate the “dust” from the “bigger chunks”.
How to Make Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats
- Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly butter the bottom and sides.
- Crush candy canes in a plastic bag; separate larger pieces from the peppermint “dust.”
- Melt butter in a large bowl, add marshmallows, and heat until smooth.
- Stir in Rice Krispies, peppermint extract, and a few tablespoons of candy cane dust.
- Press mixture into prepared pan with buttered hands.
- Melt white and dark chocolate chips (separately) with a little oil, stirring until smooth.
- Drizzle chocolates over the treats and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Let chocolate set (chill if needed), then cut into squares.
Storage & Other Tips
- Sizing: I wrote this recipe for a 10oz bag of marshmallows, because that’s a common size. If you make them in a 9×13 pan as written, they will be on the thinner side. If you like your Rice Krispie treats thicker, you can make them in smaller pan, or do as I did for the ones photographed here and 1 1/2x the Rice Krispie part of the recipe. That works out perfect for the brand of Kroger marshmallows that I buy that come in a 15oz bag.
- Line your pan. It makes it SO much easier to cut out nice bars without having to smash half the pan in first. I used tin foil here, but you can also use parchment. Once that’s in place, use butter to grease the bottom of your pan as well. If you use non-stick spray, it will leave a foul tasting residue on your delicious little treats and then they won’t be delicious anymore.
- Huge peppermint fan? You can also add a little peppermint oil (not extract) to the chocolate, or use melted mint chocolate chips instead of regular.
- Chocolate streaks: when drizzling the chocolate, I like to use a spoon and let big chunks of the chocolate fall on there. It’s yummier that way.
- Use a sharp knife to cut. Warming the knife slightly and coating it with butter helps create clean, smooth edges.
- Press mixture gently: Lightly grease your hands or spatula with butter to press the crispy mix into the pan without compressing it too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the bars thicker?
Yes! If you prefer thicker treats, either use a smaller pan or increase the Rice Krispies and marshmallow mixture by 1½×, especially if your marshmallow bag is larger than 10 oz.
Why butter instead of spray the pan?
Butter prevents that weird taste from nonstick sprays and still makes it easy to remove the treats cleanly from the pan .
What’s the best way to melt and layer the chocolates?
Melt each chocolate with a touch of oil in short microwave bursts or over a double boiler. Drizzle or spoon on and refrigerate between layers so they don’t blend together.
How should I store them?
Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–4 days.
Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats
These Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats are perfect and festive for the holiday season! See the recipe notes for lots of tips.
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 10 – 11 ounce bag mini marshmallows see notes
- 4 tablespoons butter no substitutions, plus extra to butter pan
- 6 cups Rice Krispie-style cereal
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract more if desired; I like a little extra; see notes
- 3 tablespoons chocolate chips semi-sweet, dark, or peppermint
- 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil divided
- 3-4 candy canes crushed, medium-sized
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 pan with foil or parchment paper, and lightly butter bottom and about 1 inch up the sides.
- Place unwrapped candy canes in a heavy duty plastic bag and smash until crushed. Pour into bowl and gently shake so large pieces settle on top and “dust” settles on bottom. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a very large bowl in the microwave. Add marshmallows and stir to coat. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. (You can do that whole process on the stovetop as well.)
- Add Rice Krispies, peppermint extract, and a few tablespoons of candy cane “dust” and stir to evenly combine. With buttered hands, press mixture into prepared pan.
- Place white chocolate chips and ⅛ teaspoon oil in a small bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Repeat same process with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Drizzle both chocolates on top of Rice Krispie treats and sprinkle candy canes on top. Let sit until chocolate is set, place pan in fridge to speed process along. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Sizing: I wrote this recipe for a 10oz bag of marshmallows, because that’s a common size. If you make them in a 9×13 pan as written, they will be on the thinner side. If you like your Rice Krispie treats thicker, you can make them in smaller pan, or do as I did for the ones photographed here and 1 1/2x the Rice Krispie part of the recipe. That works out perfect for the brand of Kroger marshmallows that I buy that come in a 15oz bag.
- Huge peppermint fan? You can also add a little peppermint oil (not extract) to the chocolate, or use melted mint chocolate chips instead of regular.
- Chocolate streaks: when drizzling the chocolate, I like to use a spoon and let big chunks of the chocolate fall on there. It’s yummier that way.
- Use a sharp knife to cut. Warming the knife slightly and coating it with butter helps create clean, smooth edges.
- Press mixture gently: Lightly grease your hands or spatula with butter to press the crispy mix into the pan without compressing it too much.
Nutrition
Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 38mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 788IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 3mg
Calories: 98kcal
Cost: $5
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Questions & Reviews
I just got done making chocolate cupcakes. I filled the inside of the cake batter with 4 little peppermint marshmallows and then put the rest of the batter on top. Next Milk Chocolate Whipped icing (from the can, not inspired to make it from scratch today!) and then a great treat for tonight after dinner!!! Next I think I’ll try peppermint fudge!!!!
Ah, kindreds! I made Rice Krispy treats using the peppermint marshmallows last week with friends for a movie night. I saved a handful of whole marshmallows to stir in along with about a cup of mini marshmallows. They were so yummy, and YES! They are the perfect Christmas treat!
Duh… I meant a cup of mini chocolate chips. And I failed to mention that as I ate them I thought ‘these need crushed candy canes on top’. Great minds!
So between the 7000 cookies I always make around this time of the year, I have our first year of preschool with an official-mommy-must-provide-something Christmas Party! These wonderful little beauts may be just what I’m looking forward. And if not, I’ll just eat the whole pan myself!
Ohhh can You use Coco Krispees? Yummmmmmmmm………
Ohhhhh why did I not think of that?!
Seriously!? I had to Pinterest this before I even bothered to read it! cuz well Yeah! I’m gonna make them! hello?
Rice krispy treats were the first thing I made with those marshmallows! I went back to get more and they were all gone!! Next time I’ll have to stock up. Adding the chocoloate sounds fabulous!
I think I need these right now!! What a fabulous idea!! 🙂
Yay!! My FHE treat for tonight. 🙂
Those look so pretty, they make me wish I liked peppermint. I know, kinda strange… I do like a very mild mint but only with chocolate. 🙂 I think the odds of finding someone to make these for who does like peppermint are pretty good though. Maybe this way I won’t eat it all before I have a chance to give it away. Ha!
I LOVE the costco peppermint bark and I bought some a month ago, well we had company come and as I was unwilling to share it all I gave them some and then tucked it away. Well, I can’t imagine how but I forgot about it…and did I mention I live in Houston? The candy cane pieces were utterly soggy! I was totally bummed, but now there is hope again!!! I am so going to try these because you cannot go wrong with this combo! Thank you!
ohhh no! Once I hid my favorite candy because I didn’t want to share and I hid it so well *I* couldn’t remember where I put it! I found it a whopping 6 months later, only to be ruined, lol!