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
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
Just made these!! Except I mixed in the Christmas color mini M&Ms instead of putting the chocolate and candy canes on top!! SO GOOD!!!!
If you are going for looks, definitely use either the peppermint marshmallows or the plain white ones. I discovered with my using the Chocolate mint marshmallows that they turned the Rice Krispie treats a very unappealing shade of gray. They tasted fine, they just looked funny in that color!
why vegetable oil instead of shortening?
no matter 🙂 I made these, ate one, and then dropped the rest of them off at my favorite radio station as a Thank You for the movie passes (and other stuff) that I won from them! 🙂 THEY ARE YUMMY!
I made these last night and they were DELICIOUS!!! I must not have put enough oil in my white chocolate because it wasn’t creamy, and I used milk chocolate–which I added the peppermint flavoring to. YUMMY. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it will definitely be on my holiday goodie plates!
I made these for a Christmas open house last night and they were a hit. I loved the easy and cheap preparation, and my guests thought the peppermintiness was a fun surprise. The drizzled chocolate and peppermint pieces on top definitely make them seem special—more than just your ordinary rice crispy treat. `I happened to use the Andes peppermint bark pieces, too, and they were great.
I made these today and they are delicious! I’m not a huge fan of candy canes so I think next time I will get the Andes peppermint bark pieces like someone else mentioned and top the white and dark chocolate with those! Thank you for another winner!
Which do you think would be better…the old school candy canes or the softer peppermint nugget thingies?
Made these today!!! So good!!! Shared them with friends and now I have to make them for my husband’s work Christmas party!!! Thanks for the great great idea!!! Took me 3 days to find the marshmallows! Nom nom nom!!!!
I made these this afternoon and they are DELICIOUS!! I found the marshmallows at Walmart; our grocery stores in Lawrence, KS do not have them.
I had to add a bit more oil to my white chocolate chips as they were chalky rather than smooth upon melting. Also I needed to melt my chips at 50% power.
YUMMMOOO!!!
I had the same problem with my white chocolate chips turning out a bit chalky and not melting like they should have. Instead of adding more oil (which I had already put up and got lazy about pulling back out)I added two tablespoons of milk (2%) instead. They melted up fine after that.
Thanks for inviting us into your lives, Sara & Kate! LOVE this recipe! You have inspired me! Thought about shaping the krispies into “ornaments”, dipping them in choc and sprinkling with crushed candy canes/colored sugar (kiddos love dipping and sprinkling). Looking for ideas on what to use as a loop for the top..Licorice?