Christmas Tree Rice Krispies treats are a great way to get your family in the holiday spirit. Cute green-colored tree-shaped Rice Krispies treats are topped with festive sprinkles and a drizzle of chocolate to mimic Christmas tree lights.
I’m using the classic recipe and adding just a few extra ingredients to turn them into a festive Christmas tree rice krispies recipe.
The perfect no-bake crispy treats to slice and serve up this holiday season. The best part of all, these Christmas Tree Rice Krispie treats are fun to make and there’s a crunchy, sweet flavor in every single bite.
I highly recommend making these for movie night, serving up a crowd at the holidays, or even taking them to a school party.
Pair your treats with these Christmas Marshmallow Pops or this sweet Holiday Cookie Fudge.
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Tree Rice Krispies
- No-bake Christmas Rice Krispie treats for kids and grown-ups! Everyone loves them.
- So much fun for kids to help decorate the treats. Kids of all ages will enjoy decorating with Christmas sprinkles.
- Holiday-inspired dessert for an easy afternoon snack or after-dinner dessert. Pack for school lunches or other school events where you need a sweet treat.
Serve these along with these Santa Hat Rice Krispie Treats for an adorable display.
To keep with the theme, serve up these Air Fryer Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls for a quick and fun breakfast Christmas treat.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowl
- Large Spoon
- Large Pot
- Measuring Cups
- Piping Bag or Sandwich Bag with Tip Cut Off
- Prepared Baking Dish
- Large Knife Or Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
RICE KRISPIES CEREAL: Rice Krispies cereal is the base of these Rice Krispie Christmas trees.
MARSHMALLOWS: Mini marshmallows are my go-to but you can use a bag of regular marshmallows too.
BUTTER: The melted butter offers a richness to the treats that make them stand out.
VANILLA: A small splash of pure vanilla extract enhances the flavor of these bars to a whole new level.
FOOD COLORING: A few drops of green food coloring makes it a festive treat.
PRETZEL STICKS: Pretzels are used for the base of the little trees. It mimics the tree trunk at the bottom of the tree. Plus, makes them easy to hold.
WHITE CHOCOLATE: White chocolate melts or white chocolate chips to decorate as the Christmas tree garland on the sweet and delicious treats. My favorite are these on Amazon: Ghirardelli White Chocolate Candy Melts.
SPRINKLES: To keep the holiday cheer add holiday sprinkles to top. I’m using these Christmas nonpareil sprinkles from Amazon to create the look of multi-colored lights on the Christmas tree.
How to Make Christmas Tree Rice Krispies
Here’s a quick overview. The detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Rice Krispies Directions
Prep: Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying it with a nonstick spray, a piece of wax paper, or parchment paper.
1. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add vanilla extract and mini marshmallows. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and add 4-5 drops of green food coloring.
2. Add cereal and stir until fully coated with the melted marshmallow mixture. Place rice krispie mixture in the baking pan, use firm pressure to spread the mixture. Add nonpareils on top and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the rice krispies treats from the pan and use a large knife to trim straight edges. Cut down the middle long ways. Then cut each section on an angle to crate a triangle. Place on a baking sheet.
Chocolate Drizzle Directions
1. Melt the white chocolate. Coat the end of the pretzel stick and insert into the flat bottom section of each triangle.
2. Add the melted white chocolate to a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a Ziploc bag. Place the open bag into a mug and spoon in the chocolate. Remove the bag and squeeze all the chocolate into one corner. Snip a small hole in the corner of the bag for piping on to the Christmas tree rice krispies.
3. Drizzle the melted chocolate in a zigzag patter to resemble garland.
4. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to help the chocolate quickly set up.
Tips
- Spray your hands with cooking spray to keep the cereal mixture from sticking to your hands.
- Don’t over press the mixture or it will make the homemade rice krispie treats too dense.
- If you don’t have a cookie cutter in a triangle shape for the Christmas tree shape, you can hand cut triangles out of the treats.
Variations
- Regular marshmallows or even jumbo marshmallows can be used instead of mini marshmallows.
- Add a star sprinkle on the top to look like the tree topper on the Rice Krispie Christmas trees.
- Decorate with other holiday candies like crushed candy cane, gummy treats, and more. This is an easy holiday treat that you can decorate any way you want.
- Use different colored chocolates to pipe on the tree to create a custom festive holiday treat.
Do These Taste Like the Classic Rice Krispie Treat Recipe?
Yes! They do, the only thing is they are shaped and colored to mimic a Christmas tree.
But they offer the same flavors of a classic Rice Krispie treat that you know and love. Plus a little extra sweet toppings.
Do I Have to Let the Mixture Set Up?
Yes, allowing time for the treats to set up is important.
If you slice into the bars right away, they will lose their shape and fall apart. Make sure to allow time for the bars to set up fully before you slice them into triangles to decorate.
How to Store Leftovers
Store these Rice Krispies Christmas trees in an airtight container at room temperature. If you are going to stack the treats, I recommend placing a layer of wax paper between the layers. This is a great thing to prevent the treats from sticking. The treats will last 5-6 days.
You can also freeze the treats as well. Place in a freezer container and freeze for 3-4 months. Then thaw on the counter at room temperature.
Christmas Tree Rice Krispies are the perfect treat for the holidays!
Christmas Tree Rice Krispies
Christmas Tree Rice Krispies treats are a great way to get your family in the holiday spirit. Cute green-colored tree-shaped Rice Krispies treats are topped with festive sprinkles and a drizzle of chocolate to mimic Christmas tree lights.
Ingredients
Christmas Tree Rice Krispies
- 6 cups rice krispie cereal
- 6 cups mini marshmallows
- 4 tablespoons butter, salted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food coloring
- Pretzel sticks
- Nonstick spray
Decorating
- 3/4 cup white chocolate melts
- 2 tablespoons Nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
How to Make Christmas Tree Rice Krispies
- Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying it with a nonstick spray, a piece of wax paper, or parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add in the marshmallows and stir continuously until melted.
- Add 4-5 drops of green food coloring and stir in well.
- Stir in the cereal mixture until coated with the marshmallow cream mixture.
- Spoon the coated rice krispies into the baking sheet and with firm pressure press down to spread the mixture.
- Sprinkle the nonpareils evenly over the top and press down gently so they will stick to the mixture.
- Allow the rice krispie mixture to cool for 30 minutes.
- Using a spatula gently loosen the edges of the treats. Turn the dish over onto a clean cutting board. Use a large knife to trim the edges so they are straight. Set aside the trimmed pieces.
- Cut the block of treats down the middle the long way. This will split the treats into two pieces.
- Cut each section on an angle to form triangle-shaped pieces.
- Place the white chocolate melts into a microwave-safe container. Follow the directions for your brand of white chocolate melts. If they do not have directions, then microwave for 1 minute at 50% power or on the defrost setting. Stir well. If not melted place in microwave for 30 seconds and stir again.
- Dip the end of the pretzel stick (about ½ to ¾ of an inch) into the white chocolate and gently insert it into the flat bottom section of each Christmas tree.
To Make White Chocolate Drizzle:
- Begin by creating a piping bag. Place a sandwich bag, corner first, into a mug or cup. Fold the edges over the mug or cup. Open the bag as much as possible to make spooning in the melted chocolate easier.
- Spoon the melted white chocolate into the bag.
- Remove the bag from the cup and squeeze all the chocolate into one corner of the bag. Squeeze out the excess air and twist the bag.
- Cut the tip of the bag off. You will want to cut a small amount, about 1/8 to ¼ of an inch off. This is to allow a thin drizzle of chocolate to come out to give the appearance of garland on the tree.
- Slowly squeeze the bag to allow the melted chocolate to come out. Drizzle the melted chocolate back and forth over the tree to resemble a garland that has been placed around the tree.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to help the chocolate quickly set up.
Notes
See recipe post for tips and variations.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 162mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 0gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g
Nutritional values are estimates and not exact.