Surprise your sweetheart or your family with these adorable Rice Krispie treats just like the classic version but with the surprise element of red velvet cake and a vibrant red coloring!
Fun and festive homemade treats are the best when they’re easy! Get your kids involved for a weekend activity or take it upon yourself to surprise everyone and don’t forget to add Red Velvet Cookie Bars and Valentine’s Hot Chocolate Bombs to your special day!
Easy No-Bake Valentine’s Day Dessert
These Valentine treats are so cute! They’re an easy no-bake delicious treat I like to make around this time of year. They’re as simple to make as the classic treat, but the added red velvet cake mix adds a festive flair which has always impressed a crowd. Have a little extra fun and use cookie cutters for heart shapes!
If you’re looking for a new homemade recipe, this one is it. They take very little time and effort, use only a handful of ingredients, and are a perfect fun treat for a Valentine’s day surprise for your sweetheart, a dessert tray for parties, a bake sale, or just to share with your family!
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Why this recipe works/why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy and ready in 25 minutes without turning on the oven!
- A twist on the classic recipe so you know they’re going to be delicious.
- Always a hit at parties because they’ve got that wow factor. It’s not often that we see red rice Krispies treats!
- The red velvet is great for Valentine’s day but this recipe can be customized for any occasion.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mini marshmallows – I used mini marshmallows in this recipe but you can use another size if that’s what you have. Just account for the difference in measurement.
- Butter – Unsalted or salted it’s up to you.
- Rice Krispies cereal – You know the one!
- Red velvet cake mix – Any brand of store-bought red velvet cake mix will do.
- Vanilla extract – A lovely flavor that pairs well with the marshmallows and just makes them extra yummy.
- White chocolate chips – Melted for the drizzle on top. Swap the white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips for a darker chocolate drizzle.
- Red food coloring - Look for gel food coloring as it’s more concentrated and has a more vibrant red color. You also want to make sure it’s taste-free so it doesn’t interfere with the flavor of the other ingredients.
How to Make this Recipe
With just 8 ingredients and 25 minutes, this easy treats are perfect to throw together for last-minute guests or a fun after-school snack for the kids!
Step 1: In a large saucepan, melt butter and marshmallows on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring continuously, until completely melted.
Step 2: Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cake mix and vanilla until combined.
Step 3: Add the red food coloring and finish combining. From there, you can add more food coloring drop by drop until you reach your desired color.
Step 4: Add the Rice Krispie cereal and stir until it’s completely coated by the marshmallow mixture. It will be thick!
Step 5: Transfer everything to a parchment-lined 9×13 baking dish that’s been sprayed with non stick cooking spray (or greased with butter) and press evenly into the corners of the prepared pan using a wooden spoon or your fingers.
Step 6: Let it stand until completely cooled and then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Slice into squares, rectangles, or use a heart-shaped cookie cutter if desired.
Step 7: Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave, transfer them to a piping bag (or just use a fork to drizzle) and create any type of decoration on your treats. I just use a typical drizzle but you do you!
Variations To Try
- Leave out the red velvet cake mix, if desired, and reduce butter to 3 tablespoons. For color, feel free to keep the food coloring.
- Use pink, red, or brown M&Ms inside or on top of the Rice Krispies. You could also use red, pink, or white sprinkles.
- Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or cut into mini squares for smaller bite-sized versions.
- Press conversation hearts into the top of each cut treat for a sweet surprise.
- Press conversation hearts into the top of each cut treat for a sweet surprise.
- Cut them smaller or use smaller heart shapes and put them on lollipop sticks!
Tips
- Use either parchment paper or foil to line the pan. You want it to not only avoid it sticking to the pan but leaving a bit above the rim helps with lifting it out of the pan.
- As soon as the marshmallow mixture has combined, remove it from the heat. If you leave it too long, the sugars in the marshmallow mixture will burn.
- Substitute 7-ounce jar marshmallow crème for marshmallows.
- For a quick microwave version, zap butter and marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes at 30-second intervals. Then, continue as directed.
- Use a different food coloring depending on the occasion. This recipe works all year round.
How To Store
These can be kept at room temperature stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To maintain their freshness for a little longer keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: These cereal treats can be kept frozen for up to 1 month. Place them in a freezer-friendly bag and separate the layers with parchment paper. This way they won’t freeze in a clump and you can just grab as many as you need at a time.
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Valentine’s Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 10 oz mini marshmallows
- ½ cup butter
- 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 1 cup Red Velvet cake mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- Red gel food coloring taste free
Instructions
- Line a 13×9 pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and the rub with butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Place the marshmallows and butter in a large pot and heat on the stove on medium heat until completely melted. Be sure to stir continuously.
- Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cake mix and vanilla until combined completely.
- Add ½ teaspoon of red food coloring and stir to combine. Add in more food coloring to get your desired color.
- Add the rice krispie cereal and stir to coat completely. The mixture will be very thick.
- Pour the thick mixture into the lined dish and press evenly into the corners. (use a wooden spoon or fingers if preferred)
- Let stand until completely cooled (approximately 20 minutes)
- Remove from the pan by lifting by the parchment paper.
- Cut into rectangles or use a heart shaped cookie cutter if desired.
Notes
Add marshmallows and butter to a microwave-safe bowl.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir continuously until smooth.
Then add in the cake mix, vanilla and stir to combine.
Add in ½ teaspoon red food coloring and stir to combine well.
Press into prepared pan.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Lisa
I have tried this recipe twice, thinking I had done something wrong the first time. They came out hard as a rock both times.
Sherri
Oh interesting. Are you pressing them down too much in the pan by any chance? That will make them harder if so.
L
I thought at first the kriispy treats looked like raw hamburger!
Yuck
amanda
SO …. it mentions white chocolate chips in the ingredients but does not say if you are melting them? just stirring them in? they aren’t in the instructions haha.