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Turn your favorite childhood snack into a fun and easy cupcake! Rice Krispie Treat Frosting is a sweet but simple frosting recipe made with marshmallow cream, Rice Krispies cereal and chopped cereal treats.
This is the original Rice Krispie Treat Frosting posted waaaay back in 2013. Basically I was finding ways to stuff my favorite treats into frosting recipes, just like my Circus Animal Frosting. Well after 8 years, this baby needed a little refresh.
This is the ultimate indulgence with your favorite childhood snack. These types of recipes are the most fun to make. I love seeing the way people’s eye light up when you try and tell them what it is.
What is Rice Krispie Treat Frosting?
It starts with my vanilla frosting recipe as a base, and then I add some gooey marshmallow cream, Rice Krispie cereal dust (finely ground up cereal) and to top it off, I add some actual chopped Rice Krispie treats.
- Marshmallow cream adds sweetness, flavor and fluffiness to the texture
- Rice Krispie cereal also adds flavor without adding to much chunkiness. Be sure to grind it up into a powder form.
- Rice Krispie Treats really bring this frosting home. Without them you don’t really get the full flavor profile of a cereal treat.
This frosting is pretty sweet, after all, look at what we’re putting in there. So, a little bit goes a long way. You could pair this with any cupcake recipe, but my three favorites would be vanilla, yellow or chocolate cupcakes.
What you’ll need
- 1 box (12oz) Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 bag (10oz) large marshmallows
- 1 jar (7oz) Kraft Jet puffed marshmallow cream or marshmallow fluff
- Unsalted butter- the butter should be cold
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream (or milk)
- Pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
How to make Rice Krispie Treat Frosting
- Prepare a batch of Rice Krispie treats according to the instructions on the box or make your favorite cereal treat recipe. These are going to be used in the frosting and as a garnish.
- To make the frosting, start by cutting the butter into pieces and whip it using the paddle attachment, for 5-7 minutes until it’s super light and fluffy.
- Using a food processor, grind 3 cups of Rice Krispies cereal into fine crumbs. Add to the butter and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Then alternate adding 2 cups of powdered sugar with the liquid ingredients (vanilla and heavy cream). The idea is to slowly add the powdered sugar so it can get well incorporated into the butter. Each time you add powdered sugar, be sure to beat the frosting for a couple minutes.
- Finally, add the marshmallow cream and beat until combined. If the frosting feels too thin, add an additional cup of powdered sugar.
- Finely chop about 2 cups of the prepared Rice Krispie Treats to be about the size of a dime. Mix into prepared frosting. Use a large cookie scoop to frost the cupcakes and top with additional chopped crispy treats.
Helpful tips for working with this recipe
- It is best to prepare the batch of Rice Krispie treats in advance of making this frosting, so that the marshmallow sets a little bit. You could buy pre-made Rice Krispie treats as well, just be sure you have enough to add to the frosting and to garnish with cupcakes with.
- Due to the chunky nature of this frosting, using a cookie scoop to decorate the cupcakes. It’s a thick frosting, so while you can spread it, it might tear the cupcake.
- This frosting does crust over due to the high sugar content
How long does this stay fresh?
This frosting is best served the day you make it or eaten within a day or two of making it. The cereal treats do get chewy once they’ve absorbed the moisture of the frosting.
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. If you live in a hot or humid environment, then these should be refrigerated. Allow them to come back to room temperature before serving.
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Rice Krispies Treat Frosting
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes
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Pin RecipeDescription
Turn your favorite childhood snack into a fun and easy cupcake! Rice Krispie Treat Frosting is a sweet but simple frosting recipe made with marshmallow cream, Rice Krispies cereal and chopped cereal treats.
Ingredients
For the cereal treats
- 1 box (12oz) Rice Krispie cereal
- 1 bag (10oz) large marshmallows
For the frosting
- 3 cups Rice Krispie cereal, ground into a fine crumb
- 1 1/2 cup (339 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 4–5 cups (780g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy whipping cream (or milk)
- 1 tablespoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 jar (7oz) Kraft Jet puffed marshmallow cream
- 2 cups chopped prepared Rice Krispie treats
Instructions
- Prepare a batch of Rice Krispie treats according to the instructions on the box in a 9×13 inch pan. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally, beating until the butter look light in color.
- Using a food processor, grind 3 cups of Rice Krispies cereal into fine crumbs. Add to the butter and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Next add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated into the butter then add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Beat for about 60 seconds. Then add an additional 2 cups of powdered sugar with the heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Finally, add the marshmallow cream and beat until combined. If the frosting feels too thin, add an additional cup of powdered sugar.
- Finely chop about 2 cups of the prepared Rice Krispie Treats to be about the size of a dime. Mix into prepared frosting. Use a large cookie scoop to frost the cupcakes and top with additional chopped crispy treats.
Notes
- Pair these with vanilla, yellow or chocolate cupcakes
- This is best when eaten within a day of making it. If you want to prepare the frosting in advance, wait to add the chopped Rice Krispies until you are ready to frost the cupcakes. Frosting may need to be rewhipped prior to using.
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Stand Mixer
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Rice Krispie treats, Frosting recipe
I have been making browned butter sea salt rice krispie treats for a while and didn’t think they could be improved upon BUT I cut them into donut shapes this weekend for a donut themed party. And donuts need frosting. So I topped them with this (sans any extract) and they were a HUGE hit! Everyone wants to keep the buttercream! I just won’t feel the need to punch them into donuts again. Thank you! 🙂
★★★★★
Umm that sounds AMAZING!!!
Just made these…. they were WAY too sugary. I thought I was going into a sugar coma. I think next time I wouldn’t add the almond extract….wayyyy too strong. And definitely less butter. and sugar. I felt like I was eating lard. I have a major stomach ache now.
Hi Monique, I am sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe. There is a lot of sugar in this recipe because the sweetness of the marshmallow in the Rice Krispie Treat and the powdered sugar in the frosting. I chose to use almond extract instead of vanilla because for my taste, that would have been too strong. Usually I pile my frosting very high, but with this recipe I did not because the frosting is very sweet. I guess too sweet for some. Thank you.