Chocolate Rice Krispies

If you've never had a Chocolate Rice Krispie Treat, you need to make these asap! Loaded with gooey marshmallows, melty chocolate, and crunchy Rice Krispie cereal, you're going to quickly become obsessed!

Using unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips adds the perfect chocolate flavor without being too sweet. It's a tasty treat everyone loves. You can't go wrong.

Why you'll love my Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

• The perfect amount of chocolate. Made with semi-sweet chocolate chips and unsweetened cocoa powder, these Chocolate Rice Krispies have just the right amount of chocolate without overpowering that traditional Rice Krispie taste we all know and love.
• Made with brown butter. Trust me when I tell you, rice krispies are so much better with brown butter!! Brown butter is so easy to make (instructions included) and adds a nutty, caramel-like flavor.
• Easy to make treat. All you need is about 20 minutes of time with minimal cooking required.

Ingredients

• Salted butter.
• Mini marshmallows.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Can substitute dark or milk chocolate.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Rice Krispies cereal. I like to use regular Rice Krispies, but you can substitute Cocoa Krispies for even more chocolate flavor.
• Flakey sea salt (optional). I like to finish chocolate desserts like this one with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt at the end to balance the sweetness, but totally optional. I buy my flakey sea salt from Amazon!

How to make Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Just like regular Rice Krispies, making Chocolate Rice Krispies is just as easy with a few additional ingredients! Let's talk about it.

1. Make the brown butter. Whether you're making the chocolate version of these treats or not, I always recommend brown butter when making Rice Krispies! I actually learned this trick from my past job and it is a game changer. You'll cook butter on the stove over medium-low heat until it turns golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.
2. Mix in the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder. Make sure you do this over low heat so you don't overcook the marshmallows otherwise your treats will turn out hard.
3. Remove from heat and add more marshmallows and chocolate chips. I like to mix in a few more marshmallows and chocolate at the end so you end up with little bits of marshmallow and chocolate chunks throughout the treats.
4. Press into a baking dish. Using greased hands is the easiest way to do this. Press firmly into a baking dish in a relatively even layer. I like to finish with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt!
5. Slice & enjoy. Let cool for 30-60 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.

Tips & tricks

• Use salted butter. Desserts always crave a little salt to balance out the sweetness, so make sure you're using salted butter.
• Don't overcook the marshmallow mixture. Cooking the marshmallow mixture for too long over or over high heat can cause the marshmallows to harden up after cooling, making your treats hard. Make sure you're following the instructions closely and cook over low heat once you add the marshmallows, then immediately remove from the heat once the marshmallows are melted.
• Let the Rice Krispies cool before slicing. Let the treats cool and firm up for about 30-60 minutes before slicing to get clean-cut squares. If the rice krispies are sticking to your knife, spray the knife with cooking oil.
• Store in an airtight container. Store the rice krispies in an airtight container, ziplock bag, or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make Rice Krispie Treats the night before?

Absolutely! To store, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. If storing overnight on a serving platter, place parchment paper between any stacked Rice Krispies so they don't stick together.

How far in advance can I make Chocolate Rice Krispies?

Chocolate Rice Krispies can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Do Chocolate Rice Krispies need to be refrigerated?

No, Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.

How do you keep Rice Krispie Treats fresh?

Keep Rice Krispie Treats stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

How long to let Rice Krispie Treats cool before slicing?

Let Rice Krispie Treats cool in the baking dish for 30-60 minutes to cool down and firm up before slicing.

Why are my Rice Krispie Treats so hard?

Cooking the marshmallow mixture for too long over or over high heat can cause the marshmallows to become hard after cooling. Make sure you're following the instructions closely and cook over low heat once you add the marshmallows, then remove from the heat once the marshmallows are melted.

What is the best way to cut Rice Krispies?

Line your baking dish with parchment paper so you can easily lift the Rice Krispies from the pan for easy slicing on a cutting board. Use a large knife and spray with cooking oil to prevent the Rice Krispies from sticking to the knife.

Make ahead

While Rice Krispies are best freshly made, they can definitely be made 1-2 days in advance, but I wouldn't make them any sooner than that!

Storing Rice Krispies

Store in Rice Krispie Treats at room temperature in an airtight container, ziplock bag or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to keep fresh.