Rice Krispie Treats are a favorite among children and adults alike. Their crunchy sweetness seems to melt in the mouth and is very moreish! They’re an easy dessert or sweet treat to make at home and it doesn’t even require baking.
We’ve given you a delicious recipe for them at the end of this article.
What Are Rice Krispie Treats?
Firstly, let’s all get on the same page with what we’re talking about here. These treats are also sometimes called “Marshmallow Treats”.
They are usually made by combining Rice Krispies cereal with melted butter and marshmallows. You can get store-bought ones under the name Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats.
Sometimes people’s recipes go wrong though and the Krispies end up being too hard. Sometimes they become hard from not being stored correctly.
Why Have My Treats Become Hard?
Before we try to fix the problem, let’s look at what could have caused it to happen.
- Incorrect Temperature
These treats cannot be made in a hurry. If you are melting the butter and marshmallows on the stovetop, ensure that you set the flame to low. If the flame is high, the sugar in the marshmallows will reach the toffee stage and you will end up making hard candies instead.
If you are melting the marshmallows and butter in the microwave, use the low setting. Melt for a minute only, then remove the bowl and stir. Repeat using thirty-second intervals until everything is melted and then cook no longer.
- Stale Marshmallows
Your treats are only as good as the ingredients you use. Using old, stale marshmallows will give you suboptimal results. You can identify fresh marshmallows because they never stick together in the bag.
Save the stale ones to melt in your hot chocolate and buy fresh ones for making your Rice Krispie Treats. Check the expiry date on the bag.
- Incorrect Ratios
You must be careful to add the exact amount of each ingredient specified by the recipe. If you add too many Rice Krispies, it will result in a harder texture.
So, find a reliable, tried and tested recipe and follow it precisely (if getting it online, read the reviews). Ideally, you should have a 1:1:1 ratio of cereal (Rice Krispies) to marshmallows to butter to make sure the treats come out perfectly soft and chewy.
- Add-Ons
When making these cereal-based treats, you can add other ingredients to make sure the treats come out gooey, soft, and chewy. For instance, you can use peanut butter or malt balls.
- Incorrect Storage
Your treats may have started out with the right texture but become hard and stale later. They must be stored in an airtight container and used within 3 days. They will keep for an extra day or two if you store them in the fridge.
Just remember to take them out of the refrigerator half an hour before eating them or they will be hard. The Rice Krispie Treats can be frozen for two months. The correct texture comes back once they defrost, which they do fairly quickly.
- Compacting When Making
Pressing the melted mixture down too hard in the tray when making the Treats can result in a hard product. You want to press them into the container with a light touch and smooth the top down carefully without pressing it down with force.
How To Soften Hard Rice Krispie Treats?
If the damage has already been done and your treats are already hard, there are some things that you can do to soften them.
- Heat Them
This is a temporary fix and the Treats will need to be eaten immediately while they are still warm. Pop them into the microwave on a low setting for a few seconds until they are warm and softer.
However, make sure that you don’t set a high temperature because it can harden the treats even more.
- Sandwich Bread
If you want to soften the hard treats but don’t want to eat them yet, you should add two or three slices of white sandwich bread to the container where you’ve stored the treats. When you have added the sandwich bread, close the container and leave it overnight.
The Treats will absorb moisture from the bread slices. As a result, the treats should soften.
Best-Ever Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Okay, that’s enough talk about hard, inedible treats. Here’s how to make ones with a perfect texture that your family is bound to love. The bonus is that they take under twenty minutes to make! Take note of the perfect 1:1:1 ratio used here.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cups mini marshmallows
- 4 cups Rice Krispie Cereal
Instructions:
- Use a large saucepan on low heat.
- Melt the butter slowly.
- Add the marshmallows once the butter has melted and stir everything together.
- Stir patiently until the marshmallows have melted.
- As soon as they have melted, remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the Rice Krispies and gently fold them in. You want to cover every bit of cereal with the melted mixture.
- Spoon this into a 9×12 inch shallow dish. There is no need to grease it.
- Press the mixture down lightly with the back of a spoon. Don’t make it too compact or your Krispie Treats will be hard.
- Allow the Treats to cool and set at room temperature.
- Cut them into squares with a sharp knife.
- Store them as directed in the article.
