WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY RICE KRISPIE TREATS

White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats are full of marshmallows, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. This rice krispie treat recipe is topped with a simple, spiced vanilla glaze to make them even more delicious!

White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats are perfect any time of the year, but especially during the holiday season. I absolutely love rice krispie treats and this fall/winter version is one of my favorites! I love serving these at Thanksgiving and Christmas. You don’t have to add the vanilla glaze to the top and I’m going to warn you that it does make them a bit messier to eat, but the flavor is incredible so you need to give it a try at least once.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY RICE KRISPIE TREATS

White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie treats are made with marshmallows, butter and crispy rice cereal just like classic Rice Krispie treats. They are taken to a completely different level with the addition of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries (Craisins). My favorite part of the recipe is the glaze that goes on top. This is made with powdered sugar, butter, nutmeg and whipping cream – it is absolutely decadent! This is the perfect simple dessert for the holidays – all of the kids and adults will love it!

How to make the best Rice Krispie Treats

The key to making the best rice krispie treats is more marshmallows! Of course there are lots of marshmallows in the recipe that are melted with the butter, but the trick is to add MORE marshmallows after you have mixed the cereal in. These marshmallows will soften, but keep their shape, and they make every rice krispie treat recipe taste better.

Try adding 1-2 cups of marshmallows to your favorite rice krispie treat recipe, and I promise you’ll love it even more! Just make to sure to wait until after you’ve mixed the cereal in so that the mixture isn’t still hot enough to completely melt the additional marshmallows.

Ingredients in White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats

Butter – Just 1/4 cup of butter will help to thin out the melted marshmallows to the perfect consistency. I always use salted butter, but I’m sure unsalted would work just fine as well.

Marshmallows – Lots of marshmallows! You will need two (10 oz) bags of mini marshmallows. You will be melting most of them with the butter, but make sure to reserve a few to mix in at the very end. I love those bigger marshmallow chunks in my Rice Krispie treats!

Rice krispie cereal – The main ingredient in these little treats is crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies). I’ve used generic brands many times and they work great too!

Dried cranberries – You will need at least 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, usually known as Craisins. These can be found in the grocery store right by the raisins! Feel free to add more if you’d like! And you can leave them out if you really don’t like ’em, but I think that you might feel differently about them if you try them in this recipe.

White chocolate chips – Add 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips to the recipe for some extra flavor and texture. You will add them at the end so they won’t melt. They pair so well with the cranberries!

VANILLA GLAZE

Butter – You will only need 2 tablespoons of butter for the glaze. Make sure it is melted and cooled a little bit before adding the other ingredients.

Powdered sugar – This adds the sweetness to the glaze, while providing a creamy, smooth texture.

Nutmeg – A little bit of nutmeg adds the perfect amount of spice to the glaze. If you really don’t like nutmeg (or don’t have any), you could use cinnamon instead.

Salt – Just a little bit of salt helps all of the other flavors to pop!

Milk and cream – You will need two tablespoons each of milk and heavy cream. You can use all of one or the other, but I think using both creates the perfect consistency and richness.

Vanilla extract – The higher the quality of the vanilla, the better. Don’t leave this out!

How to make White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats

Prepare a 9X13 pan by spreading softened butter all over the bottom and sides of the pan. I like to do this by placing a sandwich bag over my hand like a glove and then using my fingers to spread the butter all around. You can use cooking spray also, but you’ll be able to taste it since you don’t bake the rice krispie treats and I prefer the taste of butter!

In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add 1 1/2 bags of marshmallows and stir over low heat just until barely melted and smooth.

Remove from heat and add the cereal and cranberries. Mix to combine and then add the remaining marshmallows and white chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press with your hand until evenly distributed in the pan. (You can use that same sandwich bag that is coated with a little bit of butter to do this if the mixture is sticking to your fingers!)

Let cool for about an hour and then slice and serve. Drizzle with a vanilla glaze if desired.

How to make a spiced vanilla glaze

In a large bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, nutmeg and salt.

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, milk, cream and vanilla. Make sure to let the butter cool for a few minutes before adding the milk and cream so they don’t curdle!

Whisk the butter mixture into the sugar mixture until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a little bit more milk, a tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.

Pour over cooled rice krispie treats – I like to do this after they are sliced and right before serving. I usually put the glaze in a condiment bottle so that it is easy to squirt out the perfect drizzle. Some people may not want the glaze and you may not want the kids to have the glaze all over their hands, so use your best judgment. Don’t skimp on it though – this glaze really is the best part!

White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats

White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats are full of marshmallows, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. This rice krispie treat recipe is topped with a simple, spiced vanilla glaze to make them even more delicious!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: white chocolate cranberry rice krispie treats

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 10-oz bags mini marshmallows, divided
• 6 cups rice krispie cereal
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries add more if you’d like!
• 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

GLAZE

• 2 Tbsp butter melted and cooled for a few minutes
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Prepare a 9X13 pan by spreading softened butter all over the bottom and sides of the pan. I like to do this by placing a sandwich bag over my hand like a glove and then using my fingers to spread the butter all around. You can use cooking spray also, but you’ll be able to taste it since you don’t bake the rice krispie treats and I prefer the taste of butter!
• In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add 1 1/2 bags of marshmallows and stir over low heat just until barely melted and smooth.
• Remove from heat and add the cereal and cranberries. Mix to combine and then add the remaining marshmallows and white chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press with your hand until evenly distributed in the pan. (You can use that same sandwich bag that is coated with a little bit of butter to do this if the mixture is sticking to your fingers!)
• Let cool for about an hour and then slice and serve. Drizzle with a vanilla glaze if desired.
• Vanilla Glaze
• In a large bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, nutmeg and salt.
• In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, milk, cream and vanilla. Make sure to let the butter cool for a few minutes before adding the milk and cream so they don’t curdle!
• Whisk the butter mixture into the sugar mixture until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a little bit more milk, a tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
• Pour over cooled rice krispie treats – I like to do this after they are sliced and right before serving. I like to put the glaze in a condiment bottle so that it is easy to squirt out the perfect drizzle. Some people may not want the glaze and you may not want the kids to have the glaze all over their hands!

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How do you keep Rice Krispie Treats soft?

Here are several ways to keep Rice Krispie Treats soft and fresh. They’re simple, but effective!

1. Make sure to not use stale marshmallows. Seriously. Rice Krispie Treats are not the treat to use up those old, hard marshmallows! Recently purchased marshmallows work best.
2. Watch that you don’t overcook. You want to heat the marshmallows until they’re soft and beginning to lose shape.
3. Always remember the butter. The marshmallow-butter combination helps keep the treats soft and chewy, so don’t leave it out or reduce the measurement.
4. Don’t chill in the refrigerator. Even if you want them to set quickly, I find this just dries the marshmallow treats out more quickly.
5. Store in an airtight container on the counter top.

Love rice krispie treats? So do we! Here are some of our favorite rice krispie treat recipes:

• Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
• Easter Rice Krispie Treats
• Churro Rice Krispie Treats
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Krispie Treats
• Donut Krispie Treats
• Spring Krispie Treats
• Mint Chocolate Krispie Treats

White Chocolate Cranberry Rice Krispie Treats are full of marshmallows, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. This rice krispie treat recipe is topped with a simple, spiced vanilla glaze to make them even more delicious!