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Looking for easy 4th of July treats? This 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats are easy to make and have the best gooey marshmallow texture! Plus, they are amped up with red, white and blue M&Ms and sprinkles to give them a patriotic flare. They’re perfect for your holiday celebration!

Two 4th of july rice krispie treats stacked on top of eachother with more sprinkles and M&Ms in background


Easy 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats

If you want an easy no-bake dessert for the 4th of July, look no further than these fourth of July rice Krispie treats! They’re everyone’s favorite cereal treat dressed up for the summer holiday.

I love doctoring up classic rice Krispie treats, and for this version, we’re going all patriotic. It’s my favorite ooey-gooey rice Krispie recipe with some red, white and blue upgrades tossed in to dress them up – they are the best 4th of July dessert!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • They are easy no-bake treats because who wants to bake in July?
  • They have the best soft and gooey texture. Love marshmallow pulls? These rice Krispies 4th of July treats are for you.
  • They keep well for several days at room temperature, or you can freeze them.
  • They are always a crowd-pleaser! Everyone – kids and adults alike – will love them.
Overhead shot of all ingredients needed to make 4th of july rice krispie treats

Ingredients Needed

  • Rice Krispies cereal: Regular or generic
  • Mini marshmallows – you can also use regular marshmallows but be sure to use 15 ounces total.
  • Unsalted butter: You can swap salted if that’s all you have.
  • Vanilla extract
  • 4th of July Add-Ins: Red, white and blue M&Ms and sprinkles

How to Make Rice Krispie Treats for 4th of July

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.
  2. Add the marshmallows.
  3. Stir until the marshmallows are melted.
  4. Take the pot off the heat and add the vanilla. Mix in the cereal, so it’s evenly coated in the melted marshmallow.
  5. Stir in the M&Ms, sprinkles, and press the mixture into the prepared pan.
  6. Press into a 9×13-inch pan lined with foil and nonstick spray. Let it set at room temperature before slicing and serving the bars.
Close up side shot of 4th of july rice krispie treats stacked on top of eachother

Storing Rice Krispie Treats

These 4th of July rice krispie treats stay extra gooey as long as they are stored properly.

  • Room temperature: Homemade rice krispies treats will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.
  • Freezer: Once the treats are cooled, slice them into squares and wrap each one in wax paper. Place the wrapped treats in a freezer container, and they will keep well in the freezer for three months.
4th of July rice krispie treat being pulled apart to show ooey gooey marshmallow

Expert Tips

  • Before you make the recipe, measure out and prep all of the ingredients. Once you melt the marshmallows, you will want to work quickly to mix in all the ingredients and get the mixture pressed into the pan.
  • For the best rice crispy treats, use fresh marshmallows and cereal.
  • Don’t melt the marshmallows over too high of heat. If you overcook them, the marshmallows mixture will harden when it’s cooled, making your treats crispy and hard instead of soft and gooey.
  • To make it easy to press the mixture into the pan, coat some wax paper with cooking spray and use it to press the cereal mixture into the pan, so it doesn’t stick to your hands.

FAQs

Why are my rice krispie treats hard?

These should stay super soft and gooey. Chances are you didn’t use enough butter or marshmallows or your cereal or marshmallows were stale.

How can I flavor rice krispie treats?

Add any flavor extracts or use any krispie cereal for these. You can also add a box of instant pudding mix to flavor the treats!

Two 4th of july rice krispie treats stacked on top of eachother with more sprinkles and M&Ms in background

4th of July Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

4.93 from 14 votes
4th of July Rice Krispie Treats are loaded with red, white and blue M&Ms and sprinkles to give them a patriotic flare!

Recipe Video

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Yield 12 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 9 cups (237g) Rice Krispies Cereal
  • 15 ounces (424g) mini marshmallows
  • 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon (15ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (298g) 4th of July M&Ms
  • ½ cup (100g) 4th of July sprinkles
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Instructions

  • Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil or parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Measure out cereal and place in a large bowl.
  • Melt the butter in a large pot over medium low heat.
  • Add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
  • Add cereal and stir to coat with the marshmallow mixture. Stir in M&Ms and sprinkles and immediately pour into prepared pan. Press firmly to compact. Tip: spray wax paper with nonstick cooking spray so you can press without it sticking to your hands.
  • Let set until firm then slice into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, let cool completely then cut into bars and wrap each individual bar in wax paper and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

  • Use any flavor Rice Krispies cereal.
  • You can use any size marshmallows just make sure to use 15 ounces.
  • These stay extra gooey but will get stale if not stored properly.
  • Only use FRESH marshmallows and not-stale cereal for best results.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 1669IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

4th of July Rice Krispie Treats are loaded with red, white and blue M&Ms and sprinkles to give them a patriotic flare!

4th of July Treats



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

4.93 from 14 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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5 Comments

  1. I tried this! How do you keep the m&ms and sprinkles from getting warm in the cereal and melting? They kind of bled together for me, definitely donโ€™t look as pretty as yours!

    1. Sprinkles – make sure to use a good quality (not super cheap ones). Cake Mate, Betty Crocker, etc from the grocery store should perform better. Possibly you’re working faster than me so my mixture had cooled off a little before adding? Or it was just hotter than mine – possibly from cooking it.