Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats are a fun festive dessert to make with family, friends and kids! A simple rice krispie base decorated to look like cute little reindeers.
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
When it comes to the holidays I always like to make at least 2 or 3 cute festive treats. These reindeer rice krispie treats are too cute and easy to pass up on.
The rice krispie treat base takes less than 5 minutes to prepare stove top! The rice krispie base can be made in advance and you can leave the decorating to your guests! Set up a station with a bowl of melted white chocolate, sprinkles, candy eyes, M&M's (or other round colored candy for the nose), and chocolate covered pretzels for the antlers.
My Uncle Paul's favorite treat is rice krispie treats! I love making them because they are so easy and fun to make and every holiday whether it's Halloween, Easter or Christmas I always try to make a themed rice krispie treat! These reindeer rice krispies are my favorite Christmas themed treat.
Festive Reindeer Treats Recipe
These rice krispie treats also make a great gift for your guests or friends. After preparing the treats carefully place them in cellophane bags and tie them closed with a festive colored ribbon! They are simple yet impressive and they will definitely be appreciated.
I love this recipe because you can get creative and use your favorite candies to decorate. Use flavored chocolate dipped pretzels such as Cookies and Cream. For the noses use Caramel M&M's or Peanut Filled instead of regular chocolate M&M's.
You can customize the decorating treats to your friends and families favorites, making them a personal and customized gift idea!
To share these cute treats as a school safe snack, use all nut free products and they become the perfect snack for sharing at school!
Ingredients to Make Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie Treats
- Marshmallows - I prefer using mini marshmallows because they melt faster than regular sized marshmallows but you can use either for this recipe
- Crispy Rice Cereal - any brand of crispy rice cereal or variety works (ex. brown puffed rice, white puffed rice, etc.). You can even make these extra festive by using a holiday variety of crispy rice cereal
- Butter - be sure to fully melt the butter before adding in the marshmallows. This helps the marshmallows melt more evenly and quickly!
Reindeer Decorations
- Candy Eyes - using candy eyes is the easiest way to get eyes on your cute little reindeer but if you can't find candy eyes you can use mini marshmallows or mini M&M's.
- M&M's - you can get creative with the M&M's and use regular, peanut filled, peanut butter filled, caramel filled, etc.!
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels - I love the clean finished look of chocolate covered pretzels, however, regular pretzels work and look so cute with their dark brown color and grains of salt. You can even get creative and use flavored pretzels like these Cookies and Cream variety!
- Sprinkles - if you already have Christmas sprinkles on hand you can use those or any colored sprinkles. They add a bit of color between the antler and act as the hair of the reindeer.
How to Make Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
Prepare the Rice Krispie Treat Base
1 Grease an 8” round cake pan or pie dish with cooking spray or butter.
2 In a large pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted add in the marshmallows. Stir continuously until fully melted.
3 Working quickly, remove the pot from the heat and mix in the cereal until evenly combined. Transfer the rice krispie treat mixture to the prepared pan and press it down into an even layer.
4 Allow to cool completely at room temperature.
5 Using a knife or spatula, run it along edge of the pan to loosen the rice krispie treats from the dish. Put a plate or cutting board on top of the pie dish and carefully flip the dish over to release the rice krispie circle from the dish. Lift the dish off of the cutting board to remove it.
6 Slice the rice krispie treat circle into 8 even triangles to create 8 reindeers.
Decorate
1 Add the white chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until fully melted.
2 Add a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of the candy eyes and stick them on each of the reindeer.
3 Add chocolate to the back of the M&M’s and stick one at the point of each triangle to create the noses.
4 Add chocolate to the underside of the pretzels and stick two onto each reindeer to create the antlers.
5 Finish decorating each reindeer by spreading the remaining white chocolate between the chocolate covered pretzel antlers. Top with sprinkles and press them down to ensure they stick.
6 Allow the white chocolate to harden before serving the treats for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Can Reineer Rice Krispie Treats be Made in Advance?
YES! I love a holiday dessert that can be made in advance to reduce cooking and prep time for the holidays. Make these rice krispies treats 3 - 4 days in advance and store in an air tight container.
I prefer to wait to decorate them until the day of serving (or as early as 1 day in advance). They are easier to store and stack in an air tight container without their decorations on them, however, you can decorate them 3 - 4 days in advance and store in a single layer in an airtight container.
Looking for More Easy Holiday Desserts?
- Christmas Tree Brownies - a festive and easy treat to create a decorating station at your holiday get togethers! All you need are brownies, icing, sprinkles and candies.
- Oreo Fudge - made with only 3 ingredients. Simple, delicious and quick dessert that tastes just like a cookies and cream chocolate bar.
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars - these may just be the perfect 5 ingredient dessert. Creamy cheesecake bars with a chocolate chip cookie dough crust with even more cookie pieces crumbled on top.
Enjoy!
- Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter (½ stick, plus extra for greasing the pan)
- 6 cups mini marshmallows (10 ounces)
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal
- ¼ cup white chocolate
- 16 candy eyes
- 16 chocolate covered pretzels
- 7 brown M&Ms
- 1 red M&M
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Prepare the Rice Krispie Treats
- Grease an 8” round cake pan or pie dish with cooking spray or butter.
- In a large pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted add in the marshmallows. Stir continuously until fully melted.
- Working quickly, remove the pot from the heat and mix in the cereal until evenly combined. Transfer the rice krispie treat mixture to the prepared pan and press it down into an even layer.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature.
- Using a knife or spatula, run it along edge of the pan to loosen the rice krispie treats from the dish. Put a plate or cutting board on top of the pie dish and carefully flip the dish over to release the rice krispie circle from the dish. Lift the dish off of the cutting board to remove it.
- Slice the rice krispie treat circle into 8 even triangles to create 8 reindeers.
Decorate
- Add the white chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until fully melted.
- Add a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of the candy eyes and stick them on each of the reindeer.
- Add chocolate to the back of the M&M’s and stick one at the point of each triangle to create the noses.
- Add chocolate to the underside of the pretzels and stick two onto each reindeer to create the antlers.
- Finish decorating each reindeer by spreading the remaining white chocolate between the chocolate covered pretzel antlers. Top with sprinkles and press them down to ensure they stick.
- Allow the white chocolate to harden before serving the treats for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Nutrition
Sarah Baumeister says
Such a fun way to re do a classic!
fedbysab says
Thanks! I love a fun twist for the holidays!