How to make easy no bake chocolate Rice Krispie treats with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Gooey, chocolaty treats in 15 minutes or less!
The first time I made chocolate rice crispy treats, I'll admit, I was a little leery. I'm so used to original Rice Krispie treats, and I wasn't so sure about adding chocolate into the mix.
And then my perspective changed with my first bite of these amazing chocolaty treats. The scary thing is, I probably could've eaten the whole pan if no one else were around. Better yet, I loved these chocolate Rice Krispie treats so much that I made chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispie treats, and MAN were they good!!
The ingredients for these chocolate rice crispy cakes really are quite simple. I do like to use both cocoa powder and chocolate chips for maximum chocolate flavor.
And then there's almond extract, and we'll talk more in detail about it as you continue to read further. But almond extract really gives a kick to just about anything made with chocolate.
Chocolate Rice Krispie squares take maybe 15-20 minutes to make, once you have all your ingredients gathered up and ready to go. They're so quick and easy, and the perfect recipe for your kids or grandkids to help with too, and you can easily double or even triple this recipe to feed a crowd!
Why You'll Love Chocolate Rice Krispie Squares
- It's a quick and easy recipe that can be made in 15 minutes or less once the ingredients are gathered up.
- These gooey treats are practically oozing with marshmallows and chocolate chips. They have an addictively crisp edge and chewy interior that still maintains a tender bite. Seriously, it's so hard not to eat the entire pan in one sitting!
- Use simple, everyday ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen or pantry!
- Because it's so easy this recipe is great for kids. My youngest son especially loves to help me make these delicious crispy cakes, and it's a great way to get him involved in the kitchen at a young age. It definitely helps that all my kids love chocolate.
- You can easily make them gluten-free if you like by swapping out the cereal. I'll include both gluten-free and dairy-free Rice Krispies treats instructions below.
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Salted Butter: I prefer real butter over margarine, although you can still use margarine if absolutely necessary. Butter will give your Rice Krispies treats a much richer flavor and texture. If you need a dairy-free option, try using the same amount of coconut oil, canola oil or even these dairy free buttery sticks in place of the butter.
- Mini Marshmallows: I recommend using mini marshmallows since they'll melt a lot quicker than the jumbos. If all you have is big marshmallows, they'll work just fine, only taking longer to melt. You can also substitute marshmallow fluff, although I have never used it myself.
- Almond Extract: Anytime I'm making something with chocolate as the main focus, almond extract gives the chocolate flavor a real kick. You can leave it out if you don't have it, but it's well worth including!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I use Hershey's cocoa powder. I love the flavor of chocolate Rice Krispie treats with cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chips give a slightly darker but rich, chocolaty flavor to these treats. If you prefer regular milk chocolate chips, that's totally fine.
- Rice Krispies Cereal: You can go with name brand Rice Krispies or generic here. Myself, I prefer to use Aldi's crisp rice cereal because it's gluten-free.
Remember, all of the ingredients and ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Before you get started, prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying it well with non-stick cooking spray. This will keep your treats from sticking to the pan.
Making no bake chocolate Rice Krispie treats is a fairly quick process, so be sure to gather and measure your ingredients beforehand.
- Melt the butter in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven over low to medium heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
- Add the mini marshmallows and chocolate chips to the butter mixture, stirring 'til almost melted.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder 'til it's fully mixed into the melted marshmallow and chocolate chip mixture.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the crisp rice cereal.
- Finally, spread the mixture in your greased baking pan, gently patting 'til even and smooth.
Be sure to allow your treats time to cool before cutting them into squares and serving.
TIP: You can keep the sticky treats from sticking to your hands by wetting your hands just a bit with water, or spray your hands with cooking spray before pressing them into the pan.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can. Just add the butter, mini marshmallows, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and chocolate chips to a large microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for 2 minutes, mostly melting the marshmallows, butter, and chocolate chips. Once everything is mostly melted, remove the bowl from the microwave, and whisk in the cocoa powder 'til smooth. Then quickly stir the cereal into the marshmallow mixture. Lightly press the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking pan, and allow it to cool before serving.
Of course! You can double it, triple it, or even quadruple it; make as many as you need! If you choose to double this recipe, just double the amounts of every ingredient respectively. You'll also want to use a larger pan or even multiple pans. I use a 9″x13″ baking pan for this recipe, so to double it you probably want 2 9″x13″ pans. To triple it, you'll want 3 pans. You get the idea.
Use fresh ingredients, especially the marshmallows and cereal. When cooking the marshmallow mixture, don't overdo it; you want them to be almost melted when you go to stir in the cocoa powder. Use a bit more cereal than marshmallows; we like to use 8 cups cereal to 6 cups mini marshmallows, which will give you a soft, chewy treat. When you go to spread your treats in the pan, don't just pack them down; gently pat them down evenly and smoothly. And finally, store your Rice Krispie treats properly.
This can happen when the recipe calls for too much butter, it calls for too many marshmallows, or the treats haven't completely cooled; they're liable to be stickier and quicker to fall apart while warm. Use exact ingredients, allow them to cool, and your Rice Krispie squares will form and meld together quite nicely.
Yes, you can definitely make them gluten free. In fact, I do every time I make them! Thankfully, most of the ingredients on this list are naturally gluten-free, except for the Rice Krispies cereal. I prefer to use Aldi's crisp rice cereal because it's gluten-free, but you'll probably have to shop around a bit. Just make sure to check the labels on every ingredient before purchasing.
Yes, you can make dairy free Rice Krispie treats . First, you'll want to swap out the butter for a dairy-free oil, like coconut oil, canola oil or even these dairy-free buttery sticks. Then you'll want to find dairy-free chocolate chips. Other than that, the rest of the ingredients for this recipe are usually dairy free. Just be sure to check all of the ingredient labels before purchasing.
Store these treats in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag. Crispy treats are best eaten the first 2 or 3 days, while they're still nice and soft.
You can if you need to. Just make sure they're stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. Then make sure to get them out with at least half an hour to thaw before serving.
More Rice Krispie Treats Recipes
I love making all kinds of Rice Krispie treats.
- Microwave Rice Krispie treats – Make them in 5 minutes and with NO stove time!
- My kids love these strawberry Rice Krispie treats, flavored with Jello and freeze-dried strawberries. Hands down my favorite Rice Krispie treats ever!
- If you like chocolate crispy treats, I bet you'll love these peanut butter rice crispy treats. Simple and easy to make, and you'll only need 6 ingredients and a little stove time to make them!
- Pink Rice Krispie treats that are super easy to make with red food coloring.
- Heart-shaped Valentine Rice Krispie Treats With M&M's and sprinkles– perfect for Valentine's Day!
- These Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats are the perfect holiday craft for kids!
- Speaking of Christmas, my kids LOVED making these festive Rice Krispies snowmen.
- Make and decorate the cutest Frankenstein Rice Krispie treats in only 3 simple steps. Super easy Halloween party snack that the kids will love!
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. And subscribe to my email list too!
Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Instructions
- Before you get started, prepare a 9"x13" baking pan by spraying it well with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large sauce pot or Dutch over low to medium heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
- Add the mini marshmallows and chocolate chips to the butter mixture, stirring 'til almost melted.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder 'til it's fully mixed into the melted marshmallow and chocolate chip mixture.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the crisp rice cereal.
- Finally, spread the mixture in your greased baking pan, gently patting 'til even and smooth.*
- Be sure to allow your treats time to cool before cutting them into squares and serving.
I made an adjustment to use large marshmallows versus running back out to the store. I was a little skeptical about adding the extract but it really makes them taste better! This is a great recipe! I will never use another recipe! Thanks for sharing!
That’s great, Christina! I’m glad you liked it. Thank You for the awesome feedback!
Can you use regular-size marshmallows instead of the mini marshmallows?
Yes, you can. They just take a little longer to melt, no big deal!