These Rice Krispie Pumpkin Treats are sweet, adorable Halloween goodies that are perfect for the whole family. Made with 6 easy ingredients, these simple yet impressive Rice Krispie Pumpkins are bound to be a Halloween hit!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
All Things Pumpkin Shaped – If you’re not a fan of pumpkin taste, but love all things fall and pumpkin shaped, this recipe is for you.
Festive, Fun Treat – This is the perfect recipe to bring to the fall potlucks or Halloween parties, because it’s festive and everybody loves those classic Halloween Rice Krispie Treats!
For the Kids – Kids not only love the taste, but have such fun making these sweet treats as well. Let them add Halloween sprinkles, colored sugar, or Halloween candies to their pumpkins, then have a competition on who can make the best pumpkin treat!
Get Creative – Add as many decorations as you want to these cute little pumpkins! Make a jack-o-lantern face with frosting or use different ingredients for the top like a pretzel stick or a mini Tootsie Roll. You can also add pumpkin pie spice or any other fall spices to the marshmallow mixture for extra flavor.
Marshmallow Creme – This recipe uses marshmallow creme instead of melted marshmallows and makes these easy treats taste fantastic.
Rice Krispie Treats are a classic household dessert which is what makes this easy recipe such a crowd pleaser. They have the flavors everyone knows and loves, with the fall cuteness everyone will go crazy for.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Recipe Discussion
Let’s discuss how to make this recipe, as well as the ingredients that are needed. Please take note that below you will find discussion, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions about this recipe to help you recreate it in your kitchen. If you *just* want the recipe itself, scroll down. The full printable recipe itself, with exact measurements and instructions, is found at the bottom of this page.
Salted Butter – If you only have unsalted butter that is fine, just add a dash of salt to the butter and allow it to dissolve so the mixture isn’t grainy.
Marshmallow Creme – This is usually sold in a jar next to the regular marshmallows in grocery stores. If you’d prefer to use regular marshmallows, just substitute it for 10 oz of marshmallows, 3 tablespoons of butter and 6 cups of Rice Krispie cereal.
Orange Gel Food Coloring – I prefer gel food coloring over liquid because it blends together better. If you’re not a fan of food dye, you can leave them their normal color. White pumpkins exist too!
Rice Krispie Cereal – Name brand or generic will both work.
Chocolate Baking Chunks – Hershey’s candy bars or any other kind of chocolate you can think of that can melt down will work too. Nestle makes semi-sweet chocolate chunks that work well.
Green M&Ms – Or any other green candy/food such as green frosting, gummy candy, or even mint leaves.
How To Make Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set it to the side. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat just a bit and add the marshmallow creme to the melted butter. Combine this for about 1-2 minutes or until it melts fully.
- Stir in the drops of orange food coloring until you get a desired orange color, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Add the rice krispie cereal to the orange marshmallow paste and stir until fully combined.
- Add the orange cereal treats to the baking sheet and allow it to cool for 20 minutes to prepare the other ingredients. Separate out 12-14 chocolate baking chunks to be the stems and cut the M&Ms into even halves to be the leaves and set aside. Once the cereal treat mixture cools, transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Using an ice cream scoop that’s been lightly oiled with cooking spray, scoop out even small balls of the crunchy treats and smooth them out using your hands. Place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Microwave the remaining chocolate for 30 seconds and stir well. Place back in the microwave and continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring every time, until it has melted completely. Dip each chocolate baking chunk into the melted chocolate and press them into the top of each pumpkin gently. Adhere the two halves of a green m&m next to the chocolate “stem” to resemble leaves. Allow the Rice Krispie Treat pumpkins to cool and the chocolate to harden before serving.
Recipe Tips and Advice
Storage – You can store these in a Ziploc bag or airtight container and allow them to sit at room temperature for about 2-3 days. To preserve the softness a bit longer, it helps to individually wrap them in plastic wrap as well. You can also freeze these for up to 6 months, just thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to eat.
Materials – For this recipe you’ll need a large pot or saucepan, a baking sheet, measuring and mixing spoons, parchment paper, and a microwave safe bowl.
Speed it Up – If it’s the day of your Halloween party and you need to make these faster, you can pop the hot pan of Rice Krispie Treats in the fridge for 10 minutes before forming them into balls. Just don’t forget about them there or they’ll become hard and uneven.
Recipe FAQs
You may have to pack the balls extremely tight because this specific recipe intends for the treats to be soft. If that still doesn’t work, it may be because you added a bit too much butter to the recipe.
Make sure when melting the marshmallow creme you’re using medium-low heat. If you burn the marshmallow creme your treats will get hard. Make sure the heat is low, and combine it with the food coloring before removing it from the heat.
You can use any kind of cereal you prefer, or things like fried chow mein noodles or popcorn! The only thing about crispy rice cereal is that it will give you a close to perfectly round pumpkin shape.
Surprise Inside Option
Back in 2012, I shared a slightly different version of these Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats. I used green gummy candies and green frosting for the top for the stem and leaves. For a fun twist, I placed a bit size piece of candy in the center of the crispy treat pumpkins. You can easily use this recipe to make these surprise inside pumpkin rice krispie treats.
More Rice Krispies Treat Recipes
Tried this recipe?
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Rice Krispie Pumpkin Treats
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- orange gel food coloring
- 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1/2 heaping cup chocolate baking chunks divided
- 12-14 green M&M candies
Instructions
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set to the side.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the salted butter. Reduce the heat slightly and add the marshmallow fluff to the saucepan.
- Stir over medium low heat until the marshmallow fluff breaks down and everything combines into a smooth liquid, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the orange food coloring until you reach the desired color and then remove from the heat.
- Pour the rice krispies cereal into the saucepan and gently stir everything together until fully combined. Pour the orange rice krispie mixture out onto the baking sheet and spread into a thin layer. Set the mixture to the side and allow it to cool for about 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for decorating.
- Separate out 12-14 chocolate baking chunks to be the stems and cut the M&Ms into even halves to be the leaves.
- Once the rice krispie mixture has cooled enough that it will stick together when pressed, gently scoop it into a large mixing bowl. Spray an ice cream scoop lightly with cooking spray and use it to press the rice krispie mixture into large balls.
- Spray an ice cream scoop lightly with cooking spray and use it to press the rice krispie mixture into large balls. Roll each scoop into a large, even ball and then place it back on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Microwave the remaining ½ cup of chocolate baking chunks for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl and then stir well. Place back in the microwave and continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring after each heating, until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Dip each chocolate baking chunk into the melted chocolate and then gently press it into the top of one of the rice krispie pumpkins. Place two green M&M halves next to the “stem” for leaves. Allow the pumpkins to set for another 10-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Kimmy G says
Rice Krispies and a surprise inside….. what more could you ask for!! Yuuummmmmm!!!!