Whip up a batch of cute, no-bake Valentine's day rice krispies treats today. Pink rice krispies treats are topped with a thin layer of white chocolate candy coating and festive heart sprinkles.
Recipe summary
Flavor: The classic rice krispies treat base has a buttery, vanilla flavor that's topped with a crisp, white chocolate candy coating.
Feeds a crowd. This recipe makes 24 two-inch squares.
Great last minute treat. Have a batch ready in 30 minutes with no baking needed!
Travels well. Great for taking to work or school for Valentine's Day.
Similar to: Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats and Peppermint Bark Rice Krispies Treats
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Cereal - Rice krispies cereal (or a generic brand) serves as the base of this recipe.
- Marshmallows - I prefer using mini marshmallows in rice krispies treats because they melt easily, but large marshmallows will also work.
- Butter - Unsalted or salted butter works in this recipe. If using salted butter, cut the listed salt in half.
- Vanilla extract - Adds vanilla flavor to the rice krispies treats base.
- Melting wafers - You'll need a bag of white chocolate melting wafers for the topping of the rice krispies treats. Melting wafers solidify with a shiny finish, have a candy bar 'snap' when sliced, and don't melt easily when handled. I recommend using melting wafers instead of chocolate chips for these reasons.
- Salt - A bit of salt enhances the other flavors in the recipe and helps balance the sweetness.
- Sprinkles - You'll need some heart shaped sprinkles and jimmies in Valentine's Day colors to top the white chocolate coating.
- Food coloring - A few drops of red food coloring into the base creates a pretty pink hue. The food coloring can be omitted if desired, or substituted with a natural food coloring alternative.
How to make rice krispies treats
- First, melt the butter and add mini marshmallows, salt, and vanilla.
- Remove from heat and add food coloring to achieve your desired pink hue. Add cereal and stir until evenly coated.
- Press into a lined 9x13 pan.
- Top with melted white chocolate, spread into an even layer, and add sprinkles.
Tips and tricks
Pan size - You'll need a 9x13 rectangular baking pan for this recipe.
Work quickly - The marshmallow mixture cools off and thickens quickly, so it's important to work fast. Mix your ingredients and press them into the pan quickly before the mixture cools and becomes difficult to stir.
How to make rice krispies treats less sticky - Your cereal mixture will be sticky once mixed. There are a few methods that can help to painlessly press your bars into the pan. Using either your hands or a large spatula, spray with cooking spray or dampen with water before pressing your bars down. Both methods help reduce stickiness.
Add sprinkles quickly - Add your sprinkles immediately after spreading the white chocolate to ensure they stick to the top.
Storage
Valentine's Day rice krispies treats are best enjoyed within 1 to 2 days of preparing and dry out quickly after that. Store prepared treats in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
They also freeze well, up to six weeks or more when stored in optimal conditions. I suggest tightly wrapping your treats in foil, then storing in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container or bag.
Frequently asked questions
I don't recommend making rice krispies treats more than one day ahead of time for best results. If you plan to make your bars ahead, leave the slab whole instead of slicing into bars and storing individually. Storing as a whole slab helps retain moisture in your bars.
Purchase small cellophane gift bags with twist ties at your local craft store to individually wrap. If you can find them, decorative ziptop plastic bags can help keep your rice krispies treats fresh for even longer because they seal tightly.
A bag of mini marshmallows could be substituted with a jar of marshmallow fluff if desired.
Yes, but I recommend melting wafers for a few reasons. Melting wafers are made to be melted, while chocolate chips are made to hold their shape when heated. This makes it more difficult to melt chocolate chips evenly. Melting wafers have a shiny finish and candy bar 'snap' when solidified and don't melt easily when handled with your hands. Chocolate chips retain a softer texter when solidified and have a dull finish. They also melt easily when handled. Yes, chocolate chips will technically work in this recipe but they don't work as well as melting wafers.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Valentine's Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
- 10 ounces (284 g) mini marshmallows
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- red food coloring
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups (168 g) rice krispies cereal
- 10 ounces white chocolate melting wafers
- heart sprinkles
- red and pink jimmies
Instructions
- Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease) and set aside.
- In a stock pot over low heat, melt butter.
- Add mini marshmallows, salt, and vanilla extract, stirring until mostly melted. Remove from heat.
- Add a few drops of red food coloring and stir to create a pink color.
- Add cereal and stir until evenly coated. Using a spatula, press cereal mixture firmly into prepared 9x13 pan.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add white chocolate melting wafers. Microwave in 30 second increments and stir until melted.
- Pour over treats and spread edge to edge in an even layer. Top with sprinkles while chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate for up to 10 minutes, or until set.
- Slice into squares and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Rice krispies treats will keep for about two days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. Leftovers can be frozen for up to three months.
- Make ahead: If making ahead, store rice krispies treats slab whole and slice the day of serving. Slicing and storing separately will dry out treats faster than leaving whole.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!