This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
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!
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!
How to make Fourth of July Krispie Treats
- These have all the normal cereal treat ingredients: Rice Krispies cereal, Mini marshmallows (you can also use regular marshmallows but mini melt easier), Unsalted butter (or salted), and Vanilla extract.
- You can make these on the stove in a large pot or in the microwave in a large bowl.
- Once the marshmallows melt into the butter, you add the cereal and then you add the fun: 4th of July Add-Ins: Red, white and blue M&Ms and sprinkles.
- These are thick cereal treats for a 9×13-inch pan.
- Tip: press them flat using the butter wrapper – or spray your hands with cooking spray.
SAVE THIS RECIPE
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
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.
4th of July Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Recipe Video
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
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
Step-by-Step Photos
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.
- Add the marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are melted.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the vanilla. Mix in the cereal, so it’s evenly coated in the melted marshmallow.
- Stir in the M&Ms, sprinkles, and press the mixture into the prepared pan.
- 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.
FAQs
These should stay super soft and gooey. Chances are you didn’t use enough butter or marshmallows or your cereal or marshmallows were stale.
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!
Easy recipe. But for the vanilla, is it 1 Tsp (5ml) or 1 Tbsp (15ml)?
Either will actually work but thank you for catching that – 1 tsp (5ml)
I love Rice Krispie Treats and M&Ms. How could you go wrong mixing the two?
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 don’t look as pretty as yours!
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.
Featured In
Rate This Recipe
Recipe Ratings without Comment