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Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats are the classic cereal treat with hot cocoa mix added (and, of course, extra marshmallows). Gooey, chocolatey, these are done in under 20 minutes.

A stack of three chocolate crispy rice treats with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, with more treats and a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows in the background.

Rice Krispie Treats are one of my favorite easy no bake treats! I have so many flavors for you to choose from (from peanut butter to cake batter to even banana pudding) and hot chocolate krispie treats might be one of the best ones yet.

This is an easy no bake cereal bar that takes less than 20 minutes to assemble. They’re rich and chocolatey like hot cocoa, with extra gooey marshmallows and chocolate chips. When I was making these I dunked them in a mug of hot chocolate which was the best idea ever.

A top-down view of labeled baking ingredients in bowls: rice krispies, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, hot chocolate mix, a stick of butter, and vanilla extract on a light surface.

How to make Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

  1. Use your favorite Rice Krispies cereal (any brand). Make sure it’s fresh (not stale).
  2. I prefer using mini marshmallows because they melt faster. It’s best to use fresher marshmallows (than ones from your pantry).
  3. Use a hot cocoa mix you love to drink. This is the predominant flavor in this recipe, so you want it to be a good one you enjoy.
  4. After the cocoa mix and cereal is mixed into the melted butter and marshmallow mixture, you’ll fold in more mini marshmallows. These won’t melt all the way on purpose, like marshmallows on top of a hot drink.
  5. You could easily add flavoring to this (peppermint or candy cane pieces would be fantastic).
Close-up of hands pulling apart a gooey chocolate rice crispy treat, showing melted marshmallow stretching between the two pieces. The background is blurred with more treats and marshmallows visible.

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Can you freeze cereal treats?

Yes you can freeze rice krispie treats! I do it all the time. Just make sure to either wrap each individually or layer them between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper or they’ll stick together. Freeze in an airtight container or bag for up to a month.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

  • Slice your butter into tablespoons so it melts quicker.
  • Line your pan with foil and nonstick cooking spray before starting. Also measure out all your cereal, etc, because it goes fast once everything melts.
  • Use the butter wrapper or spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray to press into the pan. These are designed for a 9×13-inch pan and they are thick and gooey!
4 from 1 vote

Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

By: Dorothy Kern
Turn rice krispie treats into hot chocolate treats! Adding hot cocoa mix to the best rice krispie treat batter makes the perfect hot chocolate cereal treats with extra marshmallows.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
A stack of three chocolate crispy rice treats with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, with more treats and a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows in the background.
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 20 ounces mini marshmallows, divided
  • 2 packets hot cocoa mix, (about 2.5 oz or 75g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 9 cups (240g) Rice Krispies cereal
  • ¼ cup (36g) mini chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Add butter to a large saucepan and stir until melted. Add 15 ounces marshmallows and stir until melted over medium heat.
  • Once marshmallow mixture is melted, turn off heat and add vanilla and cocoa mix. Stir.
  • Add cereal and stir to combine. Add remaining 5 ounces marshmallows and stir gently (you don’t want them to melt all the way).
  • Pour mixture into prepared pan. Press to compact. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Let cool to set.
  • Slice into bars and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.

Notes

  • It’s best to gather all your ingredients before starting as making cereal treats goes fast.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 821IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Cereal Treats Step-by-Step

A pot filled with mini marshmallows sits on an induction cooktop. Next to it is a turquoise plate holding a wooden spoon, all on a white countertop.
A pot of chocolate mixture sits on an electric cooktop, with a wooden spoon covered in the mixture resting on a small blue plate beside it on a white countertop.
A pot on an electric cooktop contains chocolatey, crispy cereal mixed with mini marshmallows, stirred with a wooden spoon. The scene is set on a white countertop.
A rectangular baking pan lined with foil contains a chocolatey dessert topped with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, viewed from above on a white surface.
  1. Add butter and marshmallows to a large pan and stir until they’re melted together.
  2. Stir in vanilla extract and hot cocoa mix.
  3. Add cereal and stir to combine, then fold in additional marshmallows.
  4. Press in a 9×13-inch pan and let sit about 30 minutes to set and cool.

Favorite Rice Krispie Treats

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4 from 1 vote

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76 Comments

  2. Hi, I must confess I am pretty much of an au natural when it comes to flavors with RKTs. But this one does sound really yummy. My favorite thing about RKTs is how flexible they are, I have turned them into sports embles, t-pees for Scouts and my kids all time favorite was a “snake” cake made out of RKTs. It was requested multiple times each year and even in middle and high school. Thank you for a recipe I want to try to expand my purist ideas. LOL

    Reply

  3. Oh writer’s block, you confounded foe! I have these moments too. Sometimes I just don’t have anything even remotely interesting or funny to say 🙂

    Reply

  5. I’ll confess to being the person that sometimes hits publish as soon as I finish typing. Although not too often…

    Looks pretty se*y for a rice krispie!

    Reply