Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats will take our classic Rice Krispies Treats to the next level! Whether you’re looking for a fun dessert to make with the kids or just want to indulge in a sweet treat, this easy recipe is always a huge hit! Perfect for chocolate lovers, cereal lovers, or just anyone with a bit of a sweet tooth, these bars are the perfect combination of gooey and crunchy. A lot of recipes only use melted chocolate to make these cereal bars chocolatey, but I love using cocoa powder as well to make sure everything gets a lovely chocolate coating on it and to really boost the chocolate flavor profile. You can customize these bad boys with your favorite kind of chocolate chips or add-ins like nuts or chopped candy bars too! If you love this chocolate version, try my Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats, Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats, Cookie Butter Rice Krispie Treats, or S’mores Rice Krispie Treats!
Why We Love This Recipe
We’ll be using cereal and some pantry staples for these treats, so you may have everything you need already! Use your favorite kind of chocolate, add-ins, or toppings to change up the base recipe. (HINT: Andes Mint Chips sprinkled over the top are divine!) Quick and easy, these chocolatey treats are a great recipe for getting small hands involved in the kitchen—what kid doesn’t love a sweet, sticky mess?!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Butter – Butter will help bind the ingredients together. Use salted butter to enhance the flavors in these yummy treats! Marshmallows – I’ve used large and mini marshmallows here, but you can use one kind, or jumbo ones if you have them. Cocoa Powder – To make sure these delicious treats are covered in chocolate and bursting with cocoa flavor! Chocolate Chips – Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips depending on your sweetness preference. Vanilla Extract – To add a warm, sweet flavor that blends well with the cocoa and marshmallows. Kosher Salt – A pinch of salt helps tone down the sweetness in these bars and balance the flavors out. Rice Krispies Cereal – Plain Rice Krispies Cereal (or non-branded crispy rice cereal) works well here. You could also use Cocoa Krispies or Cocoa Pebbles instead, but there is enough chocolate in the recipe that it works with plain Rice Krispies, which is what I tested the recipe with.
How to Make Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats
Tips for Success
Measure and set out all your ingredients before you start cooking. This helps prevent any mishaps and ensures you have everything ready to go. I like using my large Dutch oven for this recipe, but any kind of large pot or large saucepan will work. Hang on to your butter wrapper for pressing the rice krispie treats into the pan. It won’t stick to the mixture like your hands or even a spatula or spoon will. Allow the treats to cool and set before cutting them into squares. This usually takes about an hour at room temperature. You can speed up the process by placing them in the fridge, but this might make them a bit firmer.
Substitutions and Variations
Drizzle some melted chocolate or chocolate ganache on top, or add a layer of melted chocolate to the top for more decadence! If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the mix. Use white chocolate chips and omit the cocoa powder or use white cocoa powder if you prefer a snowy version for the holidays!
More Rice Krispies Treats Recipes
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats S’mores Rice Krispies Treats Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispies Treats Scotcheroos
It makes sense to me, plus I always seem to have partial bags of large marshmallows left over from s’mores that I like to use up, but you can really use any marshmallows you like.
Chopped peanuts or chopped walnuts Dried cherries, or craisins for a fruity, chewy addition Mint chips, peanut butter chips, vanilla chips, caramel chips, or butterscotch chips Chopped candy bars or sprinkles Small candies like Reese’s Pieces or Mini M&M’s Swirl in some peanut butter for Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats, or some Biscoff cookie butter for added flavor and texture.
Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
Cookie Butter Rice Krispie Treats
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