Christmas Rice Krispie Treats

Crunchy and colorful with simple green icing and a red candy star make these easy Christmas Rice Krispie Treats! These Christmas tree and candy treats look cute and taste even better!

This article has more details on How to Make M&M Pretzel Hugs that are a perfect compliment to these holiday treats.

Christmas Rice Krispies Recipe

Fun to make around the holidays, we love sharing Rice Krispie treats with friends! Easier to make seasonal and special than our equally delicious Cocoa Puffs Cereal Bars and Captain Crunch Treats we enjoy getting the kids to help mix these up.

Plain Rice Krispie cereal, the Christmas special mix with the red and green pieces or chocolate crispy rice cereal all work fine. We have tested all versions and find that it’s really more about personal preference with aesthetics.

When we use chocolate Rice Krispies we do like to mix in a little peanut butter for a deeper flavor dynamic.

Ingredients Needed:

• Crispy Rice Cereal – we like the name brand Rice Krispies or a cheaper store brand if available, but find the small grain cereal is best for this cereal treat.
• Mini Marshmallows – the mini size melts easier than the larger ones that can be used in a pinch.
• Butter – helps the marshmallows melt more smoothly.
• Peanut Butter – an optional add in when chocolate cereal is the main ingredient.
• Green Icing
• Red M&Ms – or other candy to make a star on top of the tree or possible lights and ornaments on the trees.

Another sweet treat my kiddos love is our Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Bars.

Step By Step Instructions

Lightly coat a rectangle 9 x 13″ pan with non-stick spray.

Add butter, mini marshmallows and peanut butter to a large microwave safe bowl. Heat on :30 intervals stirring each time until melted.

Then add cereal and stir well to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed together very well.

Smooth out the cereal treats completely with wet fingers.

How to Make Christmas Trees

After about an hour once the cereal treats have set enough to cut without sticking to the knife, cut a line down the center of the pan as shown.

Then cut triangles in each half to make the shape of trees.

I like to purchase a bag of green icing.

My mom uses decorator icing, colors it green and puts it into a Wilton cake bag with a round tip.  

If you don’t have cake making supplies fill a baggie, then cut the corner off of a baggie to squirt it out onto the treats.

Add some M&Ms or other small candy or sprinkles to the wet icing to dry and stick to the trees.

Keep in a single layer until the icing sets up. Then arrange on a tray or store in a box with wax paper separating the layers.

Separate and serve on a white or solid color tray so the trees can stand out.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Crispy Rice Christmas Trees

Starting with our base recipe for Reese’s Puffs Cereal Bars that has peanut butter we enjoy making chocolate Christmas trees. 

Spray a 9×13 dish with non-stick cooking spray and mix up the crispy rice treats.  I always wet my fingers to spread the mixture out into the pan. Let the treats set up for at least 30 minutes and then cut into triangles.

Easy Christmas Trees Made of Brownies

My mom made these super cute Christmas trees out of a box mix of brownies.  She took a regular pan of brownies, cut them into tree-shaped triangles, added sprinkles, green icing and a red M&M for the star.  

My mom always keeps disposable pans on hand and adds a layer of wax paper to store and transport these treats.

More Holiday Treats To Share

Here are a couple other classic cookies we love to make around Christmas:  TikTok Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough, Cowboy Cookie Bars, Farmhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies, and Applesauce Raisin Cookies. 

We hope you enjoy all of these cookies as much as we do!

Originally shared on November 29, 2018 with updates made on January 31, 2024.