Cinnamon and Spice Rice Crispy Treats burst with all the warm spices of autumn and Christmas seasons. They’re a quick and easy go-to snack or dessert that’s not too heavy, but still zaps a sweet craving. Kiddos and adults alike will agree!
Tips for the Best Cinnamon and Spice Rice Crispy Treats
- An 8×8 inch dish or pan makes perfect, thick-but-not-too-thick Cinnamon and Spice Rice Crispy Treats. You can use a larger pan (for thinner treats) or a smaller pan (for thicker treats). I used my vintage, amber-colored Anchor Hocking dish with a basket. It’s been loved by my family for decades and is perfect for fall. It’s obviously no longer available in stores, but a dish like this is perfect – with angular rather than rounded edges for the prettiest squared treats.
- If your dish has rounded edges, just cut about a half inch strip off of opposite sides of the pan of treats to square up the corners. And then you have to eat the “scraps.” 😉
- Remember to grease the pan or dish to avoid a sticky mess. The easiest way to apply a thin layer of grease is cooking spray. But sometimes I just pour a few drops of oil on my fingertips and wipe down the bottom and sides of the dish.
- Also, grease the back of a metal spoon (at least medium sized). Use that to press the hot rice crispy mixture into the pan and smooth the top.
- Have all of your ingredients measured and available before you begin cooking. The cereal and spices should be added as soon as the marshmallows are *almost* melted. Cooking marshmallows too long can create hard, rather than chewy, treats.
- Sprinkle the top with cinnamon until you achieve the color you like. And don’t be timid. It’s virtually impossible to accidently over-cinnamon!
- Soak your pot in warm soapy water to melt the sugar and cereal that sticks to the sides. Then washing the pot will be a breeze.
Ingredient Swaps and Must-Haves
- Sub the recipe’s cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, for 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, if you choose. The difference in flavor will be pretty minimal. Pumpkin pie spice can also be used to dust the tops of the treats if you prefer or don’t have cinnamon on hand.
- Leave out the salt if you choose, but it balances the sweetness of the marshmallows and cereal.
- Forgo dusting the top, but you’ll lose quite a bit of warm spice flavor. Consider adding more spice into the treats if you plan to skip the dusting.
- Use mini-marshmallows! By the time regular-sized marshmallows melt on the stove, the browned butter could overcook. If you only have larger marshmallows, try chopping them into smaller pieces before adding to the pot to melt.
Gluten-Free Snack and Dessert Recipes
This recipe is easily made gluten-free. Just make sure to use a brand of crisp rice cereal, like this one, that doesn’t contain any malt syrup or other gluten-containing ingredients. And check out a few more yummy, gluten free recipes:
- Monster Cookies – The Power of Yum
- Honey Ice Cream – The Power of Yum
- Pumpkin Parfait with Pecan Crunch – The Power of Yum
- Cherry Amaretto Ice Cream – The Power of Yum
- Classic Chocolate Mousse (No Raw Eggs) – The Power of Yum
Now enjoy the aroma of the heated spice mixture while you create a yummy pan of Cinnamon and Spice Rice Crispy Treats!
Cinnamon and Spice Rice Crispy Treats
Cinnamon and Spice Rice Crispy Treats bring classic rice crispy treats right into the autumn and Christmas seasons with yummy warm spices.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal (use a malt-free brand if you're going gluten free)
- 1 10 ounce pkg mini marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare an 8×8 dish with a thin coating of cooking spray or oil. Also grease the back of a metal spoon. Set aside.
- Mix spices and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium/large pot, melt butter over medium/medium low heat. Allow the butter to simmer until it browns and exudes a nutty aroma. With a metal spoon, stir to release the browned bits from the bottom and side of the pan as they form. Do not overbrown/burn the butter.
- While continuing to cook on medium low heat, pour in mini marshmallows. Stir continuously with a metal spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot with each stir.
- Once the marshmallows are mostly melted (you'll still see some marshmallow outlines and shapes, but mostly the mixture will be melted), remove from heat. Overcooking can lead to hard treats instead of chewy, so don't worry about a few marshmallow outlines in the mixture. They'll smooth out in the next step.
- Immediately pour cereal over the marshmallow mixture and sprinkle with spice mix. Stir to combine and then pour into the prepared dish.
- Smooth the top of the treats with the greased back of a metal spoon.
- Let the mix rest for at least an hour before slicing.
- Dust with additional cinnamon and slice.
