Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie Christmas trees turn buttery marshmallow cereal treats into a holiday dessert with pretzel trunks, colorful sprinkles, and white chocolate garland.
Each batch starts in a 9×13-inch pan and gets cut into triangles, so you don’t need a special cookie cutter.
This Christmas dessert recipe is a fun decorating project for Christmas movie night or a holiday treat tray.
Let the cereal mixture cool before cutting, then set out the decorations so everyone can decorate their own tree.
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Why You’ll Love These Rice Krispie Christmas Trees
- No oven needed: This no bake Christmas dessert will leave your oven free for the rest of your holiday baking.
- No special cutter required: Cut the treats into triangles with a kitchen knife to create the tree shapes.
- Fun to decorate: White chocolate garland and colorful sprinkles give each tree its own look.
- Sweet and salty: Pretzel trunks add a little crunch to the chewy marshmallow treats.
- Easy to share: Arrange them on a Christmas dessert tray or package them individually once the chocolate has set.
Ingredients to Make Christmas Tree Rice Krispies
- Rice Krispies cereal: Gives the treats their light, crispy texture. Use fresh cereal for the best crunch.
- Mini marshmallows: Melt into the butter to hold everything together and create that chewy texture.
- Salted butter: Adds richness and balances the sweetness of the marshmallows and white chocolate.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a little extra flavor to the marshmallow mixture.
- Green food coloring: Turns the cereal mixture into Christmas trees. Start with a few drops and add more until you like the shade.
- Pretzel sticks: Make the tree trunks and add a salty crunch.
- White chocolate melts: Help secure the pretzel trunks and create the drizzled garland.
- Nonpareil sprinkles: Add colorful ornaments. Press them on while the cereal mixture is still warm so they stick.
How to Make Rice Krispie Christmas Trees
- Start by melting butter, vanilla, and marshmallows, then tint with green food coloring and mix in rice krispie cereal.
- Press into a greased pan, add sprinkles, and let cool.
- Cut into triangles or use a tree-shaped cookie cutter.
- Dip pretzel sticks in melted white chocolate to create “tree trunks,” then drizzle more chocolate over the trees like garland.
- Chill briefly to set, then serve these festive and fun holiday treats!
How to Cut Rice Krispie Treats into Trees
Let the treats cool before cutting so the triangles hold their shape. Turn the slab onto a cutting board and trim any uneven edges if needed.
Cut the slab in half lengthwise to make two long strips. Working across each strip, make alternating diagonal cuts to create triangles, with the points facing in opposite directions. Aim for six trees per strip for approximately 12 treats; the end pieces can be saved for snacking.
Lightly grease your knife to keep the marshmallow mixture from sticking, and wipe the blade between cuts as needed. Leave enough width at the bottom of each triangle to insert a pretzel without splitting the treat.
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
- Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
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Tips for Soft Treats and Decorations That Stay Put
- Keep the heat low. Melt the marshmallows gently and remove them from the heat as soon as they’re smooth.
- Press gently. Compacting the mixture too tightly can make the finished treats dense and hard.
- Add sprinkles while warm. They stick better before the marshmallow mixture sets.
- Cool before cutting. Warm treats can bend or lose their shape when you lift them.
- Insert the pretzels carefully. Push the chocolate-coated end straight into the bottom of each tree while supporting the treat with your other hand.
- Snip a small opening for drizzling. You can always make the opening larger if the chocolate won’t flow easily.
- Let everything set before packaging. Give the chocolate time to firm up so the garland doesn’t smear.
Making these trees part of a bigger holiday treat tray? My Christmas Baking Planner helps you organize your recipes, shopping lists, and make-ahead schedule so you don’t have to do everything at once.
Yes! Make them up to 2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For the freshest pretzel crunch, add the trunks and chocolate decorations closer to serving.
Overheating the marshmallows or pressing the mixture too firmly into the pan can make the treats hard. Use low heat, remove the marshmallows as soon as they melt, and gently spread the mixture into the pan.
Dip the end of each pretzel into melted white chocolate before inserting it into the treat. Lay the trees flat and let the chocolate set before moving or packaging them. Pick them up by the cereal portion rather than the pretzel.
Wilton Gel Food Coloring, Highly Concentrated Gel-Based Icing Color for Frosting, Fondant, Batter & Dough, Vibrant & Blendable Cake Decorating Dye, 1 oz., Leaf GreenWilton Silver Non Stick Oblong Cake Pan, Perfect for Cake and Lasagna, Made without PFAS, Durable Steel, Even Heating, 13 x 9 x 2 in, Packaging May Vary
Wilton Holiday Sprinkles Assortment, 6.8 oz.
Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 6 cups rice krispie cereal
- 6 cups mini marshmallows
- 4 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food coloring
- Pretzel sticks
- ¾ cup white chocolate melts
- 2 tablespoons Nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying with nonstick spray
- In a large pot melt the butter over low heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add in the marshmallows and stir continuously until they have melted.
- Add several drops (4-5) of green food coloring and stir in well.
- Stir in the rice krispie cereal until coated with the marshmallow cream.
- Spoon the coated rice krispies into the prepared baking dish and gently press down to spread the mixture.
- Sprinkle the nonpareils evenly over the top and press down gently so they will stick to the mixture.
- Allow the rice krispie mixture to cool for 30 minutes.
- Using a spatula gently loosen the edges of the treats. Turn the dish over onto a clean cutting board. Use a large knife to trim the edges so they are straight. Set aside the trimmed pieces.
- Cut the block of treats down the middle the long way. This will split the treats into two pieces.
- Cut each section on an angle to form triangle shaped pieces.
- Place the white chocolate melts into a microwave safe container. Follow the directions for your brand of white chocolate melts. If they do not have directions, then microwave for 1 minute at 50% power or on the defrost setting. Stir well. If not melted place in microwave for 30 seconds and stir again.
- Dip the end of the pretzel stick , about ½ to ¾ of an inch) into the white chocolate and gently insert into the flat bottom section of each triangle shaped krispie treat.
To make white chocolate drizzle:
- Begin by creating a piping bag. Place a sandwich bag, corner first, into a mug or cup. Fold the edges over the mug or cup. Open the bag as much as possible to make spooning in the melted chocolate easier.
- Spoon the melted white chocolate into the bag.
- Remove the bag from the cup and squeeze all the chocolate into one corner of the bag. Squeeze out the excess air and twist the bag.
- Cut the tip of the bag off. You will want to cut a small amount, about 1/8 to ¼ of an inch off. This is to allow a thin drizzle of chocolate to come out to give the appearance of garland on the tree.
- Slowly squeeze the bag to allow the melted chocolate to come out. Drizzle the melted chocolate back and forth over the tree to resemble garland that has been placed around the tree.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to help the chocolate quickly set up.
- Serve and enjoy!
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