Jump into fall with these marshmallowy pumpkin Rice Krispie treats! These delicious seasonal cereal bars are perfect for the lunch box, or whenever you want a little something to celebrate the best season of the year!
I try to never get too pumpkiny here on A Cookie Named Desire because I know how the second it turns September 1st, everyone starts throwing pumpkin spice all the things in your face. It gets sort of overwhelming, even for me. I love pumpkin spice but in moderation and done well.
So instead of trying to give you a pumpkin spice pesto pasta, I try to do something nice like super fluffy pumpkin pancakes or these pumpkin spice Rice Krispie treats. It makes sense here and tastes amazing with just a hint of pumpkin and a delicate infusion of warm spices.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats
Making these treats is very similar to making regular rice cereal treats, only we add some pumpkin and spice. The trick is to blot out the moisture in your pumpkin, cook it well, and let your mixture cool.
Adding things to your cereal treats isn't anything new, but you need to be careful with something like pumpkin puree which contains a considerable amount of moisture. That moisture can make your cereal soggy and make it pretty impossible for the treats to stick together.
Shaping Your Rice Krispie Treats Like Pumpkins
Usually, I will just make my pumpkin spice rice cereal treats in bars. If I am making them with the kids, however, I will sometimes shape them like little pumpkins. To do this, simply take a small handful of the mixture and shape it into a ball - this works best once the mixture is fully cooled down.
Next, slightly flatten the ball so it is squatter and top it with something to make a stem. I recommend things like pretzel rods, tootsie rolls, Rolos, or chocolate covered almonds (what I used here). You can also use something like green icing, fondant, or other green candies to make a vine.
For a more "pumpkiny" look, you might also want to add orange food coloring to your Rice Krispie treats.
Storing Your Treats
I recommend storing these pumpkin Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container at room temperature. They should last well over a week if you store them well.
You can freeze your cereal treats in an airtight container for up to a month as well. Simply place them in the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then bring to room temperature without removing from their container for a few hours.
Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup pure pumpkin puree*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
- 10 ounces marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium, then cook the butter and pumpkin together until the butter is melted and the pumpkin is very hot.
- Add in the salt and pumpkin spice mix and heat for another minute.
- Remove from heat and melt the marshmallows in the residual heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and mix well.
- Stir in the cereal and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Grease a 9 x 9 baking pan and pour the mixture in. Press the mixture down tightly.
- Set aside to set for about an hour.
Suzy says
my kids are obsessed with pumpkin treats right now I can't WAIT to make these for them!
Beth says
I love pumpkin just like the next guy but it can get a bit overwhelming - but not like this recipe! I love that it's a sweet treat with a hint of pumpkin - my kids and party guests are going to love this!!