Simple Strawberry Rice Krispy Treats

by Alex Turnbull, RD | Feb 8, 2024

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Do you and your kids love dessert bars? If so, I have the perfect no bake recipe for you that also incorporates more fruit for your kids: strawberry rice krispy treats!

These strawberry rice krispy treats are not only delicious, but they also contain fruit using freeze-fried strawberries.

I’m sharing my secret to making the ooiest, gooiest rice krispy bars, so make sure to read through this post for all the details!

Table of Contents

What You Need to Make Strawberry Rice Krispy Treats

strawberry rice krispy treats ingredients

Rice krispy treats consist of three basic ingredients; Rice Krispies cereal, butter, and marshmallows, but we’re adding a fourth ingredient – freeze-dried strawberries.

While, freeze-dried strawberries might not seem as healthy as fresh strawberries, they’re nutrient profiles are surprisingly the same cup for cup.

In fact, freeze-dried strawberries might be the better option because they’re freeze-dried at peak freshness and are shelf-stable which can help minimize food waste and make it easier to eat healthy on the go.

The main difference is that freeze-dried strawberries are quite a bit sweeter since the moisture has been removed.

Ingredients for strawberry rice krispy treats:

Equipment you might need:

Large, non stick pot
Rubber spatula
9×13 cake pan or 2, 8×8 cake pans
Parchment or wax paper

How to Make Strawberry Rice Krispy Treats

No matter your an expert or beginner in the kitchen, you can make these strawberry rice krispy treats. Heck, you’re kids can probably make them, with supervision of course.

To make these strawberry rice krispy treats, you’re going to start by melting your butter in a large, non stick pot on low to medium low heat.

Once your butter is completely melted, add all but one cup of the marshmallows, and stir until your marshmallows have all nearly melted. Leaving a few lumps actually makes these rice krispy bars better in my opinion.

Make sure to remove your pot from the heat and add your Rice Krispies cereal, freeze-dried strawberries, and the additional one cup of marshmallows.

Give your strawberry rice krispy mixture a good stir until the marshmallow mix is well combined throughout the cereal and freeze-dried strawberries.

Next you’ll transfer your strawberry rice krispy treats mixture to a 9 x 13 cake pan. You can also use 2, 8 x 8 cake pans as well.

For an easier clean up, try lining the pan with parchment paper.

I like to use the spatula to initially push the rice krispy mixture into the pan, but parchment paper really comes in handy to push the mixture down with your hands without getting all sticky.

Let your rice krispy treats cool for a bit and slice up a square to enjoy!

I recommend covering the strawberry rice krispy treats so they don’t harden as quickly.

The Secret to Making Rice Krispy Bars

You can always follow the directions on the side of a Rice Krispies cereal box, however, I find this recipe doesn’t result in the ooey, gooey rice krispy treats I’m looking for.

To make the ooiest, gooiest rice krispy bars, I have two very important tips:

EXTRA marshmallows – I always like to leave out a cup or two of mini marshmallows when I’m melting them with the butter and add it at the end. This way your rice krispy bars have chunks of unmelted marshmallows adding to the ooey, gooey-ness.
EXTRA butter – the key to an ooey, gooey rice krispy treat is more butter and certainly more than the 3 tbsp in the Kelloggs directions. I actually double the butter in my recipe to ensure a buttery, soft rice krispy treat.

Variations

Rice krispy treats can be made with nearly any cereal. In our house we love Fruity Pebble krispy treats and these strawberry rice krispy treats the best. The options are endless!

Rice Krispy Treat Mix-In Variations

Freeze-dried raspberries
Freeze-dried apples
Chocolate chips
Nut butter
Sprinkles
M & Ms
Crushed Oreos

Rice Krispy Treat Cereal Variations

Fruity Pebbles
Honey Nut Cheerios
Chocolate Chex
Cinnamon Chex
Multigrain Cheerios
Kix
Honey Nut Chex
Choco Chimps
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios
Peanut Butter Ched
Panda Puffs

If your kids love cereal, grab my FREE cereal guide for my dietitian-approved, low(er) sugar cereals you can feel good about feeding your kids.

Can You Refrigerate Rice Krispy Treats?

There’s nothing unsafe about refrigerating your rice krispy treats, however it’s unnecessary and may lead to rock hard rice krispy treats.

If you do choose to put or hide them in your fridge, I recommend taking it out 30 – 60 minutes before you want to enjoy it to allow for your bar to soften – unless you prefer your rice krispy treats hard.

Can You Freeze Rice Krispy Treats?

Definitely! Throw pre cut rice krispy treats in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and toss in your freezer for a future date if you don’t plan to eat them within the week to prevent them from turning rock solid.

When you’re ready to enjoy one of your strawberry rice krispy treats, simply take one out of the freezer and thaw at room temperature and enjoy!

How to Store Rice Krispy Treats

These strawberry rice krispy treats can easily hang out on your counter for days, even a week, in an airtight bag, container, or their original pan with a lid. However, if you find you or your kids sneaking piece after piece, you can always put them out of sight, out of mind.

If you do find yourself in this situation, I’d recommend finding small ways to incorporate sweets with your meals so they’re less desirable. This way you know you have access to sweets and are less likely to eat them in excess when they are available. Sounds backwards, but the research actually supports dessert with meals as a healthy way to curb the obsession and even make healthier choices!