May 1st, 2009 
duodishes 
Our parents didn’t make Rice Krispie treats for us when we were kids. We learned how to make them ourselves. These were one of the easiest sweet snacks to prepare in one serving portions. You didn’t actually need to heat them on the stove, bystepping what could potentially be a treacherous situation for a young one. Just get a plastic bowl, plop in a tiny bit of butter, tumble in the marshmallows and microwave until a billow of fluffy sugar expanded like a mini nuclear bomb. Pull the bowl out of the microwave, pour in the cereal (a little or a lot based on your sugar rush desire), stir it up really good and eat it. Nope, you didn’t even need to let it cool or eat it as a perfectly cut bar. It was so good just like that. Now that was the little kid way of eating these ageless treats, but now we’re grown. Here’s what grown folks do.
This is clearly not the only way to jazz up your crispy cereal bars. We’ve seen them with all kinds of candy, dried fruits and nuts added to the mix. When we saw the chocolate vanilla swirl marshmallows, this is just what came to mind. We thought the almond extract would’ve been too much in addition to the almond pieces, but it was literally just the right amount to maintain a smooth and constant nutty essence throughout each bite. If we had flakey sea salt, we would’ve used that, but the kosher crystals worked just fine.
Oh, and maybe you noticed that these babies actually made their debut on this site yesterday when we added one of our new banners. So photogenic, aren’t they?
Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats – Serves 24
5 cups Rice Krispies
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups toasted almonds, chopped
10 ounces chocolate vanilla swirl marshmallows
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Kosher salt
1. In a large soup pot, melt butter and marshmallows, stirring to combine.
2. Add extracts and stir.
3. Add cereal and 1 cup of almonds and mix well.
4. Spread into a 9×13 dish sprayed with baking spray. Flatten until smooth and even on top.
5. Drizzle melted chocolate on top and sprinkle over last 1/3 cup of almonds.
6. Sprinkle salt on top (about 1/2 teaspoon).
7. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. (Putting them in the fridge for an hour or so once they’ve reached room temp is the easiest way to cut into them.)
Click HERE for the printable recipe.
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looks like you are all ready to have kids – these look great and its a great way to sneak in nutrition to someone who shirks it….(insert evil laugh here) though I do like your childhood method too -
O . . . .M . . . .. G – These look so fabulous. I can’t wait to try them for a more grown-up version of these treats.
you guys are so amazing!! I knew I wanted to make a dessert this weekend
perfect timing for this recipe! i just spent 20 bucks on vegan marshmallows–now i’ve got the perfect way to use it, thanks!
Awesome, those look wicked good. Fancy pants rice krispie treats rule.
A new life for the krispy treat. Love your grown-up version!
I love your twist on Rice Krispies. Who can resist them? Kids, adults everyone loves RK. Beautiful!
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but at first glance I thought it was some sort of delicious ooey gooey mushroom casserole!
It looks equally delicious now that I know what it is! I love the addition of almonds to the mix for some crunch. My mom would go nuts (har har har) for these!
Those are awesome.
I never got many RK treats as a kid either. Mom was always afraid I ate too much sugar. I think when I was in college and the campus bakery made them and served them in the cafeteria, I went nuts! I couldn’t get enough.
Adding chocolate and almonds can only make them better. Yummy.
I need to make these for my daughter – we have whole big box of rice crispies cereal. Love the rocky road twist!
An awesome twist to a classic. I’ll be taking those on the plate. Thanks. ;-P
Whoa, you guys have managed to top the practically untoppable Rice Krispie Treats! What a feat. These look really good. Love the new banner too.
My first impression was a special cereal bar but now I see is more than this, a complete sweet treat totally for me… so divine and delicious!
A real rocky treat
Have a great weekend!
Gera
Ooh, I do love nuts and these looks very grown up.
Now, that is dressing up a classic! The almonds on top look great.
these look amazing! where did you find chocolate vanilla swirl marshmallows???
Rocky Road? I love this twist on the classic. And you’re right — sea salt would have been the ultimate crowning touch.
My momma didn’t make me Rice Krispie Treats either, wonder why? I love eating them! All I gots to say now..is are you mailing me some?? LOL!
It doesn’t matter, this looks so delicious. WOW, how clever…
Wow. They look so creative, pretty and decadent.
What a great idea…my cereal bars are in a rut.
chocolate vanilla swirl marshmallows sound AMAZING!!
A twist to a childhood classic? Nothing wrong with that now! Reading this just gave me flashbacks as a kid to when I would go crazy just to snack on a rice krispie treat.
Man I have not had one of those in…can you say ‘forever’? I may have to try another cereal, just to play and make up this fantasy ‘kids’ cereal bar…the kid in me says who can freakin’ wait for them to cool…yank the whole baby out and eat the evidence…sorry I get carried away
LOVE your adaptations what a great way to take it up a step. Im sure many children of blogging parents are thanking you bout now.
Wow… Crispy, crunchy, chewy! Never had them, sounds so good though. Oh and the new banner is lovely
Chocolate vanilla swirl marshmallows???? What am I missing not living in the US anymore? Wow! And how often did we eat these treats growing up? Not often! No one made them in our house either. Maybe that is why I crave things like this so much now that I am all grown up and living in Europe!
My grown up husband buys rice krispies just to make HIS FAVORITE treat. He needs to try this recipe. Looks so good.
D’you think these would survive being mailed to Boston??? They look wonderful, so much better than the original.
WOW, those look really delectable! Almost like trail mix Rice Krispies.
This bars look very nutritious…I have the feeling that not only adults but kids will love them as well.
my husband loves RK treats!! we make them probably once a week – but this is a much more mature version!
wow, they do look and sound great!
Yessss! That’s what I’m talking about! Genius.
My kids would love that!
I’ve seen lots of different versions of the RKT and this just ranked #1. Consider yourself bookmarked!
OOOOOOH Yummie! Looks incredibly delicious!! Great food!
My husband and I used to challenge ourselves by saying that if we completed our circuit of the local lake within such-and-such a time, we were allowed to have a Rice Krispies treat!
I didn’t think it was possible to improve on the original but by golly, you did it!
I must eat that immediately!!
My parents didn’t make Rice Krispie treats when I was a kid, either. Had they known about this recipe, however, I might have been reared on them. They look outstanding in those photos!
i will send you my mailing address right now so you can mail me some! if you were in ATL, I’d just drive to ur parents house! niiiice.
I did not have this treat till I came to the US. Only learned how to make it a few months ago. LOVE your version.
OH YUMMM!!!!! I’ve been meaning to make a crispy brown rice version of these.. I may need to add in some of your ideas too!
I definitely do not remember Rice Krispie Treats looking this good.
That is one serious Rice Krispy bar. I feel like I could go hiking for a week living on nothing but this.
Rice Krispie buns are such a kiddie classic – we usually just had them with rice krispies and chocolate but I love the rocky road / nutty version!
Ohh do these ever look delicious. What brilliant kids you were to make instant rice krispies! I never would’ve thought of that.
Yum! Two childhood favorites of mine all rolled into one tasty looking treat! Irresistible!