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Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

I whip up a batch of these Frankenstein rice krispie treats every single October, and honestly, they're the first thing I add to my Halloween baking list. I love that there's zero oven time involved, just a pot, a spatula, and a few silly decorating supplies.
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Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups crispy rice cereal — any basic brand works fine just measure it after pouring so it packs evenly
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter — controls the saltiness better than salted butter does
  • 10 ounces mini marshmallows — minis melt smoother and faster than large marshmallows
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract — adds a subtle warmth that balances out the sweetness
  • Green gel food coloring — gel gives a deeper more even color than liquid drops
  • 1 cup dark chocolate melting wafers — melts smoothly for that classic Frankenstein hair-and-collar look
  • Candy eyeballs — the easiest way to instantly give each treat a face
  • Black decorating gel or icing — for drawing on those signature Frankenstein stitches

Method
 

  1. Add your butter to a large pot over low heat and let it melt completely. Once melted, add in the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until the mixture turns smooth and fully combined. This usually takes about five minutes on low heat.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in your vanilla extract along with a few drops of green gel food coloring. Keep stirring until the color spreads evenly through the marshmallow mixture with no white streaks left behind. Add more coloring gradually until you reach the shade you like.
  3. Pour the crispy rice cereal into the pot and gently fold it into the green marshmallow mixture. Work quickly but gently here, since overmixing can crush the cereal and make your treats dense instead of light.
  4. Transfer the mixture into a parchment-lined 9x13 pan and press it down firmly but evenly using a greased spatula or your hands. Let the pan sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes so everything firms up before cutting.
  5. Slice the set treats into rectangles, then dip the top edge of each one into melted dark chocolate for that classic Frankenstein hairline. Finish by adding candy eyeballs and black stitching lines with your piping bag or gel.

Notes

  • I always use gel food coloring instead of liquid, since liquid drops water down the marshmallow mixture and make it stickier.
  • I grease my spatula and hands before pressing the mixture into the pan, which saves me a ton of frustration.
  • I let my treats cool completely before dipping them in chocolate, or the chocolate slides right off.
  • I keep my chocolate slightly warm while I work, reheating it in ten-second bursts so it doesn't harden mid-decorating.
  • I always make extra chocolate for dipping, since it's easy to run short halfway through a batch.