Freeze-Dried Rice Crispy Treats: A New Tradition

For all my fellow freeze-drying enthusiasts, let me tell you – you absolutely need to try making freeze-dried Rice Krispies Treats! Recently, I made some festive Holiday Peppermint Rice Crispy Treats, and after saving some for later, I decided to freeze-dry a batch. The results were incredible!

I have fond memories of making Rice Krispies Treats as a kid. It was one of the first holiday treats I made entirely by myself. I remember standing in front of our olive-green electric stove, standing on a chair to get a better view into the pan as I stirred the Rice Krispies into melted butter and marshmallows. I loved peppermint, so I would take candy canes out to the garage, grab my dad's hammer, and crush them – no fancy bags, just a little mess with most of the peppermint staying in the plastic sleeve. It wasn’t the neatest, but it was a kid’s adventure in the kitchen.

Those memories are special, but freeze-dried Rice Crispy will now be my new tradition. They’re crunchy and amazing, taking the classic treat to a whole new level. Of course, I still love the chewy, sweet regular Rice Crispy, but the freeze-dried version has a texture that’s out of this world! 

Do not get me wrong, I still make traditional treats, but I freeze-dry a lot of them. 

Basic Rice Krispies Treat Recipe

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

10 oz bag mini marshmallows (or 8 oz peppermint marshmallows + 2 cups mini marshmallows)

3 tablespoons butter

1. Melt butter in a pan, then add marshmallows over medium heat. Stir often until melted.

2. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the Rice Krispies

3. Press the mixture into a greased 9x12 pan or into molds, like cute Christmas tree silicone forms for a festive touch.

Christmas Tree Rice Crispy Treats (not freeze-dried)

Christmas Tree Rice Crispy Treats (not freeze-dried)

For a fun holiday twist, add some color and sprinkles in a silica form!

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

3 tablespoons butter

10 oz mini marshmallows

3 tablespoons sprinkles (red, white, green)

1-3 drops Wilton’s Leaf Green icing color

Directions

1. Melt butter in a pan, add marshmallows, and stir until melted.

2. Remove from heat, add the green food coloring, and mix until well combined.

3. Stir in Rice Krispies and mix thoroughly.

4. Spray your silicone forms with oil and press the mixture into them.

5. Let cool and remove from forms.

6. Put in PackFreshUSA  Stand Up Pouches, they come in a variety of sizes and colors, so you can pick the perfect one to gift to your friends, family, or co-workers.

Freeze-Dried Peppermint Rice Krispies Method

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

8 oz peppermint marshmallows + 2 cups mini marshmallows

3 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Melt butter in a pan, then add marshmallows over medium heat. Stir often until melted.

2. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the Rice Krispie cereal

3. Press the mixture into a greased 9x12 pan or into molds, like cute Christmas tree silicone forms for a festive touch.

TIPS FOR FREEZE-DRIED

To freeze-dry your Rice Crispy Treats, use your freeze-dryer trays with liners. using wax paper press your rice crispy treats mix into the pan. Be careful not to make the treats too tall, as you don’t want to overload your trays. Using the height of the trays to ensure you keep the height at the max recommended. Cut your cooled treats into bite-sized pieces (about 1x1 inch), as they will expand during the freeze-drying process. I recommend covering them with parchment paper to protect the heat element in your freeze-dryer.

Once they’re done, you’ll have freeze-dried Rice Krispies Treats that are perfectly crunchy and ready for snacking! 

Happy holidays,

Ola D Griffin

Long-term Food Storage Expert

Customer Service, Safeguard Brands, Inc. dba PackFreshUSA

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