Perfect Marshmallow Treats Recipe – When you’re almost doubling the amount of mini-marshmallows the original recipe calls for, adding some vanilla extract, and throwing in more sprinkles than one would think is wise, you’ve immediately got yourself the perfect marshmallow treats.
Hey hey Fantabulosity readers! I’m Tara from the food blog, Smells Like Home, where I focus on easy, homemade, family-friendly recipes. I’m insanely excited to be here at Fantabulosity today to share one of my all-time favorite summer BBQ desserts: perfect marshmallow treats!
Perfect Marshmallow Treats Recipe
I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to planning a summer BBQ, dessert definitely is not my priority. And that’s kind of sad, right?
I mean, people LOVE dessert! I LOVE DESSERT! But I always feel like it takes a backseat in the planning process because a fantastic summer BBQ is alllll about the grilling and the sides. Am I right?
Burgers? Check!
Barbecued chicken? Check!
Ribs? Check!
BBQ Side Dishes
And then the sides! Oh my the sides!! Bacon ranch potato salad. Grilled corn. The cheesiest of mac and cheeses. And, I don’t know…maybe a watermelon feta salad for good measure? I guess non-mayo salads are BBQ-acceptable too since it’s all about the balance these days.
See this amazing cauliflower potato salad that’s perfect for a bbq!
The Ultimate Summer BBQ Dessert
I’ve made A LOT of desserts in my life. I’ve been blogging at Smells Like Home for over 11 years and I’m not kidding when I say that there are over 250 different dessert recipes on the site. There are probably a hundred other recipes that I’ve made that have never been posted to the site. So it goes without saying that I spend more time than I care to admit thinking about dessert.
And believe it or not, I do get to the point where I get bored of making the same things over and over. Some bloggers would never admit that but it’s totally true for me.
Perfect Marshamallow Treats on Repeat
However, I could never, ever, not in a million years, get bored of making these perfect marshmallow treats. They are truly the ultimate summer BBQ dessert! Super simple and incredibly fast to make, they’re ready in less time than it takes to preheat your oven to bake a batch of cookie bars (my other go-to, never-fail dessert).
I totally realize that some of you would doubt me on this because: marshmallow treats? Really? The ones with the puffed rice cereal? They’re so…1990s. But hold on!
The Key to “Perfect” Marshmallow Treats
When you’re almost doubling the amount of mini-marshmallows the original recipe calls for, adding some vanilla extract, and throwing in more sprinkles than one would think is wise, you’ve immediately got yourself the perfect marshmallow treats.
These bars are insanely soft and chewy – just look at those stretchy, gooey marshmallows! They’re not at all the marshmallow treats from your childhood that scratch the roof of your mouth and leave you searching desperately for a glass of water.
These treats are always the first to disappear on my dessert tables and they’ve become my default dessert to bring to summer BBQs we’re invited to. They don’t need to be refrigerated which is always appreciated by a host you’re bringing these treats to, and there’s no baking required so they’re exactly the type of summer dessert that I can justify making in the middle of a heatwave with the AC blasting.
Plus? How could you possibly go wrong with making these perfect marshmallow treats with all different types of sprinkles? Sprinkle life forever!!
Perfect Marshmallow Treats
Forget the dry and crunchy marshmallow treats of your childhood! This updated recipe gives you chewy and utterly addictive marshmallow treats that will always bring huge smiles.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- Pinch table salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 11 cups mini marshmallows from 2 (10.5 oz bags)
- 5 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
- 8 oz spinkles
Instructions
Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray the paper/foil with baking spray. Lightly spray a piece of parchment or wax paper with baking spray. Set both aside.
Measure 8 cups of the marshmallows into a large bowl. This will make it easier to mix them into the melted butter later in the recipe. Add the remaining 3 cups of marshmallows to a separate small bowl.
Melt the butter in a large pot (an 8-quart pot works well here) over medium-low heat. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract.
Turn the heat to low and mix 8 cups of the marshmallows (the ones you measured into the large bowl) into the butter mixture. Stir with a silicone spatula until almost completely melted and the butter is incorporated. Take the pot off the heat and mix the puffed rice cereal and about 3/4 of the sprinkles into the melted marshmallows just until a cohesive mixture starts to form. Immediately mix in the remaining 3 cups of marshmallows until fully combined. You should have lots of intact marshmallows studded throughout the rice mixture.
Transfer the marshmallow-rice mixture to the prepared pan and using the sprayed side of the parchment/wax paper, lightly but firmly press the mixture into an even layer in the pan. The sprayed paper will prevent you from making a sticky mess with your hands or the spatula. Try not to press too hard or you'll compress the treats and make them rock hard.
Distribute the remaining sprinkles over the top of the treats and press them in lightly to help them stick to the top of the treats. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and allow the treats to cool and set up for about 1 hour.
Pull the treats in the parchment paper/foil up and out of the pan and cut into 16 squares.
Storage: These treats taste the best on the day they are made. Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature, they will last for 2 days, max.
Recipe Notes
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.
Recipe Note: Just about any type of mini marshmallows will work for these treats - don't get stuck on finding a brand name, especially if your grocery store doesn't carry national brands. Vegan mini marshmallows should work fine here too. Brown or white puffed rice cereal will work fine for these treats as well. And as for the sprinkles, GO NUTS! Customize your sprinkles for a holiday, birthday party theme, or someone's favorite color. The possibilities are endless!
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Tara Liptak is the author of the food blog, Smells Like Home, since 2007 where she shares her love for from-scratch, family-friendly recipes with a bit of humor and a touch of her NY-girl attitude. She is a pre-adoptive mama, wife, dog mom, project manager, and licensed real estate agent. With a full heart and crazy schedule, she aims to fill her family’s bellies with homemade, wholesome, and always delicious food. A few of the most popular recipes on her site are One-Pot Creamy Sausage Pasta, Apple Slab Pie (aka “party pie”), and Homemade Soft Flour Tortillas.