Description
Festive Santa Hat Rice Krispie Treats are a fun and delicious holiday dessert made by combining classic rice cereal and marshmallows colored red, shaped into cones, and decorated with melted white chocolate and sanding sugar to resemble Santa hats. These treats are simple to make and perfect for holiday parties and family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 10 oz mini marshmallows (plus a handful more for decorating the top of the hat)
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 6 cups Rice Krispies
- Red gel food color
Decoration
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (melted)
- 1/2 cup white sanding sugar
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Marshmallows: In a microwave-safe bowl or medium saucepan, melt the butter and mini marshmallows together, stirring until the mixture is completely smooth. Add red gel food color and mix until you achieve your desired shade of red.
- Mix with Rice Krispies and Chill: Add the Rice Krispies cereal to the colored marshmallow mixture and stir until all the cereal is completely coated. Refrigerate the mixture for 10-15 minutes or until it is cool and firm enough to handle.
- Shape the Hats: Take a golf ball-sized amount of the mixture and shape it into a cone with a flat bottom to stand upright. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Decorate the Hats: Dip one small end of a mini marshmallow into melted white chocolate and fix it to the tip of the cone to form the pom-pom of the Santa hat. Let it set for 5 minutes. Next, dip the bottom 1/2 to 3/4 inch of each hat into the melted white chocolate, wipe off any excess so the hat sits flat, then immediately dip into the sanding sugar, gently pressing to coat evenly.
- Set the Coating: Allow the decorated Santa hat treats to set for 15-20 minutes until the white chocolate and sanding sugar are completely firm before serving.
- Handle White Chocolate: Work quickly with the white chocolate because it hardens fast. If more working time is needed, especially when working with children, add about 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable or tasteless oil at a time to the melted white chocolate until it’s smooth and creamy like melted peanut butter. This will extend the working time but may require an additional 15 minutes for setting.
Notes
- Work quickly when handling melted white chocolate as it hardens fast.
- Adding a small amount of vegetable oil to melted white chocolate can help keep it melted longer.
- Chilling the Krispie mixture helps it become firm and easier to shape.
- Ensure the bottoms of the hats are flat for stable standing.
- These treats are best served fresh and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
