Rice Krispie Treats Cereal Birthday Bars

These Rice Krispie Treats Cereal bars combine marshmallow, browned butter, and vanilla with two cereal favorites: Rice Krispies® and Cap’n Crunch®. With a thick layer of melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate ganache loaded with rainbow sprinkles to top it all off, you have a deliciously rich birthday cake alternative. Of course, if you want to make a birthday cake, I have you covered!

Why Make Rice Krispie Treats Cereal Birthday Bars?

• This recipe requires a short time at the stovetop and a few minutes of microwave fun. Let’s face it, the summer months are coming, and outdoor gatherings, parties, and celebrations await. The house is getting warmer as the ACs run nonstop to keep up. Who has the time or wants to heat the home to bake a cake or a complicated dessert? Enter these Rice Krispie Treats Cereal Birthday Bars.
• The Cap’n Crunch® twist adds a pop of color and flavor that complements the nutty/toffee flavor of the browned butter. I opted for Birthday Crunch™ in this recipe, but Oops! All Berries® also works fantastically.
• The White Chocolate ganache offers a creamy yet firm topping that delivers the softest, smoothest texture–reminiscent of frosting without the mess or fuss. This combines with the clear vanilla extract to create a dreamy birthday flavor.

Ingredient Notes

• Salted Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe, but if you only have unsalted on hand, you can stir 3/4 tsp of sea salt or table salt into the melted butter.
• Clear Vanilla Extract: This is the fun vanilla, not the heartwarming one. The flavor is reminiscent of birthday cake, but if you only have standard vanilla extract on hand, that will also work. Even better, though, is if you have Almond Extract, which would be a better substitute for the clear vanilla.
• Mini Marshmallows: Large marshmallows are acceptable for the melting part, but if you’re looking for little marshmallow moments in the actual bars–opt for stirring in some mini ones at the same time you add the cereal.
• Cap’n Crunch®: Use either Birthday Crunch™ or Oops! All Berries® for the best flavors. I’m happy that neither is made with high fructose corn syrup.
• Rice Krispies®: Instead of mixing the cereals half and half, I opt for 4 cups of standard Rice Krispies®. This ratio allows the cereal to fill in the gaps while allowing the Cap’n Crunch® flavor to come through. This helps when it comes time to add the ganache since excessive air pockets will send the white chocolate goodness to the bottom.
• White Chocolate: Standard white chocolate chips are used in this recipe, but you can melt down white baking chocolate to get a similar effect if you use the same weight.
• Cream: This makes the ganache…ganache. There are no substitutions, in my opinion.

Recipe Notes:

• If the bars are too hard: You may have pressed them down too firmly into the pan (ideal thickness 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″). Try adding more marshmallows next time or pressing them down more gently. Remember that they will be hard when you remove them from the refrigerator, but they’ll soften within minutes. 
• If the bars are too soft: You may not have pressed firmly enough on them when adding to the pan. Press the bars to 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ thickness before adding the ganache.
• If your ganache is too thick: It may need more time in the microwave or on a double boiler to melt down. If that doesn’t help, try adding a little more cream.
• If your ganache is too thin: It may have been cooked too long, or too much cream was added. Try melting in more chips to see if that improves the viscosity. It should have a ribbon consistency that disappears slowly as you pour the ganache over the bars.

Storage

The Rice Krispies Treats Cereal Birthday Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container. If you keep the bars in the refrigerator, allow them to come to room temperature before eating them for the best possible experience. The white chocolate ganache contains cream but a low moisture content, so it is shelf stable for up to 2 days.

If you like this recipe, check out some of my others by visiting my Recipes page.