Birthday Cake Rice Krispie Treats
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Birthday cake rice krispie treats are an easy funfetti dessert! It’s a Kellogg’s copycat recipe, but made better with a colorful twist. They are crispy, sticky-sweet, and loaded with rich vanilla flavor. Plus, they’re topped with creamy white chocolate and lots of rainbow sprinkles. This cake batter dessert is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free friendly!
The best funfetti rice krispie treats
If you thought rice krispie treats couldn’t get any more delicious, these Birthday Cake Rice Krispie Treats will instantly change your mind. Not only are they sweeter and richer than the original, but their colorful appearance makes them so much more fun!
These funfetti rice krispie treats start with the classic sticky-sweet, light and crispy base. However, the flavor is enhanced with yellow cake mix, vanilla extract, and almond extract. They’re also topped with melted white chocolate chips and lots of rainbow sprinkles.
You’ll be amazed by how quick and EASY it is to make these cereal bars. The recipe uses one pot, the stovetop, and simple ingredients. You can even make them vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free friendly.
Since these colorful dessert bars are reminiscent of funfetti cake, they’re a perfect treat for birthdays, parties, and celebrations. They’re easily transportable, too, since they do not need to be refrigerated. Bring them to your next party, but be prepared to watch them disappear in minutes!
PS: If you love funfetti desserts, you’ll also enjoy my Vegan Funfetti Cookies and Edible Funfetti Cookie Dough.
These birthday rice krispie treats are:
- Sweet, sticky, crispy, and gooey
- Loaded with cake batter flavor
- Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free friendly
- An easy no-bake cereal bars recipe
- Made with boxed cake mix
- A dessert idea for kids, birthday parties, and celebrations!
What are birthday rice krispie treats made of?
- Rice Krispies cereal: Use the original Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal or a healthier option, like brown rice crisps cereal. If you need a gluten-free option, see the FAQ below for tips.
- Marshmallows: Fresh marshmallows (with a soft, pillowy texture) will give you the best results. Don’t use an old, stale bag. If you are vegan, make sure they are gelatin-free. Dandies and Trader Joe’s make vegan-friendly marshmallows.
- Cake mix: Any boxed cake mix, such as yellow cake or funfetti cake, will work for this recipe. Make sure you follow the instructions; you must bake the cake mix for 5 minutes. This kills off any potential harmful bacteria, because it is not safe to consume raw cake mix.
- Butter or vegan butter: If you are vegan, I recommend using the Earth Balance brand. Otherwise, you can use dairy butter.
- White chocolate chips: These crispy treats are topped with melted white chocolate. You can use any white chocolate chips for this. If you’re vegan, make sure they are dairy-free.
- Rainbow sprinkles: Add any rainbow sprinkles. I love using nonpareils, but jimmies work too.
- Vanilla extract: The rich vanilla flavor comes from two teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Almond extract: This extract is incredibly sweet, so it enhances the funfetti flavor.
- Salt: Salt improves the overall flavor.
How to make birthday cake rice krispie treats
For the full ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cake mix across the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool.
Next, line a 9×9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some of the paper hanging over the edges. Lightly spray with oil.
Tips for the best cake batter rice krispie treats
Bake the cake mix. It is essential to bake the cake mix before creating this recipe. This is because it’s not safe to consume raw cake mix. If you bake it, you kill off any potential harmful bacteria, which makes it safe to eat!
Use fresh marshmallows. Stale marshmallows do not melt as easily as fresh marshmallows, so try to grab a bag that is super soft.
Slowly melt the marshmallows. It’s important to be patient. Slowly melt the marshmallows so they don’t burn. If you burn the sugar, the treats will become hard and chewy (rather than light and crispy).
Vegan marshmallows do not melt easily. If you are using vegan marshmallows, remember they do not melt as well as regular marshmallows. This is because they do not contain gelatin. Just make sure you are patient with it! It’s totally fine if there are still a couple unmelted chunks that won’t fully combine.
How to prevent sticking: Use parchment paper and lightly spray it with oil. This will make it super easy to remove the bars from the pan.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
No, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal is not gluten-free because it contains malt flavoring. This flavoring is derived from barley, which is a gluten-containing grain.
There are tons of gluten-free alternatives for rice krispies cereal. I recommend One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps, Nature’s Path Organic Crispy Rice Cereal, and the 365 by Whole Foods Market brands.
No, puffed rice is unsweetened, soft, and puffy. On the other hand, rice krispies (or brown rice crisps) are light, crispy, and sweetened. That crispy texture is crucial for making homemade rice krispie treats, so don’t swap these two ingredients.
Regular marshmallows contain gelatin, which is an animal byproduct. Therefore, they aren’t vegan. If you want to make this recipe vegan-friendly, I recommend using the Dandies or Trader Joe’s brand.
Yes! If you are not dairy-free, you can use dairy butter and regular marshmallows.
Slowly melt the marshmallows to avoid this. If you overcook them, the sugar will burn and the rice crispy treats will harden.
How to store homemade rice krispie treats
After slicing them into squares, keep stored inside a tightly sealed container at room temperature. Enjoy within 3 days for the best flavor and texture.
More vegan desserts with cereal
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Birthday Cake Rice Krispie Treats
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 treats 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop, Mix
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Birthday rice krispie treats are an easy funfetti dessert idea! They’re even better than the original recipe. These cake batter rice krispie treats are made with cake mix, marshmallows, rainbow sprinkles, and white chocolate chips. The easy recipe is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free friendly. You’ll be amazed by how delicious these cereal bars are. It’s a fun dessert for kids, parties, birthdays, and celebrations! #ricekrispies #ricekrispietreats #cerealbars #funfettidesserts #funfetti
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter or vegan butter
- 12 oz marshmallows or vegan marshmallows
- 1/2 cup yellow cake mix or funfetti cake mix, heat treated*
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 cups rice krispies cereal (or brown rice crisps)
- 1 and 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cake mix across the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool.
- Line a 9×9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some of the paper hanging over the edges. Lightly spray with oil.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows. Stir together just until the marshmallows are melted through. It is important to slowly melt them; do not overcook the marshmallows or your rice krispies treats will become hard.
- Once the marshmallows are melted, immediately remove the pot from heat. Stir in the cake mix, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Mix together to evenly combine.
- Add rice krispies cereal and 2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles to the pot. Gently fold together, evenly coating all of the cereal.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Using a silicone spatula, press it across the dish in an even layer.
- In a small bowl, add white chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted through. Spread on top of the rice krispie treats. Top with the remaining rainbow sprinkles.
- Set rice krispies aside to cool for one hour. After, slice into 12 or 16 squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- *Heat treated cake mix: Please make sure you follow the instructions, and bake the cake mix before creating this recipe. Raw cake mix is not safe to eat. You MUST bake it before consuming it.
- How to store: Store rice krispie treats inside a sealed container at room temperature. Enjoy within 2-3 days.
- How to make them gluten-free: Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal contains malt flavoring, which is not gluten-free. Therefore, use gluten-free brown rice crisps cereal instead. I listed several recommendations in the FAQ.
- Dairy-free/vegan: If you are not dairy-free or vegan, you can use regular dairy butter and regular marshmallows for this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 treat
- Calories: 262
- Sugar: 16g
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Protein: 1g
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