Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats with Tootsie Roll Stems

Everyone will love these adorable pumpkin Rice Krispie treats with Tootsie Roll stems and leaves! I have such a good time each Halloween season creating this fun treat with my son--they're great to make together. They're also perfect to send to school for his class Halloween party or for the fall potluck we have before we go trick or treating. And just like other Rice Krispies treats, they're always a hit with kids and adults alike!

The fall is such a fun time to create unique, cute dishes with Halloween and autumnal themes. These little Rice Krispie treat pumpkins are great for Halloween and the whole fall season. And, the recipe is so versatile that you can adjust the decorations and shape according to the time of year. Be sure to check out my Variations section below to check out ways to change up this recipe for different holidays and occasions.

If you're looking for other Halloween and fall recipes, well you're in luck. I've got a bunch! You'll love my Monster Munch Halloween snack mix and my Mini Meatloaf Muffins with monster decorations. The meatloaves are really great served with my smoked gouda mac and cheese and are perfect for Halloween night dinner. My sloppy joe's are also a great kid friendly option. For the adults, you'll want to check out my Purple People Eater gin cocktail and Autumn Bourbon Rickey recipes. Now that you've got some more ideas on what to serve this fall season, let's make these cute little pumpkins!

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this pumpkin Rice Krispies treats recipe:

• mini marshmallows
• salted butter
• Rice Krispies
• orange food coloring gel
• vanilla extract
• chocolate Tootsie Rolls
• green apple Tootsie Rolls

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to make these Halloween Rice Krispie treats:

1. First, melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the food coloring and vanilla until fully combined.

2. Next, add the Rice Krispies to the melted marshmallows and stir until coated.

3. Then, let the mixture stand until cool enough to handle. Use an ice cream scoop to shape into pumpkins.

4. Finally, use a paring knife or skewer to create indentions in the sides of the pumpkins, if desired. Cut the chocolate Tootsie Rolls in half for the stems. Roll out the green Tootsie Rolls until flattened. Cut into leaf shapes and roll into a log to create curly stems. Attach to the top of each pumpkin.

Substitutions

Here are some suggestions for any ingredient swaps you need to make:

• Butter - Using salted butter helps balance out the sweetness of these. Feel free to use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt instead.
• Rice Krispies - Use another type of cereal instead of crispy rice. Try Trix, Chex, Cheerios, Kix, Lucky Charms--the possibilities are endless!
• Food coloring - I used orange food coloring gel but you can make a pumpkin orange color with a drop or two of red food coloring and yellow food coloring.
• Tootsie Rolls - Instead of a Tootsie roll for the pumpkin stem use a pretzel stick. For the leaves, you can use a green M&M that's been cut in half or other green candy like a green Airhead.

Variations

Want some more ways to change up this recipe? Here are some thoughts:

• Jack 'o Lanterns - Pipe melted black chocolate melts into jack-o-lantern faces onto the cereal treats.
• Valentine's Rice Krispies - This recipe works for other holidays as well. Tint the marshmallow mixture pink or red and shape into hearts.
• Baseball or Basketball Rice Krispies - I have a sports-loving son, so this recipe comes in handy for sports team events. Pipe black lines onto the orange rice crispy balls to look like a basketball. Or, omit the orange food coloring and pipe red frosting "stitching" onto uncolored rice crispy balls to look like baseballs.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:

• measuring spoons
• dry measuring cup
• Dutch oven
• paring knife
• rolling pin
• ice cream scooper

Storage

Store the Rice Krispie pumpkins in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

To freeze, layer the Rice Krispie treats in an airtight freezer-safe container and separate each layer with parchment paper or wax paper. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.