becky
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the disclosure policy to learn more.
Thank you for supporting this blog!
An easy recipe for pumpkin Rice Krispie treats. Made with puffed rice cereal, marshmallows, fondant, and pieces of black licorice, these brightly colored, pumpkin shaped Rice Krispie treats are ideal for Halloween.
Why Make These Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats?
A whimsical addition to any Halloween celebration, these orange pumpkin Rice Krispie treats require just a few basic ingredients and a couple of hours of prep time. You will need to get your hands dirty, but I promise the results will be well worth the sticky situation!
As written, this pumpkin Rice Krispie treat recipe contains no nuts or eggs, and can easily be made gluten-free if you choose a gluten-free cereal. These pumpkins make a good option for a Halloween-themed classroom treat or trick-or-treat offering, and the steps are easy enough for kids to help with the shaping and decorating. Just be sure an adult handles the hot marshmallow portion of the recipe.
Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treat Ingredients
To make these pumpkin-shaped Halloween Rice Krispie treats, begin by gathering the following ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter – You can use salted butter if necessary, but omit the sea salt.
- Marshmallows – You’ll need 300 grams, or about 10 1/2 ounces of marshmallows. Pink, white, or a mix of both will work—you’ll be adding plenty of orange food coloring anyway!
- Gel Food Coloring – You’ll need orange for the cereal mixture, and green for the decorations. I used Chefmaster’s Sunset Orange and Leaf Green gel colors.
- Pumpkin Spice Flavoring – Use 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice flavoring, or to taste. You can also use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or another flavoring of your choice.
- Puffed Rice Cereal – Such as Rice Krispies, or a gluten-free equivalent. I usually use the generic supermarket version, and they work just fine!
- Black Licorice Bites – Or nibs, or black licorice twists cut into 1-inch pieces. If you don’t like black licorice, you can substitute chocolate licorice twists, or use another type of candy, such as Pocky or pieces of Kit Kat.
- Fondant – I used Renshaw, but any white decorating fondant (and a few drops of food coloring) will work for the leaves and vines. If you happen to have some green fondant, feel free to use that instead.
Helpful Tips for Making Pumpkin Shaped Rice Krispie Treats
If you haven’t made shaped Rice Krispie treats before, you might find that they’re a little bit trickier than the standard kind pressed into a tin and sliced into squares. These tips will make the process easier:
- Use a sturdy, heat-proof spoon or spatula. Cheap plastic or rubber tools can melt into the hot marshmallow mixture, contaminating the entire batch.
- Keep a bowl of water nearby. As you’re shaping the treats, periodically dip your fingertips in water to prevent the marshmallow cereal mixture from sticking to your hands. You can also spritz your fingertips with nonstick spray.
- Don’t pack the mixture too tightly. This is important! When rolling the balls, shape them so they just hold together. Don’t pack the cereal too firmly, or the treats will be hard and difficult to bite.
- Serve fresh. These pumpkins definitely taste best on day one. This recipe comes together in a couple of hours, so make your pumpkins on the day you plan to serve them.
- Reach for your fondant tools. When shaping and applying the leaf decorations, you might find it helpful to have a set of inexpensive fondant tools available.
- Wear rubber gloves…but just for the fondant! You’ll want to wear rubber gloves when tinting the orange and green fondant, or you’ll find yourself with orange and green hands! Don’t wear gloves to shape the pumpkin balls, though; the sticky marshmallow will stick to the gloves.
Creating the Fondant Decorations
To create the decorations for my pumpkin treats, I used about 75 grams (about 2 1/2 ounces, or a 2 x 3-inch block) of Renshaw extra smooth white decorating fondant. I tinted my fondant with Chefmaster‘s green gel food coloring. If you happen to have pre-colored fondant on hand, feel free to skip the food coloring and use green fondant instead.
To make the leaves, I used 3/4-inch and 1/2-inch heart cutters from a set of miniature cutters. (Mine has a mix of shapes like flowers, circles, and squares, but you can also buy a set which just contains heart cutters in a variety of sizes—they’re great for decorating cakes, cookies, and macarons, too!) Or, use a miniature leaf-shaped cutter instead of a heart. If you don’t have a cutter, you can also shape the leaves by hand.
The sticky fondant should adhere to the even-sticker marshmallow all by itself—no “glue” needed!
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
These pumpkin Rice Krispie treats taste freshest and best on the day they are made.
Store leftover Rice Krispie pumpkins in an airtight container at room temperature, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment to prevent the shamrocks from sticking together, for up to one day.
Other Rice Krispie treat recipes you might enjoy:
Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats
Bird’s Nest Rice Krispie Treats
Shamrock Rice Krispie Treats
Peanut Butter Fudge Slice
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
Made with puffed rice cereal, marshmallows, and fondant, these orange pumpkin Rice Krispie treats are perfect for Halloween.
- Total Time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours
- Yield: 15 2-inch pumpkins 1x
- Category: Miscellaneous
- Method: No Cook
Ingredients
45 grams unsalted butter (3 tablespoons)
300 grams marshmallows (10 1/2 ounces, or 3 1/2 cups large marshmallows)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
4–5 drops orange gel food coloring
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice flavoring, or vanilla extract
140 grams puffed rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies (about 4 1/2 cups)
To decorate:
Black licorice bites, or black licorice twists cut into 1-inch pieces
75 grams white fondant
Green gel food coloring
Instructions
Line a quarter-sheet baking tray with a silicone baking mat or sheet of wax paper.
Add the butter to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or stock pot. Melt the butter.
Add the marshmallows, and continue stirring until completely melted.
Remove from heat. Stir in the sea salt, orange food coloring, and flavoring.
Stir in the puffed rice cereal, and continue stirring until the mixture is well combined, with no dry cereal remaining.
Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
With damp hands, form the mixture into 2-inch round balls. You should have 15 balls total.
Use wet fingertips to make a deep indentation in each ball.
Press a black licorice bite into each indentation to create a stem, shaping the cereal around it to secure the licorice.
Set aside and allow pumpkins to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, use gloved hands to knead the green gel coloring into the fondant.
Between sheets of parchment or wax paper, roll the fondant to 1/8-inch thickness.
Cut leaves with a small heart or leaf-shaped metal cutter.
Press 1-2 leaves on top of each pumpkin to decorate. If desired, you can use the fondant scraps to make vines or other decorations. (For a jack o’lantern, add black gel food coloring to the leftover green fondant and cut triangles to make the face.)
Serve immediately. Store leftover pumpkins in a single layer in an airtight, parchment-lined container at room temperature for up to three days.
