Quick and Easy Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats

Why you will love this recipe:

• The taste! These fall rice Krispie treats are sweet, soft and gooey! They are sweet, but not too sweet and the pumpkin flavour is subtle, not strong, so even if you don't like pumpkin you will love the taste of this dessert.
• This dessert is so quick and easy to make. It only requires a few minutes of hands on time and just five ingredients!
• The fun orange color makes this dessert a great option for Halloween, Thanksgiving and fall.
• I've included options to make this recipe gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan too!
• This dessert is made without white chocolate chips and without food colouring. The pretty orange colour comes naturally from the pumpkin puree.

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Rice Krispies cereal - You can easily swap this for another brand of rice krisps cereal, and if you are gluten-free simply use a gluten-free brand of rice crisps cereal or gluten free Rice Krispies.
• Mini marshmallows - marshmallows will be melted with the butter and pumpkin to create the most delicious sweet and sticky mix that will combine perfectly with the crunchy cereal. I find that mini marshmallows work better and melt faster than larger marshmallows. If you are vegan be sure to choose vegan marshmallows.
• Pumpkin puree - pumpkin adds a beautiful orange color plus a subtle pumpkin flavour to this treat. Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You can either used canned pumpkin puree or make your own.
• Butter - butter gets melted together with the pumpkin and marshmallows to create the perfect soft filling for these pumpkin rice crisp squares. I recommend using salted butter for this recipe. If you are vegan or dairy-free you can use a vegan butter.
• Vanilla extract - to help enhance all the delicious flavours of these fall Rice Krispie treats.

Variations and add ins:

• To make this recipe gluten-free: use a gluten-free rice crisps cereal.
• To make them dairy-free: use a vegan butter.
• To make these Rice Krispie treats vegan: use vegan marshmallows and a vegan butter.
• To change up the flavour add a little pumpkin pie spice.
• Turn these into chocolate pumpkin Rice Krispie treats by drizzling a little melted chocolate over top of them before letting them set.
• Feel free to make a double or triple batch if you are serving a crowd or if your kids want to bring this dessert to share with their friends at school.

How to make pumpkin Rice Krispie treats:

1. Step 1: Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment paper and in a large pot, melt the butter and pumpkin puree together over medium heat.

2. Step 2: Once the butter and pumpkin are melted, add the marshmallows and vanilla extract and turn the heat down to low. Stir the mixture until the marshmallows are completely melted, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

3. Step 3: Then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Gently spread the mixture to fit the pan and press it down lightly so you have an even layer. 

4. Step 4: Allow the treats to set for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Once they are set, cut them into pieces and enjoy!

Top tips:

• Stir the pumpkin, butter and marshmallows frequently while they are melting to prevent them from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• To help these pumpkin flavoured rice krispie treats set more quickly you can put the pan in the fridge. 
• I recommend using salted butter for this dessert recipe.

How to store:

Store any leftover Rice Krispie squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 7 days.