Once in a while, I get the strongest urge to bite into a Rice Krispie treat. I blame my mother for this. When I was younger, she would pull me into the kitchen and we would make the treats together. They're so easy to make and so addictingly good. I wanted to recreate my childhood favorite and make it a little fancier by using homemade marshmallows and adding warm spices. These chai-spiced Rice Krispie treats are still easy to make but dare I say, even tastier than the original recipe.
Chai Spiced Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
Chai spiced marshmallows
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar 43 grams)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (24 grams)
- 3 packets gelatin powder (21 grams)
- 1 cup cold water, divided (250 ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ½ cup honey (170 grams)
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
- ½ teaspoon cardamom, ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- ¼ teaspoon allspice, ground
- ¼ teaspoon cloves, ground
Rice Krispie treats
- 6 tablespoons butter (85 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 8 cups Rice Krispies cereal (200 grams)
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of an 9x9 inch baking dish with butter. Combine powdered sugar with cornstarch and sprinkle about half of the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Make the chai spiced marshmallows. Combine the gelatin with ½ cup cold water in a bowl of a stand mixer. Combine ½ cup cold water with granulated sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt in a heavy-bottomed sauce-pot. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F, about 7-8 minutes.
- Slowly pour the sugar water mixture into the bowl with the gelatin with the mixer on low speed. Continue to beat as you add all of the sugar mix. Increase the speed to high and continue to whip until thick and lukewarm, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves into the marshmallow fluff and whip for another 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and sprinkle another ⅓ powdered sugar mixture to dust the top. Let sit for at least 4 hours.
- Cut marshmallows into 1-inch chunks. Dip the sticky sides of the marshmallows in the remaining powdered sugar mixture, dusting off the excess. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a medium sauce-pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, stirring until the mixture is well combined.
- Measure 8 cups of Rice Krispies in a large bowl. Pour the melted marshmallow mixture into the cereal and mix until the cereal is well coated. Pour the cereal into the prepared baking pan and spread it into one even layer. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Slice into bars and serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
I love all things chai flavored. Last year I was all about my chai spiced pear muffins with oatmeal streusel and this year it's all about chai-spiced Rice Krispie treats. The warm spices just scream fall and make you want to sit in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate. This dessert may seem daunting because of the homemade marshmallows but it's actually easy to make. And there really is no comparison between homemade marshmallows and the prepackaged ones. Really.
To make the chai marshmallows, bloom gelatin in cold water in a bowl of a stand mixer. You're going to need a mixer for this part otherwise, you will be whipping the mixture by hand for at least 30 minutes!
Simmer the remaining water with sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt until it reaches 240 degrees F. A candy thermometer or digital thermometer works best here, just make sure the digital thermometer goes up to 240 degrees F.
Slowly add the sugar mixture to the gelatin with the mixer at low speed. Once all of the sugar is added, increase the speed to high and let the machine do its thing for about 10 minutes. The mixture will slowly become thick, double in volume, and turn into marshmallow fluff. Add the chai spices and vanilla and there you have homemade marshmallows!
Now to turn them into marshmallows, grease a 9x9 baking pan with butter and dust it with powdered sugar and cornstarch. Transfer the marshmallow fluff to the pan, sprinkle more powdered sugar and cornstarch, and let it sit for at least 4 hours.
Once firm, cut the marshmallows into bite-size chunks and dust the sticky sides with the remaining powdered sugar mixture. Shake off the excess and now the chai marshmallows are ready to use.
Next, melt the butter, and add the chai marshmallows along with vanilla and salt. Pour the melted goodness over the Rice Krispies cereal and mix until everything is nice and coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x13 baking pan, in one even layer. I wanted my treats to be extra thick so I opted for an 8x8 baking dish. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then dig in.
I love how you can see the specks of the spices in the chai-spiced Rice Krispie treats. Every bite is so flavorful with the right amount of sweetness. Just perfect!
For more chai-inspired desserts, check out this chai spiced apricot almond crumble!
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