Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares are the same chewy cereal bars you know and love, but with the addition of bright red maraschino cherries.
I recently made and shared a Homemade Cherry Chip Cake recipe. When I was shopping for groceries for that recipe, I bought more maraschino cherries than I needed, because I wasn't sure how many I would use. That left me trying to figure out how to use the leftovers, without them taking up space in my fridge for months.
Well, you're in luck because I came up with a very quick and easy, maraschino cherry-studded treat that you can make the evening before Valentine's Day if needed. These Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares will be the perfect dessert or sweet snack for this upcoming Valentine's Day.
How to make Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares
Making these cherry-studded cereal bars is almost just as easy as making the regular rice krispie squares you've probably made a dozen times. But to make sure you get the best possible texture and your squares don't turn out soggy, there's a tiny bit of prep work you'll need to complete with the maraschino cherries.
First, drain the cherries of their syrup. You won't need the syrup for this recipe (I tried adding it to the marshmallow, and the syrup is just too much liquid - the resulting texture is not as good), so feel free to save it for another use, or discard it if you won't use it.
Spread the cherries out on a paper towel-lined plate and pat them dry with a second paper towel to absorb any excess syrup. Once the cherries are as dry as they're going to be, transfer them to a food processor. A mini food processor really is the best tool for this small job, but a regular one will work too. Pulse the cherries a few times until they're coarsely chopped (or you can do this with a chef's knife).
Now melt some butter. You can either do this in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, or in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the marshmallows, maraschino cherries, and salt. Stir, and microwave again until the marshmallows are mostly melted. Stir in the vanilla, then the rice krispies.
Press the rice krispie mixture into a greased 9x9" baking pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with pink and/or red sprinkles, if you want to be extra festive. Let the pan set at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Remove the slab of squares from the pan and cut into squares using a large chefs knife.
Storing Leftover Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares
If you don't eat all of the squares right away, store the leftover squares in an airtight container or zipper bag at room temperature for a couple of days. If you want to store them long-term, place the bag or container in the freezer and thaw at room temperature before eating.
Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares Ingredients
The ingredient list to make these festive Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares is short, and only requires one extra ingredient to make, compared to regular Rice Krispie Squares - maraschino cherries.
- Maraschino cherries - you will need an 8 ounce jar (or larger). You will not need any of the syrup, so you can save it for another use, or discard it if you don't need it. I recommend drying the cherries as much as possible before coarsely chopping to avoid adding any excess moisture to your squares, which could make your rice krispies soggy.
- Unsalted butter - use a dairy-free butter alternative to make this recipe dairy-free
- Salt
- Mini Marshmallows - make sure to check the size of your marshmallow bag carefully, as many have recently changed due to shrinkflation. Also note that different brands of marshmallows can be different sizes. The bag I used was 400g (about 14 ounces), where it appears that many bags are now only 10 ounces (note that some of the 10 ounce bags were 16 ounces not too long ago).
- Vanilla extract
- Rice Krispies or other crisp rice cereal - make sure to use a gluten-free crisp rice cereal to make this recipe gluten-free, as Kellogg's brand Rice Krispies are NOT gluten-free
- Red and/or pink sprinkles - these are optional, for decoration only
Want more rice krispie squares recipes?
Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for one square if you cut the recipe into 12 pieces. If your squares are larger or smaller than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
Note that Kellogg's Rice Krispies are not gluten-free, so if you are making these squares for someone who follows a gluten-free diet, make sure you check labels to find a crisp rice cereal that is gluten-free.
To make these squares dairy-free, replace the butter with a dairy-free butter alternative.
Maraschino Cherry Rice Krispie Squares
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x9" baking pan by greasing it generously with canola oil (or another neutral-flavored cooking oil) or butter. Set aside.
- Drain the maraschino cherries (save the syrup for another use if you'd like) and spread on a paper towel-lined plate. Gently pat dry with a second paper towel. You should have approximately ¾ cup of cherries. Transfer the cherries to a food processor (a mini one is best for this small job) and pulse a few times until the cherries are coarsely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, coarsely chop with a large knife. Set the chopped cherries aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl (or a large saucepan), melt 4 Tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter (about a minute on high). Add ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt, 10 ounces (284 g) mini marshmallows, and the chopped maraschino cherries. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals until the marshmallows are almost fully melted, stirring between each interval (it took me a total of 90 seconds in the microwave).
- Stir ½ teaspoon vanilla extract into the marshmallow mixture, then pour in 6 cups (180 g) rice krispies. Stir until all of the rice krispies are evenly coated with marshmallow. Spread the rice krispie mixture into the prepared baking pan, and press gently with a silicone spatula until flat. Sprinkle red and/or pink sprinkles over the top of the marshmallow mixture, if desired. Let sit at room temperature until the marshmallow is completely set, about 30-60 minutes.
- Use a large chef's knife to cut into squares (remove the whole slab of rice krispie squares from the pan first, and cut on a cutting board to avoid damaging your pan and knife). Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or zipper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Can be stored for a longer period of time in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Nutrition
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