This Thanksgiving, don’t just settle for pumpkin pie. Take Thanksgiving to the next level with these Thanksgiving rice krispie treats that look just like pumpkin pie! This is a delicious Thanksgiving dessert that can be made in less than 10 minutes.
Thanksgiving is almost here, which means it’s time to start planning your menu and everyone knows Thanksgiving dinner is incomplete without the dessert at the end! And mashed potatoes, but I’ve already posted that recipe.
There’s nothing like serving up a table full of Thanksgiving desserts including everything from homemade apple pie to no-bake pumpkin pie and even pumpkin delight!
But have you ever made Thanksgiving rice krispie treats? When I went to Disneyland for Halloween this year, they were selling the cutest pumpkin pie rice krispie treats. They made my list of top Disneyland Halloween treats, and I knew I wanted to make them for Thanksgiving this year!
So this is my copycat version!
It’s a great option for anyone (hello kids) who may not like traditional pie but still want to enjoy a yummy Thanksgiving dessert.
Plus, it’s just so darn cute!
They’d make a great addition to any Thanksgiving menu or even just as a treat served up for Friendsgiving or as snacks to enjoy while playing some of these Thanksgiving games!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cute – can I say it again? One of the reasons I knew I had to make these after seeing them at Disney was because it’s just such a clever and cute idea! People will love seeing them on the treat table!
- Easy – if you’ve ever made rice krispie treats, you can make these. It’s just making two batches of rice krispies, one with pumpkin pie spice, and one without.
- No-bake – no need to bake these treats or even let them cool, which means you can have them ready to go in under twenty minutes!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin pie spice – this is optional if you want the treats to have a little pumpkin pie flavor. I think it’s a delicious addition but you can still make them just to look like pumpkin pie without tasting like it.
- Mini marshmallows – if you don’t have mini marshmallows, you can use regular marshmallows instead. Check out the recipe card for specific substitution measurements.
- Rice Krispy cereal – I always like the name brand because I think it has the most crunch but you can use any of your favorite crispy rice cereal.
- Orange food coloring – any orange food coloring works, just make sure it’s a regular orange and not something like pastel or they’ll end up looking more like an Easter pie than pumpkin pie.
How to Make Thanksgiving Rice Krispie Treats
Because they’re so delicious, I always thought that making rice krispie treats was hard.
It’s not.
It’s actually one of the easiest things ever whether you’re making chocolate dipped rice krispie treats, Halloween rice krispie treats with mix-ins, or even these shaped treats.
They all pretty much start the same way with just a few little steps different.
For this recipe, you’ll be making two batches of rice krispie treats – one that are just basic and one that is an orange colored, pumpkin pie flavored, batch. The two together will make your pumpkin pie rice krispie treats!
Make the Plain Rice Krispie Treats
Start by melting your butter over low heat. Even if you’re in a hurry, don’t be tempted to turn it up high. You don’t want to overheat your butter or brown it.
Once it’s melted, add in your mini marshmallows and continue to heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows are melted.
Remove the mixture from the heat and add in your vanilla extract and stir to combined.
Then last, add in the cereal and stir gently until it’s all combined together.
Using a non-stick spatula transfer the cereal mixture to a pie pan that’s been sprayed all over with non-stick spray.
Gently move the mixture to the outside of the pie pan to create your pie crust. Not as good as the perfect flaky pie crust but still yummy.
Make the Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
Once your crust is in your pie pan, you’re going to melt your butter and marshmallows just like you did for the basic recipe.
Once your marshmallows are melted, remove the mixture from the heat and add in your vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and a couple of drops of orange food coloring to get that nice pumpkin looking color.
Then again, add your cereal and mix until well combined. You’ll have more of the mixture for this batch than you did with the regular treats since you’re going to be filling in the entire center of the pie.
Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to the center of your pie pan and press it down gently to fill in your pie.
Finish the Thanksgiving Rice Krispy Treats
Once you’re ready to serve, cut your “pie” into eight slices.
You can either serve it plain or you can add a little dollop of buttercream frosting (I used the recipe from my Grinch cupcakes) and some Thanksgiving sprinkles to make it look even more like pumpkin pie.
I just love how cute it looks with the addition of the whipped cream and sprinkles – definitely a fun play on pumpkin pie!
This would be so good served alongside some pumpkin cheesecake bars, pumpkin crunch cake, and pumpkin cake mix cookies!
Expert Tips
Spray the bottom and sides of the pan before adding the rice krispie treats to help make them easier to get out. Then also spray the knife you use to cut them to help the knife slice through the treats without getting stuck.
Don’t press the treats into the pan too forcefully or you’ll end up with hard rice krispie treats. You just want to gently pour them in and lightly press down with a spatula. If you have more treats (because you’re using a different size pie pan than I used), just fill the space you need and make squares out of any extra.
Take it slow. Cook your butter on low heat slowly, melt the marshmallows slowly, and remove everything from heat before stirring in the vanilla and spices. If you cook them too much, you’ll again end up with harder treats than you want.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! These Thanksgiving rice krispie treats can be frozen for up to two months. Be sure the treats are tightly wrapped and that you freeze them as soon as possible after making them. When freezing rice krispie treats, cut the treats into serving sizes so they can thaw easily at a later date. They are good for up to two months frozen.
While technically you can keep rice krispie treats for up to two weeks, these will taste much better if eaten within 1-2 days so they maintain their soft and ooey gooey texture.
More Easy Thanksgiving Desserts
If you’re still looking for ideas to add to your Thanksgiving dessert table, you’re in luck! Try one of these yummy recipes along with these Thanksgiving rice krispie treats.
- Pumpkin blondies – forget pumpkin bars and try these pumpkin blondies with chocolate chips this year instead!
- Pumpkin crisp – a deliciously smooth pumpkin layered is topped with a crunchy flavorful topping that makes this pumpkin crisp a total delight.
- Sopapilla cheesecake – layers of cheesecake filling, cinnamon sugar crescent rolls, and yummy churro flavor all make this one a huge hit for the holidays!
- Chocolate turkeys for Thanksgiving – these will be the hit with the kids! They’re just as fun to make as they are to eat!
- Pecan pie bars – these yummy pecan pie bars with a shortbread crust are like eating little bites of pecan pie without all the work!
Thanksgiving Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
Plain Rice Krispie Treats
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows or 12 regular marshmallows
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 ½ cups mini marshmallows or 20 regular marshmallows
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3-5 drops orange food coloring
- 4 cups crispy rice cereal
Instructions
Plain Rice Krispie Treats
- Spray a pie pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Melt butter over low heat.1 TBS butter
- As soon as butter is melted, add mini marshmallows and keeping the heat on low, stir until completely melted.1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- Remove from heat and add vanilla.1/2 tsp vanilla
- Add the cereal and stir until combined.2 cups crispy rice cereal
- Gently place the mixture along the outside edge of the pie pan, trying not too push too hard or the treats will get tough. Just gently create a crust layer, leaving the center empty.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Rice Krispie Treats
- Melt butter over low heat.2 TBS butter
- As soon as butter is melted, add mini marshmallows and keeping the heat on low, stir until completely melted.2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- Remove from heat and add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and food coloring. Stir until well combined.1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 3-5 drops orange food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla
- Add the cereal and stir until combined.4 cups crispy rice cereal
- Gently press the mixture down into the center of the pie pan creating your filling.
- Cut into triangles like pieces of pie and if desired, top with a small bit of piped buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Tips & Notes:
- Pumpkin pie spice – this is optional if you want the treats to have a little pumpkin pie flavor. I think it’s a delicious addition but you can still make them just to look like pumpkin pie without tasting like it.
- Mini marshmallows – if you don’t have mini marshmallows, you can use regular marshmallows instead. Check out the measurements for specific substitution amounts.
- Orange food coloring – any orange food coloring works, just make sure it’s a regular orange and not something like pastel or they’ll end up looking more like an Easter pie than pumpkin pie.
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