Valentine’s Heart Rice Krispie Treats are a favorite of both kids and adults! They taste fantastic and are easily made with crispy cereal, gooey warm marshmallows, creamy white chocolate, and topped with cute heart sprinkles. These treats are the perfect way to tell someone you care this Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, mainly for the food! I love all the candy hearts, chocolate-covered strawberries, Easy Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies, and now these Valentine’s Heart Rice Krispie Treats. The combination of gooey marshmallow and crunchy cereal is just the best. Of course, adding white chocolate makes it that much better! And they’re very addictive! Sometimes I can’t even get the chocolate drizzled on them before my kids start snatching them up. Trust me- all ages will love these treats!

How to make it

These Valentine’s Heart Rice Krispie Treats are so fun to make. All you have to do is:

MELT– butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Be sure it isn’t too hot. Just warm enough to melt the butter.

ADD– mini marshmallows but reserve 1 cup. Stir constantly until marshmallows have melted. It takes a few minutes. I know you’ll be tempted to turn up the heat but don’t. This is one of the secrets to having the treats so gooey. Too much heat makes the marshmallows stiff when cooled.

REMOVE– pan from heat.

ADD– Rice Krispie Cereal and 1 cup of remaining marshmallows. Stir until it is all combined.

POUR– into a well-greased 9×12 pan. Wet your fingers with a little water to prevent them from getting too sticky and LIGHTLY push in the cereal mix into the pan. This is another secret to having gooey soft treats- don’t push too hard.

COOL– completely in the pan, allowing the marshmallowy goodness to harden before the next step.

CUT– out cereal treats using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Any size cookie cutter will work for these.

MELT– white chocolate or almond bark. For the microwave- lower the power to 50% and cook in 30-second increments stirring after each time until the chocolate is melted. This is the key to not burning your chocolate. Always check and always stir. OPTIONAL: add 1-2 drops of red food dye to turn the chocolate pink.

DRIZZLE– chocolate over cereal hearts by dipping a spoon in the chocolate and shaking it over the heart. You can also dip the heart in the chocolate. If doing this method, I recommend at least doubling the amount of chocolate for adequate coverage.

SPRINKLE– with Valentine’s sprinkles! Allow chocolate to harden and then enjoy!

*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for printed instructions.

Type of chocolate to use

For the look in the pictures, use either white chocolate chips or bars or almond bark for these Rice Krispie Treats. Add just a drop or two of red food coloring to change the white to pink for a more festive look.

Or you could switch it up and drizzle with dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate! YUM!

Can I add sprinkles?

Yes, you can add sprinkles to be incorporated into your Rice Krispie Treats. Just mix in sprinkles when adding the cereal and 1/2 cup of marshmallows and stir lightly. Keep in mind that some of the coloring from the sprinkles may bleed if the marshmallow cream is too hot.

Tips and tricks

The key to keeping marshmallow cream from sticking all over your hands when pressing them down in the pan is to slightly wet your fingertips with water right before you press down. Just a small amount and it will keep them mess-free.

What makes rice krispie treats too hard?

A few things can make a Rice Krispie too hard and tough to eat.

• Marshmallows are old or stale. Be sure to use fresh marshmallows that feel squishy and soft.
• Pressing too hard into the pan can lead to firm treats. Just lightly press the Rice Krispie mixture into the pan until shaped to the pan. No need to have the top perfectly flat.
• Melting all the marshmallows at once. Adding 1 cup of marshmallows with the cereal adds some extra fluffiness to help the treats be extra gooey.