How to make festive and easy Fruity Pebble Christmas trees, a colorful holiday Krispie treat recipe for kids. Make it in 10 minutes in the microwave!
Take a dessert like classic Rice Krispie treats, switch out the cereal, cut them out with a Christmas tree cookie cutter, and you've got a colorful treat all the kids will love this holiday season.
Heck even I love these festive and colorful Fruity Pebbles Christmas trees. They're ooey, gooey, chewy, and downright delicious.
Fruity Pebbles has always been one of my favorite cereals. It'd stand to reason that my kids love it too, which is one reason I also like to make Fruity Pebbles ice cream. Yum!
Fruity Pebble crispy treats are super easy to make and only take about 10 minutes from start to finish, using the microwave. Cutting them out may take a bit more time if you really sit down and just enjoy the process with your kids.
You mix them up; your kids do the cutting out and decorating.
To decorate I like to just add a mini marshmallow for the star at the top of each tree, because the cereal is colorful and festive enough all by itself. Fruity Pebbles treats are just so cute!
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED:
You'll need just a few ingredients to make this Fruity Pebbles Christmas treats recipe…
- Salted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Mini marshmallows
- Fruity Pebbles cereal
Keep in mind, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.
KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:
Large microwave-safe bowl and spatula or wooden spoon – for mixing all the ingredients together and cooking in the microwave.
Baking dish – Be sure to grease it with cooking spray.
Christmas tree cookie cutter – for cutting out Christmas shapes.
HOW TO MAKE FRUITY PEBBLE CHRISTMAS TREES
This marshmallow cereal treat only requires a few steps to mix…
- Add the mini marshmallows, salted butter, and vanilla extract to a large microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high for 2 minutes, mostly melting everything.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the mixture 'til smooth; the mixture will finish melting with stirring.
- Quickly stir in the cereal.
- Gently spread and pat the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish, and allow it to cool. (Tip: To prevent your hands from sticking to the cereal mixture, dip your hands in water beforehand, and rub them together; or you can spray them with a light coating of cooking spray.)
MAKE CHRISTMAS TREE SHAPES
- To cut into Christmas tree shapes, use a Christmas tree cookie cutter, and cut shapes right out of the pan.
- Top each Christmas tree with a mini marshmallow star. It'll stick to the treat with no help needed besides a gentle press of your finger.
ARE THEY GLUTEN-FREE?
Yes, they are typically gluten-free. Fruity Pebbles are gluten-free, but some marshmallow brands can contain gluten, so just ensure that your marshmallows are gluten-free.
As with any other recipe, always check your ingredients over to ensure that they are, in fact, gluten-free. It's better to be safe than sorry!
WHAT KIND OF MARSHMALLOWS SHOULD I USE FOR FRUITY PEBBLE CRISPY TREATS?
While you can use big marshmallows, jumbo marshmallows, or mini marshmallows, it really is best to use mini marshmallows. These melt far more efficiently and quicker than larger marshmallows.
You can also use marshmallow fluff. Just use 1 jar of marshmallow cream for every 4 cups of mini marshmallows.
CAN I USE MARGARINE INSTEAD OF BUTTER?
I highly recommend that you use a good salted butter over margarine. Salted butter will give these treats a much richer flavor and texture.
WHY ARE MY TREATS HARD?
Sometimes it can be hard to tell what causes Fruity Pebble treats to be hard, but here are a few pointers to avoid that scenario.
- It's best to use fresh marshmallows. Often a pack of marshmallows will have an expiration date 4 or 5 months out from the time that it is purchased, and the closer you get to this date, the harder your marshmallows can become; once this date has passed, you may want to buy new marshmallows.
- It's easy to get impatient and melt the marshmallows at too high of a temperature, and if they cook too quickly, the resulting mixture will harden. Remember, be patient; slow and steady wins the race!
- Don't use too much cereal. You don't want too dry of a mixture, as this will certainly become tough and chewy!
VARIATIONS ON FRUITY PEBBLE MARSHMALLOW TREATS
Here are some ideas to add a little more variety to these treats!
- Add freeze-dried fruit. Strawberries come to mind!
- If you need a dairy-free option, try using the same amount of coconut oil in place of the butter.
- Try different marshmallow flavors. You can often buy a wide variety of different marshmallow flavors at just about any local grocery store.
- Use a different cereal. I reckon that cocoa pebbles would be amazing for this recipe!
- Drizzle the treats with a melted white chocolate tinsel.
HOW TO STORE FRUITY PEBBLES TREATS
Fruity pebble treats are best freshly made, but they will store in an airtight container for a few days. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks.
MORE KRISPIE TREATS RECIPES:
- Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
- M&M's Heart Shaped Valentine Rice Krispie Treats
- Festive Rice Krispies Snowman
- Microwave Rice Krispie Treats in 5 Minutes
- Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
- Pink Rice Krispie Treats
- Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats
- Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
GET THE PRINTABLE RECIPE
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Fruity Pebble Christmas Trees
Equipment
- Large Microwave-Safe Bowl
- Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
- 6 cups mini marshmallows
- 5 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add the mini marshmallows, salted butter, and vanilla extract to a large microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high for 2 minutes, mostly melting everything.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the mixture 'til smooth; the mixture will finish melting with stirring.
- Quickly stir in the cereal.
- Gently spread and pat the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking pan, and allow it to cool. Tip: To prevent your hands from sticking to the cereal mixture, dip your hands in water beforehand, and rub them together; or you can spray them with a light coating of cooking spray.
- Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut the treats into trees.
- Top each Christmas tree with a mini marshmallow star. It'll stick to the treat with no help needed besides a gentle press of your finger.
- Then place the trees on a platter and serve!
Notes
- It's best to use fresh marshmallows. Often a pack of marshmallows will have an expiration date 4 or 5 months out from the time that it is purchased, and the closer you get to this date, the harder your marshmallows will become; once this date has passed, you might as well buy new marshmallows.
- It's easy to get impatient and melt the marshmallows at too high of a temperature, and if they cook too quickly, the resulting mixture will harden. Remember, be patient; slow and steady wins the race!
- Don't use too much cereal. You don't want too dry of a mixture, as this will certainly become tough and chewy!
