15 Easy 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats

The 4th of July has always been one of our family’s favorite holidays!

Between the parades, fireworks, and backyard barbecues, it’s a day full of memories and traditions.

And nothing says “festive summer treat” quite like these red, white, and blue Rice Krispie Treats!

I started making these patriotic treats when my oldest was in elementary school, and now they’ve become our official family 4th of July dessert.

These 4th of July desserts are SO EASY to make, just a few simple ingredients, some food coloring, and about 15 minutes of hands-on time.

Trust me, if you need a quick, festive, and guaranteed crowd-pleaser for your 4th of July celebration, these treats are it!

1. Patriotic Red, White & Blue Rice Krispie Treats

What You’ll Need

• 12 cups Rice Krispie Cereal
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 packages (10 ounce each) Marshmallows
• 4 ounces Red Candy Melts
• 4 ounces Blue Candy Melts
• 4 ounces White Candy Melts
• Red, White and Blue Star Sprinkles (optional but so festive!)

How to Make It

1. Melt butter in a large pot, stir in marshmallows until completely melted, then mix in Rice Krispies cereal and press into a greased 9×13 pan to cool completely before cutting into rectangles.
2. Microwave each color of candy melts separately in 30-second bursts until smooth, then dip one end of each Rice Krispie treat into a color, placing them on parchment paper after dipping.
3. While the candy coating is still wet, drizzle with the other colors or add star sprinkles on top, then let them set until hardened (about the time it takes for the kids to ask “are they ready yet?” approximately 50 times).

2. Rice Krispy Watermelon Treat

What You’ll Need

• 3 tbsp Butter, divided
• 6 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
• 6 cups rice krispie cereal, divided
• Green gel food coloring (I mix neon green and regular green)
• Red & pink gel food coloring
• 1 tbsp Miniature chocolate chips

How To Make It

1. Spray a 10 inch cake pan with non-stick spray, then melt 1 tbsp butter in a pot, add 2 cups marshmallows and stir until melted, mix in green food coloring, remove from heat, stir in 2 cups cereal, and press this green mixture around the edge of your pan to form a ring.
2. In another pot, melt remaining 2 tbsp butter, add 4 cups marshmallows and stir until melted, mix in red and pink food coloring, remove from heat, stir in 4 cups cereal, then press this red mixture into the center of your green ring.
3. Let everything cool completely, press chocolate chips into the red section to look like watermelon seeds, then slice and watch them disappear!

3. 4th of July Red, White & Blue Rice Krispy Treats

What You’ll Need

• 4 tbsp Butter, Melted
• 1 bag of Marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
• Red, White & Blue Sprinkles

How to Make It

1. Spray 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray, melt butter in microwave-safe bowl, add marshmallows and microwave in two 45-second intervals (stirring between), then mix in Rice Krispies until well coated.
2. Pour mixture into pan and spread it out evenly without pressing down firmly yet, then quickly sprinkle the red, white and blue sprinkles over the top.
3. Press the mixture firmly into the pan (this locks in those patriotic sprinkles!), let cool completely, then cut into squares and watch them disappear faster than my kids when it’s chore time!

4. 4th of July Star Rice Krispy Treats

What You’ll Need

• ¾ cup butter divided
• 15 cups mini marshmallows divided
• 12 cups crispy rice cereal divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons clear vanilla extract divided
• Red food coloring (about 8-9 drops)
• Blue food coloring (about 6 drops)

How to Make It

1. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. Create three separate batches (red, white, blue): For each layer, melt ¼ cup butter with 5 cups marshmallows, add ½ teaspoon vanilla and appropriate food coloring (none for white layer), then mix in 4 cups cereal.
3. Layer in order (red on bottom, white in middle, blue on top), pressing each layer firmly before adding the next.
4. Cool completely, then cut into star shapes with a cookie cutter.

5. Rice Krispy Pie

What You’ll Need:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (divided for each layer)
• About 40 marshmallows total (the big kind)
• Red, white and blue food coloring
• 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 8-inch round cake pan
• Cooking spray
• Optional: whipped cream and patriotic sprinkles

How to Make It:

1. Spray your cake pan really good with cooking spray so nothing sticks
2. For the red layer: Melt 1½ tbsp butter then add 16 marshmallows and 2 tsp red food coloring
3. Mix in 3 cups Rice Krispies and press into the OUTER edge of the pan making a ring shape
4. For the white middle layer: Melt 1¼ tbsp butter with 12 marshmallows (no color needed)
5. Add 2 cups Rice Krispies and press inside the red ring
6. For the blue center: Melt the last 1¼ tbsp butter with 12 marshmallows and blue food coloring
7. Mix with last 2 cups of Rice Krispies and press into the center
8. Let it cool completely
9. Flip it onto a plate to serve and cut into wedges
10. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles if you’re feeling fancy!

6. M&M’s & Rice Krispy Treats

What You’ll Need:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 16 ounces mini marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 8 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• ¾ cup red, white, and blue M&M’s
• ¼ cup patriotic sprinkles
• ¼ cup each of red, white, and blue candy melts
• Parchment paper
• 9×13 baking pan (I used my trusty old one from Target)

How to Make It:

1. Line your baking pan with parchment paper, then melt the butter in a large pot and set aside 1½ cups of mini marshmallows for later
2. Add the rest of the marshmallows to the melted butter and stir until completely melted, then remove from heat and mix in the vanilla and salt
3. Fold in the Rice Krispies, M&M’s, sprinkles and those reserved marshmallows you set aside (work quickly so the chocolate candies dont melt and make everything messy)
4. Spread the mixture into your pan but dont press too hard or they’ll get too dense
5. Melt each color of candy melts separately (I put mine in ziplock bags and microwaved them), then snip a tiny corner off each bag and drizzle the melted candy over the treats
6. Sprinkle some extra M&M’s and sprinkles on top if you want it extra festive, then let cool for about an hour before cutting into squares

7. Patriotic Rice Krispy Bars

What You’ll Need:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 16oz package mini marshmallows
• Few drops blue food coloring
• 8 cups Rice Krispie cereal
• 12 oz white chocolate chips
• Patriotic sprinkles
• 15×10 glass baking dish
• Cooking spray

How to Make It:

1. Spray your glass baking dish with cooking spray
2. Place butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, heat for 1 minute, stir, then another 30 seconds, and stir until you get a nice blue color and everything’s melted smooth
3. Mix in all the Rice Krispies cereal in two batches until everything’s well, then press into your prepared pan using slightly wet hands so it doesn’t stick to you
4. Once completely cooled, flip the whole thing onto a cutting board, cut into 1-inch strips, then cut those strips in half lengthwise to make cute little treat sticks
5. Melt the white chocolate chips in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, add a few drops of blue food coloring, then dip each treat about 3/4 of the way in the white chocolate and place on parchment paper
6. Quickly add sprinkles before the chocolate sets, then let cool completely before storing in an airtight container

8. Red, White & Blue Rice Krispy Treats

What You’ll Need:

• 30 oz marshmallows (divided into 3 equal portions)
• 18 cups Rice Krispies cereal (divided into 3 equal portions)
• 9 oz unsalted butter (divided into 3 equal portions)
• Red and blue food coloring
• 9×13 baking dish
• Cooking spray

How to Make It:

1. Prep everything by dividing your ingredients and greasing your 9×13 dish really well
2. For the bottom RED layer: Melt 3oz butter in a large pot, add 10oz marshmallows and stir until smooth, then mix in red food coloring until you get a nice patriotic shade, remove from heat and stir in 6 cups of cereal until fully coated, then press firmly into your prepared pan
3. For the middle WHITE layer: Repeat the same process (melt butter, add marshmallows) but skip the food coloring to keep it naturally white, mix in another 6 cups of cereal, and press on top of the red layer
4. For the top BLUE layer: Repeat one more time with your remaining ingredients, adding blue food coloring, then press this final layer on top of the white layer
5. Let the whole thing cool completely before cutting into squares and watching everyone’s faces light up when they see the patriotic layers!

9. Chocolate Covered Rice Krispy Treats

What You’ll Need:

• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 4 cups mini marshmallows (or 1 package 10 oz regular marshmallows)
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 cup each of red, white and blue candy melts
• Assorted patriotic sprinkles
• 12 popsicle sticks
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet

How to Make It:

1. Get everything ready by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and gathering all your ingredients
2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and marshmallows together, stirring constantly until completely smooth
3. Remove from heat, quickly add the Rice Krispies cereal and stir until everything is evenly coated, then spread the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and press down gently with buttered hands or a spatula to make it flat
4. Once completely cooled, transfer the whole sheet to a cutting board, cut it into 12 rectangles, and press a popsicle stick into the bottom of each one
5. Melt each color of candy melts separately (I use the microwave in 30-second bursts), then dip the top portion of each Rice Krispie popsicle into your choice of color, laying them on parchment paper to set
6. Before the candy coating hardens, add sprinkles and drizzle with contrasting colors of melted candy (you can put the extra melted candy in ziplock bags, snip the corner, and make pretty designs)

10. Rice Krispy Bundt Cake

What You’ll Need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 8 cups mini marshmallows (two 10 oz packages)
• 12 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• ½ cup red candy melts
• ½ cup white candy melts
• ½ cup blue candy melts
• 3 tablespoons patriotic sprinkles
• Bundt pan
• Cooking spray

How to Make It:

1. Prep your Bundt pan by spraying it SUPER generously with cooking spray (dont skimp on this step or you’ll regret it later
2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add all those mini marshmallows and stir constantly until everything’s melted together into a gooey, smooth mixture
3. Working quickly, stir in all the Rice Krispies cereal until completely coated, then immediately transfer the mixture to your prepared Bundt pan, using greased hands or a greased spoon to press it down firmly and smooth the top
4. Let the cake cool completely for about an hour, then carefully invert it onto a large serving plate
5. Melt each color of candy melts separately in the microwave (30 seconds, stir, then another 30 seconds if needed), transfer each to a plastic bag with the corner snipped off, drizzle all colors over the cake, and quickly add sprinkles before the candy melts harden

11. Frosty Rice Krispy Flag Treats

What You’ll Need:

• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 15 oz miniature marshmallows
• 4 Tablespoons softened butter
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• 1 can blue vanilla frosting
• Twizzlers pull n peel (red ones)
• Wilton star sprinkles (white)
• Decorating bags
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 9×13 baking pan

How to Make It:

1. First, prep everything by spraying your 9×13 pan with cooking spray, then microwave the marshmallows and butter together for 1-2 minutes until puffy and melted, stir in the Rice Krispies until completely coated, press the mixture firmly into your pan, and freeze for 15 minutes to set quickly
2. While the treats are firming up in the freezer, fill one decorating bag with regular vanilla frosting and another with blue vanilla frosting, then cut a small tip off each bag
3. Once the Rice Krispie sheet is firm, cut it into rectangles, then frost each one with white vanilla frosting for the background and add a blue square in the top left corner
4. Finish decorating by adding red Twizzler strips as the stripes of the flag and sprinkle white stars onto the blue area

12. Rice Krispy Pinwheels

What You’ll Need:

For the Red Layer:

• 5 ounces marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces Red Candy Melts
• Red food coloring
• 3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

For the White Layer:

• 5 ounces marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces White Candy Melts
• White food coloring
• 3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

For the Blue Layer:

• 5 ounces marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces Blue Candy Melts
• Blue food coloring
• 3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

How to Make It:

1. Start by preparing your pan – line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and butter it generously, then make the red layer by melting marshmallows, butter and red candy melts in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in red food coloring until vibrant, mixing in the cereal, and pressing it evenly into the pan
2. Make the white layer next using the same process (melt marshmallows, butter and white candy melts, add white food coloring, mix in cereal) and carefully spread it directly on top of the red layer, pressing gently
3. Complete the patriotic stack by repeating with the blue ingredients, spreading it on top of the white layer, then pressing down firmly on all three layers to compact them together
4. The fun part! Remove the entire rectangle from the pan using the parchment paper, place it on a silicone mat or more buttered parchment, use a rolling pin to slightly flatten and expand the rectangle about an inch in each direction, then roll it up tightly from the short end to create a pinwheel effect

13. Patriotic Rice Krispy Balls

What You’ll Need:

• Rice Krispies cereal (9 cups total)
• Butter (9 tbsp total – I use salted sweet cream butter)
• Mini marshmallows (9 cups total)
• Blue food coloring
• Red food coloring
• Crimson food coloring (makes a deeper red)
• Measuring cup
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Wax paper

How to Make It:

1. Gather and measure all your ingredients, dividing them into three equal portions (3 cups cereal, 3 cups marshmallows, and 3 tbsp butter for each color batch) and line a baking sheet with wax paper for the finished bites
2. For the RED batch: Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add marshmallows and stir until completely melted, remove from heat, mix in red and crimson food coloring until you get a nice deep red color, then stir in Rice Krispies until fully coated
3. While the red mixture is still warm but cool enough to handle, roll into small .5 oz balls (about tablespoon size) and place them on your prepared wax paper to cool completely
4. Repeat the entire process for the WHITE batch, following the exact same steps but skipping the food coloring (my youngest always wants to add color to everything so I had to watch her closely during this batch!)
5. Finally, make the BLUE batch following the same steps as the red batch but using blue food coloring instead, then arrange all three colors together on a serving platter for a festive patriotic display

14. 4th of July Rice Krispy Bites

What You’ll Need:

• 4-5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• Red, white, and blue Wilton candy melts
• Patriotic sprinkles
• Parchment paper
• Ice cream scoop or tablespoon

How to Make It:

1. Start by placing your softened butter and mini marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them in 20-second bursts, stirring between each interval, until everything is completely melted and smooth
2. Add the Rice Krispies cereal to your marshmallow mixture one cup at a time, stirring well after each addition, until you reach the perfect consistency – not too sticky but holds together well (I usually end up using about 4½ cups)
3. Using an ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon, scoop the mixture and roll into balls with your hands, then set them aside on parchment paper to firm up a bit (my middle daughter was the official ball-roller and did a pretty good job keeping them all the same size)
4. Melt each color of candy melts separately according to package directions (I use the microwave method), then dip the top half of each Rice Krispie ball into your choice of colored candy and place back on the parchment paper, letting the candy drip down the sides
5. Quickly add sprinkles to the tops while the candy coating is still wet, then let them sit until the candy hardens completely

15. Firecracker Rice Krispy Bars

What You’ll Need:

• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 bag full-size marshmallows
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 packages Pop Rocks (red or blue)
• Red licorice ropes
• Red and blue sprinkles (optional)
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 9×13 baking pan

How to Make It:

1. Start by prepping your pan with a generous coat of non-stick spray (don’t skimp on this step or you’ll regret it later when everything sticks!), then melt your butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and add the entire bag of marshmallows, microwaving for 1-2 minutes until puffy but not overcooked
2. Stir the butter and marshmallows until smooth, then quickly mix in all 6 cups of Rice Krispies until everything is well coated
3. Working fast, stir in one package of Pop Rocks (some will start to pop and that’s totally fine – plenty will still be active when you eat them), then immediately transfer the mixture to your greased pan and gently press it down with buttered fingertips to create an even layer
4. While the surface is still slightly sticky, sprinkle the remaining package of Pop Rocks and the red and blue sprinkles over the top
5. Let the treats set up for about an hour until firm, then cut into squares and stick a piece of red licorice into the top of each one to look like a firecracker fuse – we even added a little curly ribbon for extra pizzazz