If you’re anything like us, you LOVE Trader Joe’s and all of the fun seasonal items that come out throughout the year. One of our favorite Fall items is the Maple Marshmallows. I was skeptical at first but when Britt and I bought some last year, we were pleasantly surprised. And then my first thought was, “Could we use this deliciousness to create a rice krispie treat??” A maple rice krispie sounds amazing and I couldn’t get the thought of it out of my head.
Finally this Fall I bought 3 bags of Maple Marshmallows and got down to work. I used the basic Kellogg’s rice krispie treat recipe, substituting in the maple marshmallows and adding a dash of vanilla. And it was a bit of a let down :/ The marshmallows melted in an odd way and ended up looking more like bread dough when they were fully melted. Then when the treats were completed, they just looked a little… Gross! The marshmallow was kind of globby. The taste was ok, very sweet, but the marshmallow didn’t spread very evenly, even with tons of mixing. They weren’t terribly appetizing looking :/
So I got on the phone with Britt to discuss and she brought up maple extract! Off I went to the grocery store to buy regular marshmallows and maple extract. Again, I used the Kellogg’s rice krispie recipe, but instead of vanilla, I added the maple extract. And these turned out quite yummy! The difference in the marshmallows was actually kind of shocking. The TJ’s marshmallows must be a little more dense, because when I used regular marshmallows, the krispie to mallow ratio was about half when they were done. The maple flavor isn’t super strong when you don’t have a regular rice krispie treat to compare it to, but they are really warm and cozy feeling. Definitely worth a try!
If you want to try it yourself with TJ’s Maple Marshmallows or you just want in on some of that yummy marshmallowy goodness, my store still had the marshmallows as of 10/6, but it looks like the supply is dwindling! If you do try to make treats with your maple mallows, try using less than the recipe suggests. Maybe 4 cups and an extra tablespoon of butter. And if you do, let me know how it turns out!
Maple Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- Large bowl Go larger than you think you need! It can get messy.
- 9×13 pan
- Cooking spray
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Salted Butter
- 5.5 cups Miniature Marshmallows
- 6 cups Krispy Rice Cereal
- 1 tbsp Maple Extract More can be added if you want extra maple flavor.
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 pan and set aside.
- Melt marshmallows and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute.
- Once marshmallows are melted add maple extract and blend well. (I added mine at the next step and it was a little more difficult to blend)
- Add rice krispies and stir well.
- Pour the mixture into a greased pan. Use butter or cooking spray to coat your hands or a spatula and then press the mixture into the pan.
- Allow to cool completely and then cut into your desired size. Best served the same day, but stored in an airtight container they will retain their crunch for about 2 days.
This looks yummy !
Yum! I may have to give these a whirl! I haven’t even seen the Maple mallows at my TJs this year 🙁 – I’ll have to try the extract version instead.
I hoard the Maple Marshmallows! I like them for snacking, the flavor is so satisfying!