Give Your Rice Krispies Treats A Pop Of Color With One Unique Ingredient Swap

Everybody loves Rice Krispies treats, regardless of age. Chowhound has all the ingredients you need for mind-blowing rice crispy treats, which also gives you the opportunity to elevate your game by adding in unexpected flavors like coffee or lavender. But ultimately, you just need Rice Krispies, butter, and marshmallows. If you're looking to switch things up without going too experimental, try using Peeps in place of your marshmallows. The history behind Peeps is a fascinating one, and the relationship between many a sugar-hungry person and Peeps is strong as steel. 

However, eating them straight from the carton gets old fast, considering it's just pure, unadulterated sugar. Instead of scarfing down bunny after bunny or bird after bird, either sub out the regular marshmallows entirely or replace half with Peeps. This will give your treats a pop of color too. Just use them as you would your usual marshmallows, melting them up and mixing the Rice Krispies in. It's as easy as that!

This substitution is simple, but why make it in the first place? Simply put, aesthetics. It's a smart way to bring an unexpected pop of color to your homemade Rice Krispies treats while also making them stand out from the crowd. The sugar from the outside of the Peeps will melt and swirl together with the other ingredients when you heat it up. This imparts the bright colors to the rest of the mixture, which will then be mixed throughout the cereal for a more festive Rice Krispies treat. Peeps these days come in significantly more colors than just the traditional yellow, too, so you can have Rice Krispies treats that are pink, purple, or blue.

On top of that, Peeps come in a variety of flavors nowadays, too. Sour watermelon, strawberry, s'mores, Dr Pepper — the world is your oyster. In fact, there's even a Rice Krispies treat-flavored Peep if you want to double up. You can add a pop of flavor to your own treats by choosing a particularly bold-flavored Peep to melt down, though we'd personally suggest trying the party cake flavor if you love extra sweet treats, or sour strawberry for a little more of a contrast. 

And did you know that Peeps are actually a candy that's gluten-free, too? Not all marshmallows are, so this makes it a great pick for anyone with gluten sensitivities. Just grab a pack of Peeps next time you hit the store and try these fun Rice Krispie treats for yourself. And don't be afraid to go bold.