These Rice Krispies Treats Prove The Desserts Don't Have To Be Square

There are few foods that conjure up childhood wonders like good old-fashioned Rice Krispies treats. As easy to make as melting butter in a pan and stirring in the classic cereal, these simple, perennial favorites appeal to all ages for their sweet gooey crunch and nostalgic vibes. Rice Krispies treats were initially invented by two Kellogg's cereal recipe testers all the way back in 1939 as a way to get people eating more Rice Krispies cereal. As the story goes, a chapter of Camp Fire Girls, an American outdoor leadership program, was looking for a fundraiser idea. They tried selling the new homemade Rice Krispies treats door to door and they were a huge success. So much so that starting in 1941, the recipe for the treats was printed on the side of Rice Krispies cereal boxes — just as it still is today. 

But the story for Rice Krispies treats doesn't end at the humble square (though that was their original name — Marshmallow Squares). By using a little imagination (and perhaps some food coloring and extra mix-ins), Rice Krispies treats can be transformed into a variety of fun shapes that are sure to delight at gatherings the whole year through.

There are two methods for shaping Rice Krispies treats. The first is to butter a cookie cutter, in this case a heart-shaped one, and gently scoop in the still-warm butter, cereal, and marshmallow mixture. The other is to spread the cereal treat mixture directly on a sheet pan and let it cool slightly before inserting a greased cookie cutter and removing the shapes. Perfect for Valentine's Day or other occasions on which you want to express your love, hearts are a great (and not overly intricate) shape to start with and are sure to bring a smile.

Pets are more a part of our families than ever and what better way to give a nod to our feline and canine companions than with paw-shaped Rice Krispies treats. Use a specialty cookie cutter for this one and up the cuteness level with melted chocolate, which you can pipe from a zip-top bag onto the top of the treat to resemble those precious paw pads.

Here's an excellent opportunity to add some color and flair to your Rice Krispies concoctions. Stars are a super easy shape to form in a cookie cutter (remember to butter or grease the tool well for easy release) and just about anything goes with this one. Think gold or silver edible decorations for a graduation party, or blue and red food coloring and some extra marshmallows mixed in for a July 4th fête. For an extra special and decadent touch, you could even dip part of the stars in melted white chocolate then let them harden on wax paper.

Up your Rice Krispies treats game with a two-tone approach that's perfect for the summer. Take simple wedge-shaped snacks from boring to tantalizing with this re-creation of fruity goodness, which fuses pink and green Rice Krispies mixtures together. Chocolate chip "seeds" pressed into the watermelon "flesh" will be the perfect finishing touch. You can even experiment with adding a stick for a Rice Krispies treat display and mess-free eating.

Get ready to sound the nostalgia bells with green-tinted, tree-shaped Rice Krispies treats that scream Christmas. The tree cookie-cutter is another relatively easy-to-release shape (or you could use the wedge shape in a pinch) and the sky's the limit with creating edible "ornaments" using sprinkles and drizzled chocolate "garlands." For richer treats that last a few days and don't become too hard to enjoy, consider adding sweetened condensed milk to your sticky mixture.

Make Rice Krispies treats that look like they came out of an orchard by creating small, hand-formed orbs decorated to look like apples. Corn syrup is another hack for retaining moisture in your treats to make them last longer that would work well with this somewhat bulkier shape. A pretzel stick stem, an edible modeling chocolate leaf, and red or yellow food coloring will make these beauties look more realistic and dazzling on a plate. You could also use this approach to create autumnal mini-pumpkins.