How to Make a Single Serving Rice Krispy Treat

Packaged rice krispy cereal treats are no where near as delicious as homemade rice krispy treats. They don’t have the same hint of butter to them, and the rice cereal is never quite as crispy. The packaged cereal treats are extremely convenient, however, and the fact that they are packaged in single-serving sizes has made them a great option for cereal bar fans who don’t want to have an entire tray of the tempting treats sitting out on their kitchen counter. But you won’t have to buy those single-serving bars anymore because, with this recipe, you’ll be able to make a Single-Serving Rice Krispy Treat any time you’re in the mood.

This recipe was born out of an almost-empty cereal box that was sitting in my pantry. I did not have enough cereal to make a whole breakfast, but I didn’t want it to go to waste. That half cup of cereal became the inspiration for this small-batch treat, a treat which is now a favorite of mine.

The treat starts out in a microwave-safe bowl, just like a full sized batch of cereal bars. A small amount of butter and a handful of mini marshmallows are melted together, then puffed rice cereal is stirred in. I always add a small pinch of salt to mine, and often add a few drops of vanilla extract. The trick with making a small batch is that the marshmallow and cereal mixture will start to cool down very quickly as you stir it. If you find that it gets too stickly to work with, you can always pop it back into the microwave for a few seconds to warm up.

I pressed my mixture into a greased mini pie plate to set up and give it a nice, cookie-like shape. You could also shape your treat in a lightly greased coffee mug, or simply free-form a bar on a piece of wax or parchment paper. The cereal treat will set up and be ready to eat in just a few minutes. The small cereal bar could be shared, if you’re feeling generous, but you could always double the recipe and make two individual treats if someone wants to share.

Rice Krispy Treat for One
1 1/2 tsp butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mini marshmallows OR 3 large marshmallows
1/2 cup rice krispy cereal
pinch salt

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and mini marshmallows. Melt at high power, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the marshmallows are melted. Quickly stir in the rice cereal and salt. Microwave for a few additional seconds, if mixture becomes too stiff.
Press into a mini pie plate and allow to set. The mixture can also be pressed into either a single muffin cup or coffee mug, for a slightly thicker cereal treat.

Serves 1.