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Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

5 from 4 votes
Time: 20 minutes
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These Coconut Rice Krispie Treats are thick, gooey dessert bars filled with marshmallows, sweetened coconut flakes, and crispy, crunchy cereal.

And learn how you can make these into cute Santa’s for the holidays!

Looking for more easy party snacks, try this Churro Popcorn, Nutella Puppy Chow, or reader favorite Pecan Pie Dip. Make a savory snack like these Smoked Cheez Its!

Two hands pulling apart a gooey Coconut Rice Krispie Treat.

Who doesn’t love a really good and gooey Rice Krispie Treat? Now I know the internet is absolutely flooded with recipes BUT these are the best way to make them, without a doubt.

My Coconut Rice Krispies are loaded with sweetened shredded coconut and more marshmallows than ever! I make these whenever I need a quick, crowd-pleasing, and unique treat.

Actually, I just made a double batch for our family reunion and there was not one square left to take home. Everyone always says they wish there were more!

Do yourself a favor and double or triple these Coconut Rice Krispies, you won’t regret it! Do this in the recipe card below by easily toggling the 2x and 3x options.

If you love these, you should also try Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats.

Coconut Rice Krispie Treats in a pan with the knife on the side ready to cut into squares. More sweetened coconut flakes on the side and mini marshmallows.

More Reasons to LOVE These Coconut Rice Krispie Treats…

  • 4 simple ingredients.
  • Epic coconut flavor.
  • Thick, chewy, crunchy, and gooey.
  • Perfect ratio of marshmallows, coconut, and rice cereal.

Coconut Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients

Read below for notes on each ingredient and potential substitutions.

  • Butter: Use unsalted or salted, whatever you have on hand works. Just do not use margarine, it just doesn’t work.
  • Marshmallows: For best results use a fresh bag. They should never be stale or even slightly dried out, I recommend using mini marshmallows but larger marshmallows (cut into smaller pieces) will work as well.
  • Sweetened Shredded Coconut: You can also use unsweetened coconut. I like sweetened better because unsweetened tends to make the bars more dry than normal
  • Rice Krispies Cereal: Feel free to use any brand of original toasted rice cereal. There is also gluten free too!
Rice Krispies cereal, mini marshmallows, shredded sweetened coconut, ans unsalted butter.

Equipment Needed

  • Large Pot: I use my 5.5 quart Dutch oven. Any similar sized pot will work.
  • Silicone Spatula: The best option for mixing and pressing these sticky marshmallow-ey treats.
  • 9×13 Baking Pan: I love my USA Pan and if you don’t have one, you should. They are the best USA made baking pan. Always line your pan with parchment paper greased with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

How to Make Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Here’s a quick summary of how to make these Coconut Rice Krispies, the recipe card will have completed details.

1. Prep a 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray.

2. Melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat until smooth.

3. Fold in the sweetened shredded coconut, Rice Krispies cereal, and additional mini marshmallows.

4. Lightly press mixture into prepared pan and top with additional sweetened coconut flakes.

5. Set Coconut Rice Krispie Treats at room temperature for an hour before cutting into equal squares and serving.

Storing Information

The best way to store Coconut Rice Krispie Treats is in pre-cut squares and in an airtight container. Just place layers of wax paper between the rice krispie treats to keep them from sticking together.

At room temperature they will last up to 3 days. Honestly, if they last that long I’d be shocked! You can also freeze them for up to 6 weeks, thaw them at room temperature prior to serving. I do not recommend refrigerating Coconut Rice Krispies because they tend to dry out.

Stack of marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats topped with coconut.

Fun Variations For Even BETTER Coconut Rice Krispies

Add coconut oil, along with the butter, to amp up the coconut flavor. When I do this I like to add half unsalted butter and half food grade coconut oil.

Substitute mini marshmallows for a jar (7 ounces) of marshmallow creme. You can also use jumbo marshmallows that have been cut into 4 smaller pieces.

Use other types of cereal: Chocolate Rice Krispies, gluten free toasted rice cereal, Fruity Pebbles, Corn Pops, Froot Loops, Cheerios… you name it. Just think of flavors that go with coconut when you are choosing.

Dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate or caramel. You can even add toasted coconut or fun sprinkles for festivity. I made them into Santa’s this Christmas and included those instructions below.

Hand holding a Rice Krispie Treat filled with coconut.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Coconut Rice Krispie Treats taste like?

They taste like a traditional rice krispie treat but with a hint of coconut flavor and a chewier texture. If you opt to use half butter and half coconut oil, the coconut flavor is far more pronounced that without.

Can I use unsweetened coconut in Coconut Rice Krispie Treats?

Technically, yes. But when testing this recipe I noticed the treats with unsweetened shredded coconut were more dry than the ones with sweetened shredded coconut. If you choose unsweetened shredded coconut you may want to reduce the amount.

Why are my Coconut Rice Krispie Treats tough and dry?

This could be for a few reasons, here are a few of the most common. One, the mixture was packed into the baking pan too tightly. Two, your marshmallows were not as fresh as a brand new package. Three, they were left out too long to set or were left uncovered too long.

Rice Krispie Treats filled with gooey marshmallows and shredded sweetened coconut.

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Enjoy Entirely, Elizabeth
Hands pulling apart a gooey marshmallow Coconut Rice Krispie Treat.

Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Elizabeth Swoish
These homemade Coconut Rice Krispies are a quick, crowd-pleasing, and unique dessert bar everyone will be raving about. They are loaded with sweet coconut, gooey marshmallow, and crispy cereal.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 12 squares
Calories 285 kcal

EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS
 
 

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 cups mini marshmallows***
  • 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal - or other toasted rice cereal
  • 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows*** - additional for folding in whole
  • ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut - additional for topping

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Prepare a 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the mini marshmallows and stir until they are completely melted. Remove from heat.
  • Immediately fold in the sweetened shredded coconut and Rice Krispies cereal. Make sure everything is well coated in the marshmallow mixture.
  • Add in the additional mini marshmallows and fold until incorporated.
  • Transfer the mixture to prepared baking dish. Gently spread the mixture into the pan using a lightly greased silicone spatula.
    NOTE: Lightly press mixture into the pan, do not pack them down with force.
  • Immediately sprinkle additional sweetened shredded coconut over the top of the Coconut Rice Krispie Treats.
  • Allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour to set.
    NOTE: If they will be left out for more than an hour, I recommend covering tightly to prevent them from drying out.
  • Lift the parchment paper and Coconut Rice Krispie Treats from the pan. Cut into desired amount of squares (I recommend 12) and serve or store.

RECIPE NOTES

*** 10 cups of mini marshmallows (required for 1 batch of Coconut Rice Krispie treats) is equivalent to about 2- 10 ounce bags. You will have a cup or two of mini marshmallows leftover.
 

HOW TO MAKE SANTAS

You will need some sweetened coconut flakes (rest of bag), 6 ounces of white chocolate, 6 ounces of red candy melts, mini chocolate chips for the eyes, large red sprinkles or M&Ms for the nose, and large white sprinkles or mini marshmallow for the hat ball. 
  1. Cut the 9×13 pan of coconut rice krispies into 15 oblong shapes.
  2. Dip them into the melted white chocolate and then coconut. Place them on waxed paper and allow the chocolate to harden.
  3. Then dip the top in melted red chocolate and place the white ball on the hat immediately. Allow the chocolate to harden.
  4. Press in the mini chocolate chip eyes and red nose. If the nose is not sticking you can use a little melted white chocolate to stick it in place. 
Coconut Rice Krispie treats made into santas. Close up of Coconut Rice Krispie treats to see how I made them into santas.
 

STORING INFORMATION

  • At room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. 
  • Frozen, in an airtight container, for up to 6 weeks. Thaw at room temperature prior to serving. 
  • Refrigerating is not recommended.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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Did you try this recipe?Please take a minute to leave a rating and comment below. My community of readers appreciate it and I do too!
By Elizabeth Swoish on August 11th, 2023
Elizabeth Swoish holding a camera up to her eye taking a photo.

About Elizabeth Swoish

Elizabeth Swoish is the founder and CEO of Entirely Elizabeth. She is a self-taught foodie and mocktail enthusiast with a business degree in data analysis. Read Elizabeth's food journey or connect on your favorite social media channels.

4 thoughts on “Coconut Rice Krispie Treats”

  1. 5 stars
    I was very excited to make these coconut rice krispies with my kids and I’m so glad they turned out delicious. With simple ingredients, they were very easy to make. We absolutely loved it!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    These were absolutely delicious and the perfect addition to my Christmas cookie boxes this year because they’re so easy to make yet everyone loves a good rice krispie treat!

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    I made these Coconut Rice Krispie Treats as a school treat for my kids, and they were an instant hit! I loved how easy the recipe was to follow. My kids came home raving about how their friends wanted me to make these for every treat day. Thanks for making me the coolest parent in the classroom!

    Reply
  4. 5 stars
    We made these for my daughters school class party and all of the kids loved them! Even the parents and teachers were going back for seconds. It made a really great school treat. I’ll definitely be making them again and sneak some into my daughter’s lunch box!

    Reply

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