Halloween Rice Krispie Cake

Name: Halloween Rice Krispie Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 4 cups mini marshmallows (substitute 3 cups marshmallow fluff for a gooier texture); 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or Puffed Rice if you want a lighter crunch); 1/2 cup marshmallow creme (for filling; use Nutella for chocolate twist); Food coloring gel (optional, for frosting); Colored frosting and sprinkles for decoration

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 10 February 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

A spooky twist on classic rice krispie treats with marshmallow creme filling, shaped in a bundt pan, easy to make with slight ingredient swaps for a fun Halloween dessert.

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 12 min

Total: 22 min

Servings: 12 servings

#Halloween #Rice Krispies #marshmallow #bundt cake #holiday dessert #Nutella option

Before You Start

Rice krispie treats but in cake form — spooky bundt style. Butter slicked pan keeps removal clean. Melt marshmallows slow, low heat or you risk burning sugar flavor. Marshmallow creme filling adds creamy softness, balancing crunch. Press firmly — no air pockets, or cake crumbles on flip. Cooling crucial; I learned the hard way not to rush. Decorate with crazy frosting colors and sprinkles to get that Halloween vibe. Tried with Nutella once, blended in deliciously, brought chocolate richness to this nostalgic treat. Keep eyes on marshmallow melting stage — bubbling, shiny, no graininess. Quick cereal fold-in keeps texture. Patience, gentle pressing, and knowing when to flip. Cake holds best room temp; fridge toughens treats. Great for parties when you want fun, familiar dessert with a twist.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cups mini marshmallows (substitute 3 cups marshmallow fluff for a gooier texture)
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or Puffed Rice if you want a lighter crunch)
1/2 cup marshmallow creme (for filling; use Nutella for chocolate twist)
Food coloring gel (optional, for frosting)
Colored frosting and sprinkles for decoration

About the ingredients

Butter choice matters here. Salted will throw off marshmallow sweetness. Unsalted keeps clean, butter adds flavor and sheen to pan and cereal. Marshmallows — mini melt faster and coat better than large chunks. Though marshmallow fluff is a cheat for gooey filling, might turn cake softer. Rice Krispies are classic; Puffed Rice are lighter if you want airier cake. Marshmallow creme filling optional but adds moist layer that stops dryness. Tried nut butters before, cautious with spreading to avoid breakage. Food gels better than liquid food coloring — avoid runny frosting or stained fingers. Frost for color and texture contrast; sprinkles for crunch and Halloween colors. Use where you want bite without masking marshmallow.

Method

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave until just bubbling, pour into bundt pan. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to spread butter up sides, prevents sticking later.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Toss in mini marshmallows. Stir constantly — listen for the soft bubbling, marshmallow should be smooth, no grainy chunks.
Once melted, remove from heat quickly. Pour in Rice Krispies. Stir fast but gently, coat every piece before mixture cools and stiffens. If too cold, set burner to lowest heat or warm setting to keep pliable while shaping.
Press half of sticky cereal into bottom and up sides of bundt pan firmly but don’t crush cereal. Creates a sturdy shell and well for filling. Patting evenly prevents weak spots.
Add marshmallow creme (or your twist: Nutella or peanut butter) into the well. Spread but don’t mix with edges—keeps layers distinct.
Top with remaining Rice Krispie mixture, pressing down harder than step four, sealing the filling in completely. Look for no gaps or holes—otherwise filling will leak or leak flavor.
Cool at room temperature. Patience is key here. If you try to remove while warm, cake falls apart like sad confetti. You’ll hear a faint pop as it sets, texture changes to firm but still tender.
Invert carefully onto serve plate. Slow and steady, use knife along edges if stubborn. Don’t disturb once flipped.
Decorate with colored frosting and sprinkles. Use piping tips for fun shapes; past attempts taught me to chill cake first to avoid soggy frosting meltdown.
Serve same day or next for slight firmness increase. Store covered at room temp; fridge makes it hard and less enjoyable.

Cooking tips

Melt butter gently in microwave, don’t scald, just liquify. Spread immediately in bundt pan; cold butter sets fast and sticks cereal better. Melt marshmallows slow over med-low heat — watch and stir; overheating turns sugar grainy or scorched smell. Add cereal fast, folding gently but thoroughly. Turn heat down to keep mix pliable; too hot will burn fingers when pressing in. Press half cereal mix firmly to form stable base, not so hard that you compress air out which makes dense cake. Spoon the marshmallow creme filling carefully; no need to spread too much or you risk breakage. Top layer requires firmness; seal edges well to avoid filling flow out. Let cool fully — that slight pop means marshmallow properly set inside. Flip carefully, loosening edges helps; the butter pan dry wipe works best, no soap or water residue. Decorate after chilling cake for 20 minutes, prevents frosting meltdown. Freeze frosting if too soft. Keep cake covered but not airtight to avoid sogginess.

Chef's notes

💡 Butter use key here. Unsalted only or marshmallow sweetness gets wrecked. Melt slow in microwave just till bubbly, no browning. Spread immediately; cold butter sticks crisp to bundt pan sides. Butter acts like glue, holds cereal tight on edges. Avoid rubbing too hard, leave thin slick. This keeps clean removal later, saves flipping drama.
💡 Marshmallows gotta melt slow on medium-low heat. Stir nonstop, not aggressively but no breaks. Watch bubbles soft and shiny, not grainy or burnt smell creeping. Grainy means sugar burnt, marshmallow fails. When shiny and smooth, remove fast. Too hot, will toughen later. Use mini marshmallows for quick melt. Fluff swap gives gooier texture but softer cake; good if softer bite wanted.
💡 Add cereal fast, stir gently but thoroughly or clumps. Heat off or very low burner helps keep pliable while shaping; no cold mix or crumbly cake. Press half mix firmly inside bundt pan base and walls but don’t crush cereal or all air lost, causes dense hard cake not tender. Tap edges lightly to avoid gaps or air pockets; gaps mean leaks and weak structure.
💡 Filling options flexible. Marshmallow creme standard but Nutella or peanut butter swaps work well. Spread carefully only in well center; don’t mix into edges or layers blend, lose defined layers and texture contrast. Filling too wet or too much causes cake to fall apart when flipping. Keep filling quantity moderate. Seal top layer firmly pressing down strongly. If gaps, filling oozes during flip or slicing.
💡 Cooling absolutely crucial. Room temp, no rush. Will hear faint pop when ready inside, texture firms but still tender. Warm cake fragile, tears or crumbles easily. Chilling 20 mins before frosting prevents meltdown, especially with gels instead of liquids. Buttered pan leaves slick coating; dry wipe edges to loosen before flipping carefully. Use knife along sides if stubborn; too quick or rough flip means cake failure.

Common questions

Can I use regular marshmallows?

Bigger ones take longer to melt. Mini melt faster and coat cereal better. If use regular, chop or expect longer melt and grainy bits risk. Slow heat needed. Could melt unevenly. Results vary.

What if my cake sticks to pan?

Butter pan thoroughly before start. Spread thin layer while warm. Cold butter sets harder, grips cereal better but press fast. If stuck, loosen edges with knife carefully. Avoid soap residue; pan slick important. Dry wipe excess butter, no water.

How to fix crumbly cake?

Usually pressing too light or cereal cooled too much before pressing. Heat too low weakens binding, gaps trap air. Press firmly but gently in layers. Keep mixture warm when shaping. Fill gaps prevents crumbling. Cooling too fast? Slow room temp better than fridge for firmness without toughness.

Storage recommendations?

Cover cake at room temp with loose wrap, stop drying but avoid airtight or frosting soggy. Fridge toughens cake, chewy texture loss. Can refrigerate if icing done but bring to room temp before serving. Leftover slices freeze ok but texture changes; thaw fully, gentle handle.