Rice Krispies Brains
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Turn ordinary Rice Krispies treats into human brains, complete with fake “blood” smears for your next Halloween party. They’re sure to cause a fright!

Welcome to 2022’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek, a yearly Halloween blogging event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. This event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween-loving bloggers!

For this year’s 5th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 20 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week. You can following the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media to collect all of these frightful recipes to use at your own Halloween parties and events!
Be sure to check out all of the fun Halloween recipes that we’re sharing this week down by the recipe card!
If you’ve attended any themed party ever, there has likely been some sort of festive Rice Krispies treat situation happening.
I have frequented my red velvet Rice Krispies treats, pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats, gingerbread Rice Krispies treats, and Rice Krispies wreaths many times over the years of celebrating holidays, and I’m excited to be adding another fun, albeit sort of grotesque, rendition to my collection.

What I love about making Rice Krispies treats is that they’re so easy to put together and since they don’t require any oven space, they make a great option for party spreads, holidays, or celebrations that do take up precious oven space.
INGREDIENTS
I also love that the ingredient list for these Halloween treats is super short.
You’ll, of course, need some Rice Krispies or other crispy rice cereal. The brand doesn’t matter here one bit.
Then, you’ll need some butter, mini marshmallows, and red food coloring.
Aaaaaand… That’s it! So simple.
HOW TO MAKE RICE KRISPIES BRAINS
To get these brain rice crispy treats done, you don’t need anything fancy. There isn’t a brain mold involved or anything, just some good old elbow grease and some creative hands!
Start by melting the butter in a large sauce pot.
Next, add the mini marshmallows to the pot and stir them around until they melt. To this, you will add your red food coloring to tint it pink.

You’re going for the color of a brain, but know that once you add the Rice Krispies, the color will fade/dull a bit and it will be hard to change it once the cereal is in.
I added about 8 drops of food coloring to get this color.

Once the butter/marshmallow mix is light pink, remove everything from the heat and add in the cereal.
Stir until everything is coated and uniform in texture.
SHAPE THE BRAINS
To get started on the brain shape, grab yourself a ¼ cup measure or, what I prefer to use, an ice cream scoop with a trigger.

Make sure you coat the cup measure or scoop with oil so that the cereal doesn’t stick to it, then scoop out all of the Rice Krispie brains out of the pot and drop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.
Once it’s all portioned out, you’re going to get creative with your hands.
First, form each mound into a slightly oblong circle with your hands.

Next, use the handle of a butter knife to make an indent in the top of each brain, then use the non-blade side of the knife itself along with your free hand to bring the two halves of the brain a bit closer together.



This does not need to be perfect. Remember this is food that looks like brains, but it doesn’t have to be brain surgery perfect. Got it? Get creative!
ADD FAKE BLOOD
This part is totally optional, but I like the added effect to drive home the scary Rice Krispie treats situation.


Add a few drops of red food coloring to a small bowl, then use a paintbrush to paint streaks of “blood” onto the brains, if desired.
Once that’s done, just allow to cool/set completely before serving.

Like, this could not be easier, friends. Your bloody rice crispy treats are off to a great start, and I think you’re going to love the added Halloween flair to your beloved marshmallow cereal treat snack.
If you’re looking for more fun Halloween treats, be sure to check out some of the recipes I have here: graveyard pudding cups, witch finger pretzels, mummy brownies, and Hocus Pocus brownies.




Check out all of today’s great #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes!
- Raw Meat Halloween Rice Krispie Treats from Big Bear’s Wife
- Vampire Brownie Bites from Semihomemade Recipes
- Petri Dish Jello Shots from Sweet ReciPEAs
- Sally Stitches Sugar Cookies from Best Cookie Recipes
- Cookies and Cream Spider Cupcakes from Jen Around the World
- Cinnamon Roll Brains Casserole from For The Love of Food
Rice Krispies Brains
Ingredients
- 5 cups (132g) Rice Krispies or any kind of crispy rice cereal
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- 1 10-oz bag (283g) mini marshmallows about 8 cups
- red food coloring1
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Place the Rice Krispies in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Once melted, add coloring to the shade of your choice, keeping in mind the color will look lighter once mixed with the cereal (I went with about 6 drops of red coloring to achieve a pinkish hue).
- Remove saucepan from heat, add Rice Krispies cereal, and stir until well-coated.
- Using an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measure2 sprayed with non-stick spray, gently press a portion of Rice Krispies into the scoop and drop onto the prepared baking sheet. Form each mound into a slightly oblong circle with your hands.
- Use the handle of a butter knife to make an indent in the top of each brain, then use the non-blade side of the knife itself along with your free hand to bring the two halves of the brain a bit closer together.
- Add a few drops of red food coloring to a small bowl, then use a paintbrush to paint streaks of "blood" onto the brains, if desired. Allow to cool/set completely before serving. Store treats in an airtight container up to one week.
Notes
- Food coloring: I prefer gel coloring. My favorite is AmeriColor.
- Brain size: you can certainly make these Rice Krispies brains into any size you prefer, including one giant brain.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
These brains look SO gross but SO delicious at the same time!!
Haha, they totally do!
You know Rice Krispies are not gluten free right? They have barly malt in the which a form of gluten. Someone with Celiac would get very sick if they ate Rice Krispies brand cereal
Thanks, Nicole! I didn’t actually know that. We buy the store brand, which does NOT use malt, so we had no idea. My husband is GF, so that’s good to know about the brand name.
These look amazing! Can I make them in advance? If I put them in an airtight container? If so, how far in advance could I make them? Thanks so much for any and all advice!
Hi, Chris– you can freeze these! I would not freeze for longer than 4-6 weeks. Let me know how it goes if you do!