How to make perfectly soft and chewy Rice Krispies treats

Who doesn’t love Rice Krispie treats? This tasty dessert has been around for decades. Whenever I taste one, I’m instantly transported back to happy memories of my childhood. Whether you use original Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies or Strawberry Rice Krispies, you can’t go wrong with this yummy snack. They’re so simple to make, and they’re always a crowd-pleaser.

One common problem with this easy-to-make treat, however, is that they tend to get hard and stale fairly quickly.

If you want your Rice Krispies treats to stay perfectly soft and chewy for days, there’s a clever hack that will help you accomplish this elusive goal. You just need to add one ingredient that you probably already have at home.

It may sound weird, but adding sweetened condensed milk to the butter and marshmallow mixture results in treats that stay softer longer, and also gives them a milky, delicious flavor.

The Kitchn recommends pouring a third- to a half-cup of sweetened condensed milk, depending on your personal preference, into the butter when you’re mixing things up. They also noted that this version really does have to cool completely in the pan before cutting to achieve the perfect texture.

This seems like an addition you could make to just about any Rice Krispies treat recipe you follow — which is great because there are plenty of yummy twists on this classic treat to try out.

Twitter user @ninjamony makes her version with salted caramel (Butter With A Side of Bread’s recipe is just one of many out there):

Twitter user @LilDisFan changed up the treat by adding white chocolate (here’s a recipe for this goodie from Living Well Spending Less):

And @ranona_ryder turned her Rice Krispies treats into bunny, egg and duck shapes to put on an Easter-themed sweets charcuterie board. How cute!

These Rice Krispies pinwheels are a great way to dress up the treats for a holiday. Use different colored sprinkles depending on the occasion. Red and green would be great for Christmas, while red, white and blue sprinkles make for a patriotic summertime treat.

How about this Rice Krispies treat no-bake cheesecake? It combines two amazing desserts for one delicious mashup that you won’t want to stop eating. The crunch of the treats is the perfect complement to the creaminess of the cheesecake. Yum!