Chef notes

If you’re looking for a low-lift but festive treat for your Halloween party, look no further. These no-bake Frankenstein-themed treats, which are inspired by a classic rice cereal treat, come together quickly and are easy enough that the kids can get involved. They’re also ideal for when you want to make dessert in advance, as you can make them up to three days before serving.

To start, melt the butter and marshmallows on the stove until the mixture is smooth. Pro tip: mini marshmallows melt faster than the standard version. Add in the rice cereal then let the mixture set in a greased baking dish. While we know kids might be impatient, it’s crucial to let these treats cool completely before slicing or you’ll end up with a gooey mess. To decorate, all you need to do is melt chocolate in the microwave until smooth and glossy. Rather than bust out a piping bag (which we all know are a pain to clean), use a small zip-top plastic bag. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and decorate with candy eyes for the perfect Halloween dessert.

Technique Tip: To prevent your hands from sticking too much to the rice cereal mixture, spray them with cooking spray before you start molding.

Swap Option: If you or your kiddos aren’t a fan of peppermint extract, swap it out for vanilla.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal
green food coloring

1/2 cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 package candy eyeballs

Fulfilled by

Preparation

Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and marshmallows and cook over low heat until marshmallows are just melted, stirring often. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in green food coloring. Add the cereal to the marshmallow mixture and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into a prepared pan and press it in evenly. Let the treats cool before cutting into rectangles so they stay together.

Meanwhile, place chocolate chips and peppermint extract in microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. If you don't like mint flavoring, you can leave the chocolate plain.

Transfer melted chocolate into a quart-size plastic baggie. Snip one corner of bag and pipe chocolate hair and a mouth onto each treat.

Put a drop of melted chocolate onto the back of each candy eye and place onto the treats.

Let the chocolate harden before serving.