Peeps Krispie Treats

It's that time of year...time for Peeps! They may not be the most delicious food in the world but they sure are cute. So fluffy and colorful. Kind of like sprinkles, Peeps just make me happy. For my first treat, I decided to go with a subtle nod to the Peep - Peeps Krispie Treats. 

  
Around this time last year, one of my first posts on the blog featured some lovingly decorated Peeps cupcakes. I felt the need to carry on the Peep tradition this year and decided to start off with these. 

A pretty simple concept really. Melt Peeps, mix with rice krispies, and you've got Peeps Krispie treats! I found this recipe on Serious Eats. I actually think their site is why I enjoy Peeps treats so much. A couple of years ago they dedicated an entire week to different treats centered around Peeps. These ones just looked so cheerful, and easy, that I had to give them a shot.

Peeps Krispie Treats
from Serious Eats

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 36 Peeps (all one color or assorted)
• 6 cups of rice krispies

In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Add Peeps and stir until completely melted. If using different colors, melt in separate color sections within the pot. Try your best not to mix the colors until step 2. Remove pot from heat once butter is melted.

Before

After

Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated and press into a 13 x 9 pan lined with parchment or coated with cooking spray. Cool completely before cutting into desired shapes. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

They turned out pretty well but the colors were a little more muted than I was expecting. Since I had a ton of extra Peeps left over I decided to "decorate" the squares to add a little extra color. I just cut off a bit of the back of the bunnies or the bottom of the chicks and used the exposed, super sticky, marshmallow to stick them on top.

 
These tasted pretty much the same as a regular rice krispie square to me. Maybe a bit sweeter from the extra sugar on the outside of the Peeps. One thing I didn't do that was specified in the recipe was remove the pan from the heat after the butter was melted. As a result, I think I browned the butter a bit more than might have been ideal and they ended up with a browned butter edge to them. There are worse things in the world than browned butter.

If you're looking for a quick, cheerful treat to make this Easter, or Spring for that matter, give these a try. Hopefully they make you smile too.

What is your favorite Easter candy?