Happy Halloween, y'all! While I love this spooky holiday as much as the next girl, I'm not really into all of the creepy crawly treats that seem to pop up this time of year. Eyeball cupcakes? Not so much. Blood punch? I don't think so.
This year I wanted to make a celebratory snack that was festive but not freaky. Rice crispy treats are always a crowd-pleaser, but what about pumpkin rice crispy treats? Done and done. Five batches later, what started out as a quick-and-easy Halloween recipe turned into a full-on science experiment.
My initial idea was to use fresh pumpkin puree and homemade marshmallows, but that would defeat the idea of both quick and easy. I didn't want to settle for the uninspired route of using pumpkin-flavored marshmallows (which taste similar to aluminum in my humble opinion), so canned pumpkin won out. Unfortunately I underestimated the water content of pumpkin in my first few attempts; two batches of soggy treats found their home in the bottom of the trash can.
After a little investigating, I decided to reduce the pumpkin to remove some of the water content. I cooked one can of puree over the stove top and one can of puree low-and-slow in the oven. As brilliant as I thought my plan was, not only did it take a long time, but it still made for waterlogged treats. I almost gave up, but in the name of science (and sweets!) I gave it one last shot.
I'm pleased to report my final attempt was a success: I cut the amount of pumpkin to 1/4 cup and upped the spices to boost the "autumnal" flavor. The real key, though, is to let the pumpkin-marshmallow mixture cool to room temperature before adding the crispies. Trust me here. It's crucial to the recipe's success.
The verdict's in — I'd love to get these in my trick-or-treat basket today! (or any day for that matter!) Enjoy.

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats
serves 12
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 (10 ounce) bag mini marshmallows plus one cup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of kosher salt
6 cups crispy rice cereal
Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish (or a smaller dish — see Note below).
In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to cook until it is warmed through. Fold in 10 ounces of the marshmallows, stirring frequently until almost completely melted. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt, and remove from heat.
Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool 10 minutes; fold in the remaining cup of marshmallows. Continue to cool the mixture for another 20 to 25 minutes until it is room temperature (failure to cool the mixture will result in soggy rice crispy treats.) Add the puffed rice cereal and stir, using a silicone spatula, until combined.
Press the mixture into the greased rectangular baking dish. Let set for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
• Note: I call for a 9x13-inch dish here, but I often use an 8x11-inch because I like taller treats. Any size in this range should do.
Related: Autumn Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

(Images: Nealey Dozier)
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Comments (27)
Oh, how funny - I just posted a recipe like this today, too! Mine has only the pumpkin spice but browned butter to kick it over the top. Hurrah for Krispie Treats!!!
Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats
I'm not a fan of the ghoulish of either. But this sounds tasty, and uncomplicated. And so does skeddy's. I love Rice Krispie Treats---I could eat them until I founder!
Oh AWESOME. I love Rice Crispie treats, and I LOVE all things pumpkin. This is going on my to-make list right now...
I'm not into the ghoulish either and what's more, I actually don't like candy much! I just did a post on how to get a non-candy eater like myself into the Halloween spirit. I think it worked! :)
http://thebarcelonastory.blogspot.com/2011/10/inspired-by-candy.html
I've made a similar thing but veganized. Just replace the marshmallows with Ricemellow or vegan marshmallows and replace the butter with Earth Balance. YUM!
What an awesome recipe! I love pumpkin and this also happens to be gluten free so I can share it too! Thank you, Happy Halloween ;)
Sincerely, Deb
http://deborahapeters.com
Omg, this recipe combines my two favorite things. Definitely trying this recipe!
This would have been PERFECT as part of the surprise for my Pumpkin Surprise Rice Krispy cake!! http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/10/pumpkin-surprise-rice-krispycake.html Next time! :)
Just made these and dug into them... YUM!!!! I'm usually not a fan of Rice Crispy Treats because I prefer chocolate desserts, but I do love pumpkin. These were fantastic and fantastically easy. I'm already plotting who I can give some to because I cannot resist the temptation of an entire pan of these in my house. Thanks for a great recipe.
Fantastic! I'm going to make a batch of these this weekend!
You can blot the moisture out of pumpkin puree. Glop some into the middle of a few thicknesses of paper towel and use the surrounding towel to blot. The puree doesn't stick to the paper.
I'm drooling already!!
These sounded SO wonderful. I tried them over the weekend, much to my disappointment. :( They turned out soggy, not crispy at all. And I followed all of the steps implicitly. I let the marshmallow mix cool completely, the only way it could have been cooler would have been to put it in the fridge. An immediate bite of the mixture was great! But the longer they sat in the pan, the worse they became. YUCK! I wish I could post a better review.
I just made these today and would have to agree with the previous commenter about the disappointment with the outcome! I made no changes to the recipe and I came out with extremely stale rice krispies treats. I waited for the marshmallow mixture to cool completely and after letting it sit for 30 minutes, most of the crunchiness was gone. Another 30 more and the treats are completely stale.
The taste is great but if you like the crunchiness of the regular rice krispies treats, I would suggest you eat them out of the bowl right away without putting it into a pan.
I should have read the last two comments before I tried this recipe out yesterday - as I had the exact same results. Hot & right out of the pot these treats would have been delicious, but the crunchiness dissipates the longer the treats set in the pan. I cut them and wrapped each individually in wax paper, as I always do with Rice Krispie Treats, and by this morning they had a rubbery consistency. Had to throw all of them away. Truly disappointing.
I think what kills the crispiness of the treats is the pumpkin - there's just too much moisture. My thought is that next time I'll be better off just spicing the marshmallow/butter mixture before stirring in the Rice Krispies.
Thank you for this recipe ... I think these were so tasty and cannot wait to share with my family. A unique way to play with Rice Krispie Treats.
I've bookmarked this post as I love both pumpkin and Rice Krispies treats.
@ Deborah Peters- the only way this would be gluten free would be if you used the Rice Crispies that are labeled gluten free. Just a friendly reminder that regular Rice Crispies do have malt flavoring in them. :) These look super yummy, can't wait to try!
I changed the recipe up a bit to take out the moisture! Sooooo good and you dont have to wait for the mixture to cool!
Check it out here!
http://lifesprinkledwithglitter.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin-spice-rice-krispy-treats.html
Fantastic Recipe. Thank you. I was even able to make shapes with cookie cutters to add to the bonus of the pumpkin flavor. I can't wait to hear the comments back when my daughter takes them to her youth group event. Sorry to see that some had problems with their results - I had amazing results with mine. I'm ready to wash up from the marshmallows and research something new for Thanksgiving. Happy Pumpkin Spice Everyone!
Made the treats this past weekend and they came out so soggy! Great right out of the pan, but once they sat for a little, they became inedible. This is a recipe I won't be making again.
I made these according to glitterlips' directions and they came our great! they were a huge hit at the party I took them to.
These were awesome..
NOTE to anyone giving this receipe a go...
(1) I see 3 comments from a year ago reporting failure
(2) I see 3 comments from a year ago by ones who CANNOT READ & FOLLOW DIRECTONS
*directions*
Terrible and soggy. A gooey mess!!!
I haven't tried these, but from the comments I think pumpkin popcorn balls would be less likely to go soggy.
Made thse with Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice cereal and they were perfect! Thank you for a great recipe! Yum!