Why serve a cake at your graduation party when you can serve this impressive Cocoa Krispies Treat Graduation Cap instead?
It's simple to make by adding melted chocolate to a traditional cereal treat recipe and forming it into a mortarboard.
This graduation dessert is super easy to make yet looks so impressive.
The grad cap is made of Cocoa Krispie Treats mixed with chocolate.
When I first made this dessert, it looked really great, but I realized that the square on the mortarboard needed some stability. It was too soft and it bent once it was exposed to heat.
I brought it to a restaurant to celebrate my niece's graduation from college and it began to melt slightly in the heat as I carried it into the restaurant. So, I made it again and fixed that issue.
You can see the difference in the picture above.
I made the Cocoa Krispies treat in an 8-inch square pan then spread a thin layer of Ghirardelli Melting Wafers (which is compound chocolate similar to candy melts) over it to add support.
The compound chocolate (which contains palm kernel oil, not cocoa butter) firms up quickly and adds structure to the top of the grad cap.
You'll notice in the ingredients list that I mixed melted chocolate chips into the cereal treats then used the compound chocolate to spread over top.
I wanted the chocolate rice krispie treats to remain soft and pure chocolate chips (made with cocoa butter) allowed for that.
It was really easy to cut into and had a decadently rich chocolate flavor.
Cocoa Krispies Treat Graduation Cap (mortarboard)
Ingredients:
butter
mini marshmallows
chocolate chips
Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies cereal
Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers (or Candy Melts)
Twizzlers Pull and Peel
Tootsie Roll Midgee
Supplies Needed:
large mixing bowl
3 cup round bowl
8x8 inch baking pan
non-stick tin foil
Instructions:
Head on over to my new website, HowToMakeRiceKrispies.com to see some new Rice Krispie Treat recipes that could work for this grad cap!
You can also check out how we taste-tested 20 versions of the Rice Krispie Treat recipe to come up with the absolute BEST Rice Krispie Treat Recipe. This recipe would be a perfect substitution, just make sure to use the Cocoa Krispies instead of the original.
Make Cocoa Krispies Treats
- Heat butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl on high heat for 30 seconds.
- Stir then heat for 20 seconds.
- If the marshmallows are not melted, heat for 15-second increments, stirring after each until melted.
- Stir in the Cocoa Krispies.
Line bowl and pan.
- Line a 3-cup bowl and an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick tin foil.
Fill bowl.
- Fill the tin foil-lined bowl with cocoa krispies.
- Press to compress the cereal in the bowl.
- Let sit at room temperature to cool.
Fill square pan then pour candy melts over top.
- Press the remaining cocoa krispies treat mixture into an even layer in the square pan.
- Heat the Ghirardelli Melting Wafers in the microwave on high power for 25 seconds, then stir, heat again for 20 seconds, and stir.
- If not completely melted, heat for 10-second increments stirring after each.
- Pour the melted candy coating over the cereal treat bar, reserving a tablespoon for the next step.
- Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the candy coating sets.
- Removed from the freezer and remove from pan and peel off foil.
- Un-mold the cocoa krispies treats from the bowl, peel off the foil, set on a serving dish.
- Spread some melted candy coating on top and attach the square cereal treat with the candy-coated side down.
- Peel apart one Twizzlers Pull 'n Peel and attach the pieces to the center of the square treat using a dab of melted candy coating.
- Flatten a Tootsie Roll into a circle and press it in the center of the square treat covering the ends of the Twizzlers.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to a week.
If you have to make this for an outdoor graduation party, I would just use a thin cake board under the square piece to keep it in place, otherwise, it will bend.
You could also use white modeling chocolate or fondant to create the tassels. See the Grad Cap Chocolate Boxes tutorial for instructions.
Products used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies Br...Shop on Amazon
Kraft Jet Puffed Mini Marsh...Shop on Amazon 
TWIZZLERS Pull 'n' Peel Lic...Shop on Amazon
Printable Recipe
Create a mortarboard (grad cap) out of chocolate Cocoa Krispies treats.
- ¼ cup ½ stick butter
- 10.5 ounces Jet Puffed mini marshmallows
- 6 ounces Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips 1 cup
- 6 cups Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies cereal
- 6 ounces 1 cup Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers (or Candy Melts)
- 1 Twizzlers Pull and Peel
- 1 Tootsie Roll Midgee
-
Heat butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl on high heat for 30 seconds.
-
Stir then heat for 20 seconds.
-
If the marshmallows are not melted, heat for 15-second increments, stirring after each until melted.
-
Stir in the Cocoa Krispies.
-
Line a 3-quart bowl and an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick tin foil.
-
Fill the tin foil-lined bowl with cocoa krispies.
-
Press to compress the cereal in the bowl.
-
Let sit at room temperature to cool.
-
Press the remaining cocoa krispies treat mixture into an even layer in the square pan.
-
Heat the Ghirardelli Melting Wafers in the microwave on high power for 25 seconds, then stir, heat again for 20 seconds, and stir.
-
If not completely melted, heat for 10-second increments stirring after each.
-
Pour the melted candy coating over the cereal treat bar, reserving a tablespoon for the next step.
-
Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the candy coating sets.
-
Removed from the freezer and remove from pan and peel off foil.
-
Un-mold the cocoa krispies treats from the bowl, peel off the foil, set on a serving dish.
-
Spread some melted candy coating on top and attach the square cereal treat with the candy-coated side down.
-
Peel apart one Twizzlers Pull 'n Peel and attach the pieces to the center of the square treat using a dab of melted candy coating.
-
Flatten a Tootsie Roll into a circle and press it in the center of the square treat covering the ends of the Twizzlers.
-
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
-
If you have to make this for an outdoor graduation party, I would just use a thin cake board under the square piece to keep it in place, otherwise, it will bend.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
More Graduation Party Food
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Flourless Chocolate Cake Graduation Caps
Chocolate Graduation Cap Boxes
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emelon93 says
Hi Beth,
I would love to make this for my best friend who graduates this summer. Could you please send over a centimetre measurement of the small bowl used to make the round shaped choco crispie as we don't have cup measurements over here in the UK and I want to make sure I buy the right size 🙂 Thank you!
emelon93 says
Hi Beth,
This looks amazing and I would love to make it for my best friend who graduates this summer. As I live in the UK we don't measure things by cup sizes unfortunately, so could you please send me over the measurement of the bowl you used for the round shaped chocolate crispie in centimetres so I am able to buy the right size over here 🙂 thank you!
beth says
I am out of town right now and can't measure the bowl, but here is a link to the bowl I used on Amazon.com. http://amzn.to/1QA2ZJE
From what I remember the bowl is about 7 inches (17.78 cm) across the top.
I hope this helps.
Anonymous says
I first saw the photo of these before I read the recipe. I thought they were individual treats made in muffin cups rather than one large treat. I am going to make them in muffin tins for each student in my daughter's grade 8 class. I think I'll use a square graham cracker dipped in chocolate for the flat piece. Thanks for the great idea.
beth says
That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure they will turn out great. Have fun and be sure to snap some pictures and send them to me so I can share in my reader's gallery. Thanks!
Sarah Vanderkooy says
What a cute idea, love this! I will keep this in mind for the next graduate in my family.
Shari Lynne @ www.faithfilledfoodformoms.com says
Love this!! Thanks for sharing..I have a son graduating soon 🙂
Melinda says
so cute. love that it's chocolate rice krispies, haven't had them in forever
beth says
Thanks, Melinda. It was hard not to snack on the Cocoa Krispies cereal as I was making these. They really have a great chocolate flavor.
The Partiologist says
The grad cap came out perfect and you know how I love RKT! I've never made them using cocoa Krispies, so with my love of chocolate, this is just what I need!
beth says
Being a chocoholic myself, I prefer these over plain rice krispies treats.
Jennifer Johnson says
Coolest rice Krispie treat cake ever!! How clever.
beth says
Wow, that's nice to hear. Thanks, Jennifer:)
Erlene A says
This is so fun. My son graduates next year and this would make a fun party snack. Pinned.
beth says
Thanks so much for the pin Erlene. I hope you do enjoy making this for your son next year:)
Lisa@hooplapalooza says
thank you so much for making it again-that's extra work that i so appreciate! you're just awesome Beth! i see this in the near future for some friend's upcoming graduations 🙂
beth says
These were so quick and easy to make that I didn't mind doing it over again, plus no one complained that I had lots of the chocolaty cocoa kripises treat to eat.
Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff says
Krispie Treats are a favorite for everyone I know ... chocolate makes everything better! You have very lucky friends 😉
beth says
I couldn't agree more, chocolate does make everything better:)
Jill @ KitchenFunWithMy3Sons.com says
Super cute idea Beth...love this!