Cocoa Krispies Treat Graduation Cap

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

1. Heat butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl on high heat for 30 seconds.
2. Stir then heat for 20 seconds.
3. If the marshmallows are not melted, heat for 15-second increments, stirring after each until melted.
4. 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.

1. Press the remaining cocoa krispies treat mixture into an even layer in the square pan.
2. Heat the Ghirardelli Melting Wafers in the microwave on high power for 25 seconds, then stir, heat again for 20 seconds, and stir.
3. If not completely melted, heat for 10-second increments stirring after each.
4. Pour the melted candy coating over the cereal treat bar, reserving a tablespoon for the next step.
5. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the candy coating sets.
6. 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)

Printable Recipe

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Cocoa Krispies Treat Graduation Cap (mortarboard)

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

2 mins

 

Create a mortarboard (grad cap) out of chocolate Cocoa Krispies treats.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate, cocoa krispies, graduation, graduation cap, rice krispie treats

Servings: 12

Calories: 325 kcal

Author: Beth Klosterboer

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. Heat butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl on high heat for 30 seconds.
2. Stir then heat for 20 seconds.
3. If the marshmallows are not melted, heat for 15-second increments, stirring after each until melted.
4. Stir in the Cocoa Krispies.
5. Line a 3-quart bowl and an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick tin foil.
6. Fill the tin foil-lined bowl with cocoa krispies.
7. Press to compress the cereal in the bowl.
8. Let sit at room temperature to cool.
9. Press the remaining cocoa krispies treat mixture into an even layer in the square pan.
10. Heat the Ghirardelli Melting Wafers in the microwave on high power for 25 seconds, then stir, heat again for 20 seconds, and stir.
11. If not completely melted, heat for 10-second increments stirring after each.
12. Pour the melted candy coating over the cereal treat bar, reserving a tablespoon for the next step.
13. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the candy coating sets.
14. Removed from the freezer and remove from pan and peel off foil.
15. Un-mold the cocoa krispies treats from the bowl, peel off the foil, set on a serving dish.
16. Spread some melted candy coating on top and attach the square cereal treat with the candy-coated side down.
17. 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.
18. Flatten a Tootsie Roll into a circle and press it in the center of the square treat covering the ends of the Twizzlers.
19. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
20. 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.

Recipe Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

More Graduation Party Food

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Flourless Chocolate Cake Graduation Caps

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Graduation Pretzel Pops

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• Author
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Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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