Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels

Celebrate the 4th of July with some festive Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels. Layers of colorful marshmallow cereal treats are rolled up and cut to reveal patriotic swirls of color.

How do you celebrate the 4^th of July?

For years we had big outdoor picnics with friends and family on the holiday, but as the summer temperatures have soared over the years, we’ve retreated indoors. No one in my family is all that happy  about being outside when it’s super hot, especially me.

I did just arrive home from hiking the Rocky Mountains in the heat. Thankfully it wasn’t as hot as it has been further out west this summer and thankfully there was an abundance of trees to shade the paths. except for the one that was cut right into the side of the mountain. Being hot was the least of my worries and I slowly made my way down the incredibly steep, winding dirt path.

When my feet were planted firmly on concrete in the parking lot, I rejoiced at my accomplishment and felt so blessed to have spent 9 days in such a beautiful area of our country.

During our time in Colorado we not only hiked in the mountains, but we also climbed up and down 244 stairs at Seven Falls, road up Pikes Peak on a Cog Railway, chugged up a winding mountain road in a Jeep, flew over the Royal Gorge in a helicopter, and even soared above Colorado Springs on a Hot Air Balloon. I checked off a few bucket list items on this trip and will tell you more about it soon.

For now, I really want to share the tutorial for making these Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels with you. I had planned to get this post written while on my trip, but I fell into bed exhausted every night.

I know it’s only a few days before the holiday, but these treats are so easy to make that you can definitely get them done in time for your 4^th of July parties and picnics.

You will use your basic rice krispie treat recipe, but add a bit of colored Candy Melts and food coloring to the mix. The Candy Melts will add some structure to your cereal treats and will impart a nice sweet vanilla flavor as well.

Before you begin making your rice krispie treats, you’ll need to prepare a pan. You can use a traditional 9X13 inch baking pan, or use a ¼ sheet pan, which is close in size to a 9X13 pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, then brush the parchment paper liberally with softened butter.

Once your pan is ready, you’ll want to make the red rice krispie treat layer. You can use the stove top method or the microwave method to melt the butter, marshmallows, and candy melts.

I wanted my colors to be really vibrant, so I added a few drops of red food coloring. You can use candy coloring, icing coloring, or even the grocery store variety of liquid food coloring. I used Wilton’s Color Right Red coloring, so my treats are really bright red.

Once you get the marshmallow mixture the color you want, stir in the cereal.

Pour the cereal mixture out onto your pan and press it into a thin even layer. Make sure you fill the bottom of the pan completely.

Then make your white rice krispie treat mixture and spread it on top of the red layer, adding white icing coloring.

Press it down so that it completely covers the red layer.

Finally add a layer of the blue cereal treat. Press down to compact the layers.

Flip the treat out onto a silicone mat or another butter coated piece of parchment paper.

Roll over the treat with a rolling pin, flattening it and spreading it out about an inch both ways.

Begin rolling at the short end, pinching together any spots of cereal that pull apart, until the entire treat it rolled up.

Cut into 12 slices and they are ready to serve. Quick and easy!

You may turn your Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels into lollipops, if you’d like. Dip just the tip of a long lollipop stick into some melted white Candy Melts and insert it into the pinwheel.

You can also slide a paper straw over top of the lollipop stick to make them more festive. Just be sure you have some candy melts on the lollipop stick so that the straw sticks in place.

Let the candy harden before picking up the lollipops.

Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels

You can find the items needed to make these patriotic treats on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)

Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels

 

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Layers of red, white and blue marshmallow cereal bars swirled into pinwheels.

Created by: Beth Jackson Klosterboer

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12

Ingredients

Red Rice Krispie Treat Layer

• 5 ounces marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces (24 wafers) Red Candy Melts
• red food coloring
• 3 cups Rice Krispie Treat Cereal

White Rice Krispie Treat Layer

• 5 ounces marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces (24 wafers) White Candy Melts
• 3 cups Rice Krispie Treat Cereal
• white food coloring

Blue Rice Krispie Treat Layer

• 5 ounces marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces (24 wafers) Blue Candy Melts
• 3 cups Rice Krispie Treat Cereal
• blue food coloring

Instructions

1. Line a 9x13 baking pan with a well buttered piece of parchment or wax paper.
2. Pour marshmallows, butter and red candy melts into a large microwave safe bowl.
3. Heat on high power for 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
4. Stir in red food coloring until the marshmallows are vibrant red.
5. Pour in cereal and mix until well combined.
6. Spread into an even layer in pan.
7. Repeat the process above using white candy melts and white food coloring.
8. Spread the white cereal layer over the red layer.
9. Repeat using blue candy melts and blue coloring.
10. Spread the blue layer over the white layer.
11. Press down on the blue layer to compact all three layers.
12. Remove from pan and set on a silicone mat or buttered parchment paper.
13. Use a rolling pin to compress the cereal, spreading it out about an inch all around the rectangle.
14. Roll up into a pinwheel from the short side.
15. Cut into 12 slices.

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If you’re looking for other 4th of July Recipes, click the link and explore all my other Independence Day inspired food.

American Flag Pretzels • Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Stars
Red, White and Blue Tie Die Cake • Uncle Sam Hat Fruit Pizza
Red, White and Blue Fudge Stars • Red, White and Blue Cheesecake
Red, White and Blue S’mores Magic Bars • Red, White and Blue Cupcakes in Wine Glasses

If you recreate these Red, White and Blue Rice Krispie Treat Pinwheels
be sure to link to this tutorial and send a picture to beth@hungryhappenings.com,
so I can  share it in my Readers’ Gallery.