The Simple Trick That Will Help Make Rice Krispies Treats Without A Mess

Very few foods harken images of your childhood faster than a Rice Krispies square. There is simply something about the sweet and sticky crunchiness that transports you back to a simpler time — an era of aprons, spending time together in the kitchen, and licking the spoons after a baking project. And, truth be told, this no-bake dessert is one of the easiest and most inexpensive treats to prepare. Even your sibling with the attention span of a squirrel could see these yummy rectangles through to completion. 

While these cereal-based confections are reminiscent of one's younger days, some people take them quite seriously. In 2010, a group of people from La Canada Flintridge, California managed to create the World's Largest Rice Krispies Treat — a monstrous concoction that weighed in at over 6,200 pounds (per Guinness World Records). Children everywhere likely dream about licking that spoon. The Rice Krispies Treat also earned the respect of TikTok as many users began touting it as an ideal pre-workout snack. Why? Health reports that a sports dietician who was featured on TikTok explains that carbs (like cereal) provide a quick source of energy, adding that anyone with lactose intolerance would be wise to choose these treats instead of milky cereal.  

Now that you're craving a batch of Rice Krispies squares, you likely have one question. How can you whip up a dozen or so without transforming your hands (and new manicure) into a sticky, marshmallowy mess? 

The creation of a Rice Krispies square is a simple feat. It's just a messy one. If you manage to forgo spilling little kernels of snap, crackle, and pop all over the floor, you still have to contend with the gooey slurry of butter and melted marshmallow. And, then, there's the joyous (used sarcastically, of course) act of pressing this sticky compound into a baking pan, creating a kind of cereal-based paving stone. A paving stone that grips onto your fingers in the same way Velcro grabs onto hair. 

Surely, there must be a way to avoid having to pry your hands off what will soon be a snack for the masses. It turns out there are three. The Kitchn shares a TikTok-inspired tip. Save the butter wrapper and use it to press your concoction into the pan. After all, it's already greased. If you used margarine, don't worry. The Cookie Elf shares that a sheet of waxed paper will help you to press the sticky mixture into the pan without developing a pair of cereal and marshmallow mittens. And, if you threw out your butter wrapper and your home is currently waxed paper-free, this hack will save the day. According to Cooking With Karli, if you run the tap over your hands, flutter off the excess wetness, and use your moistened paws to press the mixture into your pan, they won't stick. How cool is that?