Ever wondered how to make rice crispy treats completely from scratch? I mean really from scratch – not just melting store-bought marshmallows with cereal? Today I’m sharing how to make these classic treats using home-popped rice and farm-fresh butter, focusing on whole, unprocessed ingredients you can trust.

As someone deeply committed to understanding what goes into our food, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the ingredients in manufactured rice crispy cereals. Most commercial versions come loaded with added sugars and are fortified with synthetic vitamins – a sign of heavy processing. By making them from scratch using parboiled rice, we can create a treat that’s not only delicious but also free from unnecessary additives.

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Why Make Rice Crispy Treats from Scratch?

There’s something special about making treats entirely from scratch. You control every ingredient that goes into them, and the sense of accomplishment is amazing! Plus, the flavor is incredible – especially when you use homemade butter from fresh Jersey cream (more on that later!).

The Secret to Perfect Popped Rice

Here’s the thing about popping your own rice – it’s actually pretty simple, but there are a few tricks to getting it right:

You absolutely must use parboiled rice. Regular white rice won’t pop properly and will just burn (learn from my mistakes!)
Your pot needs to be really hot – like, really hot. I heat mine for about 3-4 minutes before adding any rice.
Work in small batches. Trust me on this – trying to pop too much at once leads to uneven results and burnt bits.

What You’ll Need

For the Popped Rice:

1 cup parboiled rice (makes about 4 cups popped)
1/4 cup salt
Heavy-bottomed pot with lid. I use and this All-Clad pan it is perfect for popping rice.
A metal mesh strainer, do not use plastic he rice will be hot. I use this one

For Assembly:

Homemade marshmallows (I use [this amazing recipe from my winter marshmallow post])
Butter (store-bought works fine, but if you’re lucky enough to have access to fresh Jersey cream, homemade is incredible!)

How to Pop Rice

Heat your heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until its really hot (about 3-4 minutes).
Add the salt, I use pink salt so i can see the salt and let it heat for 3 mins.
Add in 1/3 cup of rice
Give the pot a gentle shake and stir every few seconds. You’ll start hearing popping sounds after about 20 seconds.
When the popping slows down (about 30-45 seconds), remove from heat and pour into a bowl over the mesh strianer. Collect the salt and pour back into the pan.
Repeat with remaining rice in small batches.

Pro tip: Sometimes a few grains don’t pop – that’s totally normal! Just pick them out before using.

A Note About Butter

While store-bought butter works perfectly fine in this recipe, I can’t help but mention our homemade butter from our Jersey cows. There’s something magical about spring butter when the cows are first back on fresh pasture – it’s golden yellow and has the most incredible flavor. If you’re interested in buttermaking, I might share our process in a future post!

Assembling Your Treats

Grease a large pan pan with butter. I use my Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Everyday Pan, 11″, Artichaut
Gently melt your 10-12 ounces homemade marshmallows with 6 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over low heat. I do eye ball how many marshmallows to us so use more if you want.
Once melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in your homemade popped rice.
Press into the prepared pan (pro tip: butter your hands first to prevent sticking).
Let cool completely before cutting.

Troubleshooting Tips

If your rice isn’t popping well, your pot probably isn’t hot enough
If you smell burning, your heat is too high
Fresh marshmallows make softer treats than store-bought
Don’t press the mixture too hard into the pan or they’ll be tough

Print Recipe

How Do You Make Rice Crispy Treats from Raw Rice? Complete Guide

Ingredients

1 cup parboiled rice makes about 4 cups popped
1/4 cup salt
12 Oz ounces homemade marshmallows
6 tbsp tablespoons of butter

Instructions

How to Pop Rice

Heat your heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until its really hot (about 3-4 minutes).
Add the salt, I use pink salt so i can see the salt and let it heat for 3 mins.
Add in 1/3 cup of rice
Give the pot a gentle shake and stir every few seconds. You’ll start hearing popping sounds after about 20 seconds.
When the popping slows down (about 30-45 seconds), remove from heat and pour into a bowl over the mesh strianer. Collect the salt and pour back into the pan.
Repeat with remaining rice in small batches.

Assembling Your Treats

Grease a large pan pan with butter. I use my Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Everyday Pan
Gently melt your 10-12 ounces homemade marshmallows with 6 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over low heat. I do eye ball how many marshmallows to us so use more if you want.
Once melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in your homemade popped rice.
Press into the prepared pan (pro tip: butter your hands first to prevent sticking).
Let cool completely before cutting.

Storage

These are best eaten within 2 days (though they rarely last that long in our house!). Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate them or they’ll get hard.

I love seeing your creations! Tag me on Pinterest or Instagram if you try this recipe. And don’t forget to check out my marshmallow recipe post for the perfect homemade marshmallows to use in these treats.

Happy cooking!