For best results use fresh marshmallows. There’s no food coloring in our recipe. The pumpkin puree adds the natural orange color and flavor. But it also makes for a slightly softer and chewier treat. The slight compromise on crispy texture is better than using food coloring! If you use the pumpkin pie spice, it’ll make these treats a slightly brown color. But better flavor!
6cups(112g)Rice Krispies cereal or rice puff cereal
Optional, orange or red & yellow food coloring
Pretzel sticks, for the pumpkin stems
Green M&M’s, Skittles, or similar, for the pumpkin leaves
Vegetable oil, for coating your hands when forming pumpkins
Instructions
Heat large saucepan on low heat. Melt the butter and then add the pumpkin puree. Heat until fully warmed and then add marshmallows and optional pumpkin pie spice mix.Gently stir until the marshmallows are melted, then remove saucepan from heat.
Add rice cereal and stir the whole mixture until all the cereal is coated in the melted marshmallow mixture. Allow the mixture to slightly cool to touch, but not too much or else it’ll be too hard to form the pumpkin shapes.
Coat your hands or a large cookie scoop with oil, and then form the rice crispy mixture into balls. Stick a piece of pretzel into the top of the pumpkin crispy treat for the stem. Add a green M&M for the leaf. Allow to cool until firm and enjoy!