In her best-selling cookbook and Substack newsletter of the same name, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, Caroline Chambers filters her formidable culinary knowledge through the minimalist, forgiving lens of a busy mom. It’s fitting, then, that her holiday twist on Rice Krispies Treats is simultaneously more elevated and more efficient than the traditional recipe.
“I am a one-pot queen, so when I realized I could make Rice Krispies Treats right in the nonstick skillet where I melted the marshmallows, the next step was obvious: adding sprinkles and cutting them into triangles to make them Christmas trees,” says Chambers, who grew up cooking by her mom’s side in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and now resides in Carmel Valley, California.
The one-pot shortcut does require some pickiness as to the pot. First, make sure it’s truly nonstick—or be ready to transfer your mixture to a greased circular pan before it sets. Second, choose a pot that’s plenty deep—or embrace a little mess. “The skillet gets really full, which makes it tricky to stir,” she says. “Prepare for Rice Krispies to go flying—that’s a part of the fun.”
With the help of brown butter and vanilla (to enhance flavor) and a pinch of sea salt (to balance the sweetness), the recipe solves an age-old conundrum: “There is absolutely nothing worse than making Rice Krispies Treats and you bite in and they’re hard as a rock. These are almost too ooey gooey, in the best way. They totally keep their marshmallowy, pull-apart-y perfection, even once cooled.”
