The Best Furikake Rice Krispies Treats Recipe
Give your classic rice krispies treats a modern Japanese American twist with furikake and optional arare crackers. This easy recipe is naturally gluten-free and comes together in about 10 minutes, not including cooling time. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.
The Origins of this Recipe
Being Japanese American, I am used to all things furikake – furikake rice, furikake corn, furikake chex mix… but the first time I saw furikake on rice krispies treats was in Abi Balingit’s cookbook, Mayumu. My mind was blown! I’ve already added furikake to sweet cereal snacks before, of course it makes sense to try it with rice krispies! I’m not sure why it’s not a more common food in Japanese American cooking, but maybe now it will be. So here’s my twist on furikake rice krispies, made from my long history of eating various furikake and rice cracker-y based snacks. If you’re good on furikake and making rice krispies treats, skip on down to the recipe below. Otherwise, keep reading for tips on buying furikake, ingredient substitutions, and other general rice krispies treats advice.
What is Furikake? What Kind of Furikake Should I Buy?
Furikake is a type of Japanese seasoning – think of it like a savory sprinkle mix, like the everything but the bagel mix from Trader Joe’s, but Asian. It usually includes small seaweed flakes and a variety of other mix-ins, like sesame seeds, salt, and sugar.
There are many varieties of furikake. Some have fish flakes, some have fish cakes, some have egg, some have other dried vegetables. The options are literally endless. For this recipe, I recommend nori komi furikake, as the main flavor is seaweed and sesame and pairs well with the sweetness of marshmallows.
Feel free to try a different flavor of furikake seasoning if you dare… there’s a wasabi furikake if you’re feeling extremely adventurous.
How Much Furikake To Add to Rice Krispies
I’m pretty loose with measuring the amount of furikake, but if you start with a full bottle, I used about one third of it. I would say you can use up to 1/2 the bottle, but I wouldn’t recommend more than that.
Adding Rice Crackers to Rice Krispies Treats
My recipe includes a two cups of kakimochi, which is also called arare or mochi crunch, depending on where you’re from. In any case, they’re all the same thing: Japanese rice crackers. There’s many different types as well! Feel free to use whichever kinds you like, but in general I recommend using smaller ones so they don’t awkwardly stick out in comparison to the tiny rice cereal grains. One of my favorites is the sakura shaped rice crackers, which work well in this recipe. However, I also love kaki no tane, which are small, spicy rice crackers! I put these in my rice krispies, and my kids were mad because they hate spicy food, but I thought it was so good.
Rice Krispies Tip: Add Sweetened Condensed Milk
You’ll see my recipe calls for two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk. I read in a Kitchn article once that it keeps your rice krispies treats soft for longer, and I think it really works! But it’s totally optional. You do you.
Pack These Treats as Holiday Gifts!
I know it’s hard to resist eating the entire batch by yourself (or maybe that’s just me…?) but these treats are also great as gifts! I actually packed these up to give to my kids’ daycare teachers as an end of the year gift. They work great for holiday gifts as well, potlucks, gift baggies… I mean, I guess I’m having trouble thinking of when these wouldn’t be appropriate. I bought these heat sealable snack baggies off Amazon, and they’re super great for adding your own personalized label. Just know that the size pictured here only fits exactly ONE rice krispies treat, so you may want to buy a bigger bag if you’d like to be more generous.
More Asian American Snacks
Looking for more fun and easy snacks, desserts, or sides with an Asian twist? You’ve come to the right blog. Check out some of these other recipes:
- Furikake Chex Mix
- Furikake Miso Butter Corn
- Matcha Rice Krispies Treats
- Purple Sweet Potato Pop Tarts
- Matcha Banana Bread
Furikake Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1oz
- 1 10oz bag mini marshmallows, see note
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, optional
- 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal, 5oz
- 2 cups kakimochi, 4oz (see note for substitutions)
- 1/3 bottle nori komi furikake, about .6oz
Equipment
- 1 9×13" baking pan or casserole dish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix rice krispies cereal and kakimochi. Set aside.
- In a large pot or pan, melt butter on low-medium heat.
- Add bag of mini marshmallows and allow to melt, still on low-medium heat.
- Add soy sauce and condensed milk. Stir until everything is well mixed together and take off the heat.
- Add cereal and kakimochi mixture and sprinkle furikake all over. Mix well with the marshmallow mixture.
- Press into a greased 9×13" baking pan or tray. I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper to easily lift up the treats and slice them later, or they can be cut and served directly from the pan.
- Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy! Leftovers keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-5 days before getting stale.
Notes
- You can also use a 12oz bag of large marshmallows. I just like how quickly mini marshmallows melt. The extra 2 ounces in the large marshmallows will add extra gooeyness, though, if that’s what you like!
- Kakimochi is also called arare or mochi crunch. They are Japanese rice crackers, and there are many different types. Feel free to use whichever ones you like, but I recommend sticking with smaller sizes or crushing them first so they fit well into the treats. If you would like to omit the kakimochi, add an extra cup (1oz) of rice krispies cereal instead.
