Working quickly off the heat, I immediately stir in the dry pudding mix, salt, and vanilla extract. The mixture will instantly turn a gorgeous pale banana color and smell absolutely amazing. I stir vigorously until everything is completely combined and no streaks of dry powder remain. Then, I immediately dump in all the crispy rice cereal. I fold it all together with my spatula, turning and pressing, until every single piece of cereal is thoroughly coated in the sticky, fragrant marshmallow mixture.
I quickly transfer the mixture into my prepared pan. To press it in evenly without sticking, I lightly grease my fingers with butter or a bit of cooking spray. I press firmly and evenly across the entire surface. If I’m using the crushed vanilla wafer topping, I sprinkle it on now and gently press it in. Then, I let the pan sit at room temperature for at least 1-2 hours to set completely before I lift it out and cut it into squares.
Pro Tips for Best Results
Low and slow is the rule for melting marshmallows. I keep my burner on the lowest setting. High heat will cause the butter to brown and the sugar in the marshmallows to caramelize too quickly, which can make your treats hard instead of soft and chewy. If you melt them gently, you’ll get that perfect, pillowy texture. I’ve tried both ways, and the low-heat method is vastly superior.
Undermix your cereal. Yes, you read that right. The goal is to coat every piece, but the moment you achieve that, stop stirring. Over-stirring will crush the cereal and make your treats dense and less crispy. Fold gently and with purpose. You want to preserve as much of that airy “snap, crackle, pop” texture as possible.
Press, don’t pack. When transferring the mixture to the pan, use buttered hands or a sheet of parchment to press it into an even layer. If you press down too hard and compact it, you’ll end up with a dense, tough brick. A firm but gentle press gives you treats that are chewy yet light.
For the cleanest cuts, use a sharp, lightly buttered knife. Let the treats set completely—I sometimes even pop the whole pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before cutting. Run your knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut straight down with a gentle sawing motion. Rewarm the knife as needed. This gives you beautiful, clean-edged squares.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake is continuing to cook the marshmallows after removing them from the heat. The residual heat in the pot is immense and will continue to cook them. If you wait to add the pudding mix and cereal, the marshmallow will harden and become impossible to work with. Have all your ingredients ready and move with purpose from the moment you take the pot off the burner.
Don’t add the dry pudding mix directly to the hot butter before the marshmallows. I tried this once thinking it would infuse the flavor more, but it just created a clumpy, separated mess. The pudding mix must be stirred into the melted marshmallows to dissolve properly and distribute evenly.(See the next page below to continue…)