Magic Marshmallow Peep Treats

Generally, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I do have a foodie fetish for anything marshmallow. Combine that with my love of cute and colorful things, and it should come as no surprise that my favorite cereal as a kid was Lucky Charms, and my favorite Easter candy was obviously Peeps.

Now that I am all grown up, no magical Easter fun for me anymore, right? WRONG!

As adults, I think we can all agree that there is absolutely no activity more mentally stimulating than brainstorming ways to implement Peeps into everyday recipes. This time of year my complex mind is constantly churning out ideas. The perfect storm has been brewing, and it didn’t take long for me to pair my beloved childhood cereal and beloved childhood candy into one miraculous dessert/snack/breakfast (why not? sugar provides a lot of energy for an otherwise dreary morning).

Warning: these are not for the faint of heart; they are pushing the threshold of the human body’s tolerance for both sugar and cuteness consumption. Personally, I think they are perfect for children, or those who are still children at heart, or maybe a certain subset of the population who still think that Lisa Frank‘s designs are the height of sophistication and style (myself included).

Double Rainbow, Double Marshmallow, Double Delicious Easter Treats!

As with any basic Rice Krispy Treats recipe, you will simply need:

3 tbsp butter
4c marshmallows In this case, Peeps, of course  — I recommend about 30-40. Feel free to pick the color & animal of your choice! I like the classic chicks.
6c cereal Game changer! Lucky Charms! Although I prefer only about 5 1/2 cups of cereal in order to yield maximum gooeyness.

Melt your butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Next, add your Peeps. If you are an animal lover like me, this part might be a bit traumatizing. Sorry, li’l guys! Make sure to keep your pan on low heat and stir frequently; burnt, chemical-y Peep-sugar will do your tastebuds no favors.

Note: It’s wise to attempt to keep your colors separate for as long as possible. As you can see, in this case I used pink and yellow, which are colors that will complement each other nicely. If you are incorporating more than two colors, or maybe a controversial combination (purple and orange?! yikes!) that might meld less than elegantly, this is relatively important. For the cuteness factor at the end and all.

The melted Peeps should end up looking something like this. Check out the last surviving set of eyeballs! I like to imagine them dramatically melting like the Wicked Witch from Oz. It doesn’t take much to entertain me these days.

Now, add your cereal and gently mix to combine your Peep sludge with your Charms.

Once the cereal is thoroughly coated in Peep, pour it into a greased casserole dish of your choosing.

Wait for them to cool, or if you are a rebel like me, go for it and tear off a sample with your bare hands. Anything goes on Easter, right? If you are serving these to a crowd, may I suggest decorating the top with additional unmelted Peeps? (which also helps to hide the hole you ripped out when sampling).

If this recipe only heightened your desire for Peeps-oriented cuisine, try a variation of this recipe that I call Peepcorn Treats, which predictably replaces the Lucky Charms with popcorn. This version isn’t quite as adorably colorful, unless you can find an antique package of the secret colored Pop Secret of the 80s-90s, in which case you must send a bag to ES headquarters immediately! Along with a Lisa Frank trapper keeper, please.