How long can you keep rice krispie treats in the refrigerator

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Rice Krispie treats are a sweet treat that many kids and adults alike enjoy. They are made by the cereal company that makes Rice Krispies and have been around for a few years now. Not only are the treats delicious but they also come in big packets filled with lots of them at once. Combine their large quantity with their room temperature storage and it can be surprisingly easy to forget about a few of them for a while.

So if you have a few laying around that have been there for a while you may be wondering what rice Krispie treats expiration date is.

Table of Contents

• 1 What are Rice Krispies and Rice Krispie treats?
  • 1.1 What are Rice Krispies treats made out of?
  • 1.2 What flavors of Rice Krispies treats are there?
• 2 Do Rice Krispies treats expire?
  • 2.1 Where can I find the Rice Krispie treats expiration date?
• 3 Can you eat expired Rice Krispies?
• 4 How to store Rice Krispie treats
  • 4.1 Can you freeze Rice Krispie treats?
  • 4.2 Can you refrigerate Rice Krispie treats?
• 5 How to make Rice Krispie treats from home
• 6 FAQ Rice krispie treats expiration date
  • 6.1 Where is the expiration date on Kelloggs Rice Krispie treats?
  • 6.2 How long do Kellogs Rice Krispie treats last?

What are Rice Krispies and Rice Krispie treats?

Rice Krispies are a breakfast cereal made by Kelloggs, and it is iconic for its “snap, crackle, and pop” sounds. They are made from rice and a sugar paste which coats them, they are then cooked, dried, and toasted which causes them to puff up and inflate. After this expanse, they have incredibly thin walls and a hollow center which is why when placed in the milk they will start to make the noises they are famous for. When introduced to a bowl of milk, the outer walls start to collapse due to the moisture and the pressure which is why they make noise.

Rice Krispies treats, otherwise known as Rice Krispie squares are large rectangular bars of Rice Krispies that are bound together with butter and marshmallow. This binding can sometimes change as there are a lot of flavors available for purchase now such as chocolate ones.

The traditional and first Rice Krispy treat made was with melted marshmallows and butter. They can be made at home easily by mixing all the ingredients together, shaping them, and then letting them sit in a fridge until hardened. However, at their place of production, there is a large machine that automatically does all of this to a higher standard and a more accurately sized and shaped bar.

What are Rice Krispies treats made out of?

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies treats come with varying flavors so it is dependent on what flavor you get. The ingredients are listed on the packaging for the bulk buy pack, and also on each individual wrapper for the crispy treats. The ingredients for the Rice Krispies marshmallow treats are;

• Butter
• Marshmallows
• Kelloggs Rice Krispies cereal

What flavors of Rice Krispies treats are there?

As said, the marshmallow squares are only one of the flavors. Over the years, Kellogg’s has been making new flavors all the time. The key ingredient of Rice Krispies cereal stays the same but all flavorings and additives can change. The list of Rice Krispies treats flavors are;

• Original Rice Krispies marshmallow treat
• Double chocolate chunk
• Caramel and marshmallow
• Delightfully chocolatey
• Birthday cake
• Strawberry
• Cookies ‘N Cream

Do Rice Krispies treats expire?

The Rice Krispies cereal will not expire, it will just eventually go stale and taste bad with a lacking texture. The Rice Krispies treats, on the other hand, will indeed expire. The reason they expire is that they used dairy products such as butter as a binding agent, as well as using marshmallows as a flavoring. Eventually, both of these things expire and will taste really bad while also not being a pleasant eating experience. They will not go moldy or make you sick once rice krispies expire but there will be a significant decrease in the quality of your treat and it is not recommended to eat them after this point.

Where can I find the Rice Krispie treats expiration date?

Now that you know Rice Krispies expires, you might be wondering where you can find the expiration date. Typically expiration dates can be found on the packaging that your treat came in. If you bought a box of them, then it will be on one of the sides such as the top or bottom. If you bought a multipack that came in a large wrapper, it will be on the back of that in one of the corners.

If you threw away either the box or a large packaging wrapper, do not worry. All Rice Krispies treats are wrapped separately and the expiration date for them can be found there as well. They typically last up to six weeks which is a surprisingly long shelf life for a cereal bar. Make sure you read expiration dates carefully so that you know exactly when to either eat them all or throw them away.

Can you eat expired Rice Krispies?

After their posted expiration date has passed, you may still be tempted to eat expired Rice Krispies or Rice Krispie treats. They will not be bad enough to the point where they harm you or your body, they will just no longer have the same enjoyable experience that they initially did. The cereal will go stale and flavorless, losing not only its taste but also its iconic noises.

The cereal bar, on the other hand, will change a fair bit. The cereal used in the squares will go stale and become a flavorless weird substance, and the binding ingredients such as the butter and marshmallows will solidify and become stickier while also losing their flavor. After the expiration date has passed these crispy treats will be a sticky and solid mess, that will also be hard to get out of the wrapper. You can choose to eat them if you want to, it will not harm you. However, it is not recommended and no one wants to eat a hard rice Krispie treat

How to store Rice Krispie treats

Storing Rice crispy treats is very easy as they just need to be in a dry and dark place like a cupboard or pantry and away from any sources of heat or moisture. The treats are naturally packed in an airtight wrapper that is properly sealed, so unless you have removed the packaging you should be fine. On top of this, it really is critical you keep them away from any sources of heat as the butter and marshmallow may melt which would make the entire thing a lot messier when you come to eat it.

Storing the rice Krispie cereal is a bit more of a challenge as the box and bag that it comes packaged in do not have a way to reseal it in an airtight manner. This means that once opened, you must consume them in a reasonable amount of time or risk them being stale and unappealing when you eat them. A way to counter this is to pour them into an airtight container and shut them properly so that they have a longer shelf life before they go stale.

Can you freeze Rice Krispie treats?

Another way you may consider storing rice Krispies treats is by freezing them. If you choose to freeze Rice Krispies treats, then you will want to place them in a zip lock bag and squeeze out all of the air first so that you avoid freezer burn. Rice Krispie treats freeze relatively well and can be thawed and eaten without the quality of them taking too much of a hit, which is nice. However, let them thaw at a natural rate in a room temperature area if you try to thaw them by heating them up, you may melt and ruin the marshmallows.

Can you refrigerate Rice Krispie treats?

If freezing them isn’t ideal for you, then you can refrigerate Rice Krispies treats instead. This is perfectly fine as they would have been chilled soon after being made, so this will not decrease their texture or quality at all. The shelf life won’t be extended by too much and the expiration date should still be respected, but if you accidentally let your treat get melted a tiny bit then sticking them in the fridge will help.

If your treat is still wrapped up in its original packaging then you can just place it in the fridge. However, if it is unwrapped, or you want to store multiple it is worth putting them in an airtight container first to help them stay clear of any germs that may be in the fridge such as meat.

How to make Rice Krispie treats from home

Making Rice Krispies treats from home is so easy and also really fun to do. It can keep the kids busy, or the adults too! The ingredients and methods are so simple that Kelloggs even started selling their own “do-it” kits. They consist of all the ingredients you need to make them, although it is at a higher price. You can save money by buying all the ingredients yourself.

What you will need is;

• Rice Krispie cereal
• Marshmallows
• Butter

Alongside these ingredients, you will need some wax paper or parchment paper, a spatula, a mixing bowl, a saucepan to place everything in, and a tray. A nice big and sharp knife will also come in handy.

As for the first step, you will want to turn on your stove to medium-high heat and add your butter. When it is melted, throw in your marshmallows and wait until they are melted too. You can use a spatula or a wooden spoon to stir everything in the saucepan so that it does not stick, although the butter should help with this.

After this, use a buttered spatula and grease up some parchment paper that you are covering a baking tray with. After you have greased it, pour your Rice Krispie cereal into a mixing bowl and add the marshmallow and butter mix to it. At first, I recommend using a spoon to stir and mix everything as it may be hot, but eventually, you want to use your hands. Be careful not to add too much pressure as if you break the cereal too much, the bars will not turn out as well. After you have mixed it thoroughly with your hands, it is time to make the squares.

Pour the entire mix onto a greased tray covered in parchment paper or wax paper, and press it down flat until it is an inch in thickness. If you want to, you can take handfuls of the mixture and make the shapes yourself but you do not have to. Mold the mixture until it is an inch thick and resembles a giant rectangle. Once you have this done you can use the knife to cut lengthways and widthways until you have naturally formed rectangles. Try and space these apart at least a few centimeters and then place the tray in the fridge. After a few hours, they should be ready to eat.

Where is the expiration date on Kelloggs Rice Krispie treats?

The expiration date will be printed on whatever packaging the treats came in, but will also be printed onto every individual wrapper on the back.

How long do Kellogs Rice Krispie treats last?

Rice Krispie treats last about 6 weeks after production, which is a very decent shelf life for such an item. The main reason rice Krispies expire is because of the butter and marshmallow as they will become stickier and unpleasant.