Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Rice Krispie Treats?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze Rice Krispie treats to preserve their goodness and benefits for far, far longer, save storage space and also lot of time, effort and energy! It is quite easy to freeze Rice Krispie treats; it all depends on what kind they are, and once you determine how you want to use and work with it yourself, you can follow the method most suitable for your needs, and freeze your treats for up to 3 months!
This comprehensive guide details step-by-step instructions, among other things you must know in order to freeze Rice Krispie treats successfully and safely at home.
With hours’ worth of research along with time-tested personal experience and expert opinion to back it up, this guide covers all that you need to know about freezing these delicious treats!
Without further ado, let us get right into the first method!
How to Freeze Rice Krispie Treats
Freezing homemade rice Krispie treats works great, and is also very easy, you have the option of flash-freezing. Read this step-by-step guide to find out how.
This obviously includes making the treats themself as a part of the method, so if you want a quick refresher on the ingredients and other things you need to remember to prepare delicious rice Krispie treats, you can refer to this video:
Materials
- All your necessary ingredients for the treats according to your recipe
- Wax paper
- Clingwrap
Tools
- Baking sheet/tray
- Airtight freezer-safe container or airtight freezer bags
Instructions
- Wait for the treats to cool down before prepping to freeze – This is very important! Never put any hot or even warm food directly into the freezer, wait for it to cool down entirely first.
- Wrap each treat tightly in wax paper and flash-freeze – As mentioned, wrap each treat very tightly in wax paper, and then place all the treats on a baking sheet or tray, and place it in the freezer and allow the Rice Krispie treats to flash-freeze for one to two hours.
- Once frozen, cover in cling wrap and place inside freezer-safe container or freezer bag – Cover the treats very carefully and tightly. No part of surface should be exposed.
Then, pack the treats in an airtight, freezer friendly container, or in airtight resealable freezer bags. - Seal tightly, label and freeze – Whether you are using bags or containers, they must be sealed well for your Rice Krispie treats to freeze well. In case of a freezer bag, make sure to squeeze out all the excess air.
Snap the lid on tightly on a container. Label the bag or container with the storage date, your treats are ready to freeze!
Freezing Rice Krispie Treats Without Flash-freezing
Time Taken: 2-4 hours
What You Need:
- Cling wrap
- Airtight freezer-safe container or airtight freezer bags
While flash-freezing has been shown to make the treats last longer and help them freeze better, you can also freeze them without flash-freezing! Read to find out the detailed steps.
Either cut your treats into squares or prep to freeze whole
You can cut your Rice Krispie treats into squares or your desired shape using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Wrap each piece very tightly and carefully in cling wrap
You then need to wrap each treat in cling-wrap, ensuring that they are completely covered so there are no exposed parts that can allow the freshness to escape and moisture to seep in.
Put into a freezer bag or container and seal carefully
Once you have covered each treat, place them in a freezer bag or container.
If you are using a bag, make sure that you squeeze as much air out as possible, this will reduce the risk of freezer burn and will also keep your Rice Krispie treats fresher for longer.
Sealing well and protecting your treats from freezer airs and moisture is essential for it to freeze well.
Label and freeze
Label the container of bag you are freezing the treats in with the storage date, to make sure you do not forget about them and end up keeping them in freezer storage indefinitely, before you pop them into the freezer.
Always make sure that the Rice Krispie treats are stored flat in the freezer. Definitely use up the frozen treats within no more than two to three months.
Freezing Store-bought Rice Krispie Treats
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- A sturdy spoon
- Airtight freezer-safe container
- Cling wrap
It is also tricky and not recommended to freeze store-bought Rice Krispie treats in the packaging or container it came in.
The chances are that the original packaging does not provide your treats with enough protection during freezing.
Therefore, if you have a choice between making Rice Krispie yourself at home or buying it from the store, especially if you are looking to keep the treats in freezer storage at least for a while, it is always a better idea to go with homemade.
You can still freeze store-bought treats without worries. Just follow these steps carefully, and remember to consume it as early as possible within freezing it.
Wrap the treat very tightly in cling film
Store-bought treats usually come in pre-cut squares and shapes, so when freezing, first wrap each treat very tightly in cling film. Make sure you leave no part of surface exposed.
Pack either into an airtight freezer-safe container or airtight freezer bag
Pack the treats in tightly, and this is a given, but always be sure to use good quality products and materials to freeze your treats in.
Seal tightly and label
As always, your treats need to be packed in containers or bags that have been sealed very well, very tightly and carefully, otherwise, there are high chances of the treats not freezing well. So, be mindful of this.
Squeeze out all the air from the bag, or snap the lid of the container on very tightly.
Label with the storage date. Your store-bought Rice Krispie Treats are ready to freeze! Again, be sure to use them up within not more than 3 months from freezing.
Freezing Rice Krispie Treats in Serving Portions
Time Taken: 2-3 hours
What You Need:
- Cling wrap
- Airtight freezer bags
I always recommend freezing any food at all in serving portions, because of all the ways it turns out to be so very convenient.
In case of rice Krispie treats as well; if you freeze well and in portions, you can take, thaw and use only as much as you need at a time without having to touch the rest or get into the whole hassle of re-freezing, which is highly advised against.
Not only does this save time, effort and energy, it also helps prevent any wastage!
I would definitely recommend this method the most, but of course, given you have the extra storage space in your freezer.
Cut your treats into squares or any other shape to make serving portions
You can cut your Rice Krispie treats into squares or your desired shape using a sharp knife or pizza cutter! You can skip over this step if your treats are already in portions.
Wrap each piece very tightly and carefully in cling wrap
You then need to wrap each treat in cling-wrap, ensuring that they are completely covered so there are no exposed parts that can allow the freshness to escape and moisture to seep in.
Put into airtight resealable freezer bags
Once you have covered each treat, place them according to serving portions into small airtight resealable freezer bags.
Make sure that you squeeze as much air out as possible from the bags before freezing; this will reduce the risk of freezer burns.
Label and freeze
Label the bags you are freezing the treats in with the storage date, and you pop them into the freezer.
How to Freeze Rice Pudding
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- A sturdy spoon
- Airtight freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid
- Cling wrap
Rice pudding is another great rice-based treat, an extremely delicious and healthy dish made from white rice and milk.
While it technically freezes fine, the temperature-sensitive ingredients in rice pudding can sometimes cause some amounts of changes in its texture and consistency when frozen and thawed.
And in case you would like a quick refresher on the recipe, check this out:
Prep the rice pudding for freezing
This step can be skipped if you are freezing leftover rice pudding; however, if freshly made, it is very important that you allow it to cool down completely before freezing it.
Putting hot rice pudding inside the freezer can lead to spitting, ultimately making your rice pudding hard to freeze well and, in some cases, inedible.
Transfer rice pudding into the container
Once your shallow airtight container with a tight-fitting lid has been thoroughly cleaned, carefully use a sturdy spoon to transfer the completely cooled-down rice pudding into it.
Be sure to not fill the container to the brim with the pudding; leave at least an inch or two of headspace for it to expand while freezing.
Seal securely, cover with cling wrap
Once filled, cover the container with the lid to make sure it is completely airtight and watertight. Then pack the container tightly and securely in cling wrap for added protection against freezer burns.
Label and freeze
Label the container with the storage date so that you do not miss it and keep it in the freezer for too long. It is ready to freeze!
You can keep your rice pudding in freezer storage for up to 3 months. Do not freeze it beyond that, as the rice pudding will likely start losing its flavor, consistency, texture, and even taste.
How Long Can You Freeze Rice Krispie Treats?
If frozen properly following the right method and technique, with all the steps having been followed properly, and if made sure that the bags or containers have been sealed carefully and made totally airtight and watertight, your treats can be frozen for two to three months.
However, it bears mentioning that the longer the treats sit in the freezer, the greater are their chances of a deteriorating consistency and texture and even flavor.
So, it is a good idea to finish up your treats at the earliest since freezing.
Some people even actually recommend eating up all your frozen Rice Krispie treats within one month from freezing.
And for optimal flavor, this is the ideal time period you should keep your Krispie treats in the freezer.
Know, however, that is still completely technically safe to keep your treats in the freezer for longer, as mentioned, up to a maximum of three months.
How to Store Frozen Rice Krispie Treats?
As discussed, rice Krispie treats can be kept in freezer storage in airtight containers with tight-fitting lids, whether homemade or store-bought, or in the form of serving portions, or all together. I would always advise freezing in portions.
Whichever method you go with, the sealing and freezing needs to be done very carefully; good quality airtight and watertight freezer-safe containers need to be used, and it needs to be ensured that the rice Krispie treats are frozen at the same, consistent temperature in the freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Rice Krispie Treats?
To defrost the rice Krispie treats, you can simply take them out of the freezer, and leave them to thaw on the kitchen counter for around an hour. After thawing, the rice Krispie treats are ready to eat. There is no need to reheat.
If you would like to frozen and thawed Krispie treats to be a little softer, you can go ahead and warm them in the microwave.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Rice Krispie Treats?
While the answer technically depends on the ingredients you have used in your rice Krispie treats, it is usually not recommended to re-freeze rice Krispie treats.
The reason being, to freeze and thaw it once would already take a toll on the treat’s consistency, texture, and even flavor. After once, they can still be fixed.
But to repeat that whole process once more might render the rice Krispie treats beyond salvation.
Therefore, it is a good idea to use up all of the treats the first time around that you defrost it. It is just not worth re-freezing rice Krispie treats.
This is also precisely why I always recommend freezing all foods in serving portions so that you can avoid having to re-freeze.
Do Rice Krispie Treats Freeze Well?
Strictly speaking, rice Krispie treats freeze fine, up to a period of three months. Do note that it is not advised at all to keep your treats in freezer storage beyond that time period.
Other things to note and make sure so that the treats freeze well is that the freezer temperature stays consistent and that the containers used are of good quality and sealed very tightly and securely before freezing.
FAQs
At some level, of course. Using better quality rice will definitely yield better results as opposed to a cheaper supermarket brand, which would technically freeze fine, but may not come out with the best flavor, taste or quality after thawing.
Low quality rice cereal also has the tendency to turn out a little grainy or soggy after thawing, so it is really for the best if you just go with good quality rice.
While rice Krispie treats are definitely delicious treats that are great to eat and easy to make, they are just that, at the end of the day: treats.
They are not exceptionally healthy in the sense that they do not provide the body with a lot of essential nutrients.That said, however, a tasty treat every once in a while, never hurt anybody!
The three main ingredients you require for making rice Krispie treats at home are, butter, marshmallows, and rice Krispie cereal, or any other brand of crispy rice cereal.
Freezing the whole slab of rice Krispie treats can be a great option for a party or special event, but it won’t be convenient if you plan on eating the treats over a few weeks.
In that case, cutting the slab up into squares, and then wrapping each one in cling-wrap is probably far wiser, as this way you and your family can help yourselves to one at a time without having to worry about wasting any or getting into the whole hassle of re-freezing.
This is also ideal for saving freezer space. Individual squares will take up far less space than one big slab. Individual squares are also very convenient to pack in lunches, or even for an occasional after-dinner treat.
The most common reason for this is usually too much butter, causing a botched consistency that might make the treats taste sour or stale.
However, if they do so after thawing, it is advised to check for other signs of spoilage as well, and if present, it is a good idea to discard them as it means that the treats are not safe or suitable to be eaten anymore.
Bottom Line
We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze rice Krispie treats, along with rice pudding successfully at the safety and ease of your home, as well as the tips, hacks, and tricks described, has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing rice Krispie treats, please do let us know by reaching out to us; we would love to help you out!
If you have any other tips and tricks for freezing these treats you have discovered and would like other people also to know, feel free to reach out and let us know, and we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!
If this guide has helped you, please do share it with your friends and family so that they can also use it.