Star Crunch Rice Krispie Treats
Sweet, crisp, gooey, and chewy describe these Star Crunch Rice Krispie Treats! Perfect for lunch boxes and bake sales!
Watch me make these Star Crunch Rice Krispie Treats from start to finish!
Little Debbie knocked it out of the park when they created Star Crunch. Ever since I was a kid, these little cosmic snacks that aim to “take your taste buds on a stellar adventure” have been my favorite.
I always thought Little Debbie Star Crunch treats were just Rice Krispie Treats with caramel. Wrong!
One day as I sat outside enjoying the Spring-like weather and studying my classic Star Crunch (because I love dissecting my food to see what’s in there!), I discovered that there was actually a cookie in the middle.
Did you know that? I immediately went inside to read the box.
According to Little Debbie, a Star Crunch is “A soft, chewy cookie topped with caramel and crispy rice and coated with fudge.”
Well, I’ll be darn! So, of course, I had to figure out what type of cookie was in the middle of this thing. I skimmed through the ingredients list:
Star Crunch Ingredients
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Barley Malt, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Crisp Rice (Rice Flour, Sugar, Whey, Salt, Barley Malt, Wheat Flour, Dextrose), Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Water, Palm and Soybean Oils with TBHQ and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor, Dextrose, Whey, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Soy Flour, Cocoa, Raisins and/or Raisin Paste, Palm Kernel Oil, Molasses, Soybean Oil, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Soy Lecithin, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Mono-and Diglycerides, Eggs, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cornstarch, Sorbic Acid (to Preserve Freshness), Citric Acid, Pectin, Egg Whites, Sodium Citrate, Titanium Dioxide, Red 40, Blue 1, Annatto Extract, Yellow 5, Turmeric, Beta Carotene, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Monostearate, Propylene Glycol Monostearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Polysorbate 80, Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Cornstarch, DATEM, Modified Tapioca Starch, Malic Acid, Carrageenan, Spices, Modified Wheat Starch, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Processed with Alkali.
Aha! Rolled oats, molasses and raisin puree are all the ingredients I have in my copycat Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie recipe. So, it must be a delicious oatmeal cookie in the middle.
And now it all made sense! No wonder Star Crunch has such an amazing flavor.
You’re probably wondering, “Um who cares!” but welcome to my nosey mind. I need & LOVE to know about this kinda stuff!!!
So now it was on and popping! I felt inspired and ready to try some homemade Star Crunch cookies!
I made a few recipes I found online. Five, to be exact! I found them all to be more of a Star Crunch Rice Krispie than an actual Star Crunch cookie, so that’s what we’re calling them.
None of the other recipes put oatmeal cookies in the middle, and shoot, neither am I! But I did want to give it more of a Star Crunch flavor, and adding raisin puree and oats is a quick and easy cheat. I adapted this recipe from Glue Sticks Blog and loved how it came out!
These Star Crunch Rice Krispies Treats are soft yet crisp and super chewy from the caramel and marshmallow, with a deeper level of richness from the raisin puree and oats!
After recording my video (the 7th batch), my husband said, “I don’t care to eat another one of these things for a long time.” LOL
We are all Star Crunched- out in this house, but I’ll definitely make these again for a bake sale! They are the perfect treat for putting a different spin on Rice Krispie Treats.
Now it’s your turn to give them a try!
Random Star Crunch Fact: Star Crunch® Cosmic® Cookies were originally called Moon Crunch Snacks to celebrate the 1969 moon landing. They were renamed in 1972.
How to Make Star Crunch Rice Krispie Treats
INGREDIENTS (Full recipe at the bottom of post)
- caramel baking bits (could also use the unwrapped Kraft caramel squares)
- Unsalted butter
- raisin puree
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-minute quick oats
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- mini marshmallows
- vanilla extract
- Crispy Rice Cereal (Rice Krispies)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the raisin puree and set aside. (see note for how to make raisin puree)
- Line a space on the counter with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, over low heat, add caramels and butter, stirring until caramel begins to melt.
- Add raisin puree, cocoa powder and oats. Stir until caramel is completely melted.
- Stir in chocolate chips until melted.
- Stir in marshmallows and continue stirring until marshmallows have melted and combined.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Stir in Rice Krispies cereal until completely coated.
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 1/4 cup worth) scoop out the batter, packing in tightly.
- Place the batter on the prepared parchment paper. (they will be very sticky)
- Allow the treats to sit for about 15 minutes or until the tops aren’t as sticky.
- Use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to press the treats into a patty shape.
- Let the treats sit until firm and completely cooled.
- Store between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.
How to make raisin puree
In a small bowl, add raisins and cover it with boiling water. Let sit for 15-20 minutes or until the raisins are rehydrated and plump. Remove 1/8 cup of the water and drain the rest. Add the raisins and reserved water to a small food processor or blender and blend until creamy. Set aside until ready to use.
Common Questions
Can I make these into bars instead? Yep, line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spoon the hot mixture into the pan. Use an offset spatula to spread it out into an even layer and press.
What is the best way to store Star Crunch Rice Krispie Treats? Store them between layers of parchment paper (or wrap them individually with plastic wrap) and place them in an airtight container.
Looking for more? Try these homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies!
Get the Recipe: Star Crunch Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 11 oz Kraft caramel bits
- ½ cup unsalted butter , (chopped into pieces)
- ¼ cup raisin puree
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup 1-minute rolled oats
- ½ cup chocolate chips , (I used half semi-sweet & half milk chocolate)
- 8 oz mini marshmallows
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Instructions
- Make the raisin puree and set aside. (see notes section for how to make raisin puree)
- Line a space on the counter with parchment paper. (This is where the cookies will set up)
- In a large pot, over low heat, add caramels and butter, stirring until caramel begins to melt.11 oz Kraft caramel bits, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Add raisin puree, cocoa powder, and oats. Stir until the caramel has completely melted.¼ cup raisin puree, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup 1-minute rolled oats
- Stir in chocolate chips until melted.½ cup chocolate chips
- Stir in marshmallows and continue stirring until marshmallows have melted and combined.8 oz mini marshmallows
- Stir in vanilla extract.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in Rice Krispies cereal until completely coated.6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 1/4 cup worth), scoop out the mixture, packing it in the scoop tightly.
- Place the mixture on the prepared parchment paper. (they will be very sticky)
- Allow the treats to sit for about 10- 15 minutes or until the tops aren't as sticky.
- Press the treats into a patty shape with the bottom of a flat measuring cup. (If the bottoms are also still sticky, flip them over and let them set)
- Let the treats sit until firm and completely cooled.
- Store between layers of parchment paper or (wrap individually in plastic wrap) and place in an airtight container.
I love how I can pronounce every ingredient in your version of Star Crunch.
You are so talented! Thank you for sharing.