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It’s surprisingly easy to make an innocent dessert look this disturbing.
There’s a narrow window each year when making food look actively unappetizing counts as good hosting. In October, you can set a platter of bloody brains on the table and reasonably expect someone to compliment your work. I appreciate a holiday with that much range.
Rice Krispies treats happen to be particularly well-suited to that assignment. They’re wonderfully accommodating when it comes to upgrades and seasonal makeovers—even ones that leave them looking a bit medically concerning. Their bumpy texture does most of the brain decorating for you, leaving you to handle the shape and decide just how much gore is appropriate for dessert.
After spotting them on Instagram, I made a batch myself. My Rice Krispies treats rarely get more elaborate than tidy squares (unless you count making single-servings in the microwave just for me), but this version makes a remarkably convincing little horror show.
What are Rice Krispies brains?
Rice Krispies brains are marshmallow cereal treats shaped into small ovals, with an indentation added down the middle to create hemispheres. A pale pink color and a little red decoration finish the effect. There’s no special mold, and you don’t need to pipe an intricate network of squiggles to mimic anything anatomical. The cereal’s uneven surface does most of the work, which is ideal for me since “vaguely disfigured” is actually within the scope of my limited decorating abilities.
Underneath all the Halloween horror, the treats still have the familiar combination of crisp cereal, butter and melted marshmallows, with the same chewy texture and buttery sweetness I want from a regular batch. The only real adjustment was getting comfortable eating something that deliberately resembles an organ.
How to Make Rice Krispies Brains
I started by melting 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 cups of marshmallows together in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring until the mixture was smooth. I added a few drops of red food coloring to give it a pale pink tint, then I stirred in 4 cups of Rice Krispies cereal until they were evenly coated. Pink marshmallows would also work well here, if you can find them at your store.
Once the mixture was cool enough to handle, I lightly oiled my hands and shaped portions into small, slightly flattened ovals. The oil makes the mixture much easier to work with, leaving you to play mad scientist instead of picking sticky cereal off your fingers.
I placed the treats on parchment paper and let them set, then used a butter knife to press a groove lengthwise down the center of each one. The small indentation, combined with the cereal’s bumpy texture, was enough to make them look convincingly brainlike. I finished mine with a sprinkle of red sugar sprinkles and a little red cookie frosting for a bloodier effect, but these are optional steps that depend on how scary you’d like your Halloween dessert tray to be.
For a Halloween party, these deliver an impressive effect without much decorating skill. And since they’re supposed to look a little misshapen, there’s no reason to make them all look identical. All that’s left is to arrange them on a platter and enjoy being asked who brought the brains.
Related:
- The Poached Egg Trick Your Halloween Breakfast Needs
- I Made 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake Balls, and I Finally Get the Pumpkin Spice Hype
- I Tried Pumpkin Pie in a Bag, and It’s Going to Every Fall Potluck with Me
