Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies: Totally easy, no-bake cookies packed with sweet dates, crispy rice cereal and crunchy pecans. These are the perfect cookie for any gathering! Make them with gluten-free crispy rice cereal for an easy gluten-free cookie.
For some reason, I often decide it would be a great idea to go on a cookie-baking spree the week before leaving for a beach vacation.
Everything I own ends up covered in powdered sugar, royal icing, sprinkles, food coloring and/or melted chocolate. If you can buy it in the baking aisle at the store, it will cover my kitchen counters, floors and cabinets in a light layer.
Meanwhile, any item of clothing that has been purchased specifically for said vacation sits on top of my dresser, mocking me.
Sometimes I find myself doing squats while washing dishes and brushing my teeth. Any activity that requires me to stand still for more than thirty seconds will become fair game for toning my booty.
But at the end of the day it’s always worth it, especially when Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies are involved.
This recipe, which came from my great-great-great-aunt (seriously!), is one of those crazy retro recipes that gives you a list of seemingly strange ingredients and as few directions as possible.
(Sound familiar? We’ve encountered the same issues with my Christmas Spice Cake and Angel Food Cake recipes, among others.)
My great-grandmother used to make Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies and mail them to my mom and uncles when they were in college. My mother and her best friend would proceed to sit on her bed and eat the entire box in one sitting. I highly doubt my uncles bothered to share. They’re just.that.good.
Not only are they incredibly delicious, they’re also incredibly easy! They also don’t require you to turn on the oven. Pretty great, right?
All you have to do is cook down the butter, sugar and dates until they become a paste. Then, stir in your crispy rice cereal and your chopped pecans.
If you want to make these for your gluten-free friends and family, just swap your big-brand crispy rice cereal for a gluten-free version. Because of the malt flavoring that is in traditional Rice Krispies, they are not considered gluten-free. Luckily, there are a number of gluten-free Rice Krispies alternatives you can find to ensure everyone can enjoy these beauties!
Once the mixture has cooled slightly, you roll the mixture into balls and coat them in powdered sugar. I recommend making one or two bigger than the rest – you’ll need to eat these right away so as not to be incongruous, you know. 😉
Enjoy these by yourself in one sitting or take them to your next party and share them with your friends. I promise not to give away your secret either way.
Maureen's Rice Krispie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 package chopped dates 8 ounces
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine crispy rice cereal and pecans.
- In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar and dates. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a paste.
- Pour date mixture over cereal mixture and stir to combine. When mixture is fully combined and is cool enough to handle, form into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on wax paper or parchment paper to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week (not that they have ever lasted that long around here...).
Nutrition
Treats like this are always a welcome in my house…delicious, healthy and so quick to make! Thanks for sharing
http://www.easyfoodsmith.blogspot.com/
I want one. I want one with Sheila sitting next to me and a cup of coffee. Sadly, only the coffee is nearby. I just might have to make these, and soon.
These are probably the most unique cookies I have seen in a long time. I love all the textures that are pulled together in this little cookie. This recipe is definitely a keeper-yum!
These rice krispie balls look so pretty coated in winter white – and I bet they taste pretty wonderful too!
MMMMMMMM! I just signed up for your Blog and you are toooooo fun…You remind me of the girl in “Julie and Julia”….only much more fun….I love the way you pictured your progress…Thank you for that.. I love visuals in cooking…These look delicioocious…I will try them soon, once I get some dates…Not something I keep on hand…could you use dried cranberries…Maybe I will make them for my Loose Threads Christmas Party…mmmmmmm…thanks again…
Haha, thank you! You are too kind =)
I wouldn’t try subbing out the dates, as there is something about the dates that makes them break down and form the “paste” that is so key to forming these cookies. Also, they help give the cookies a great richness that I’m not sure you could achieve with another dried fruit. They’re pretty easy to find, though – just look with the other dried fruits. Let me know how they turn out for you!
My mother used to bke these but instead of rolling in confectioners sugar, she roller hers in sweetened shredded coconut. I have made thes for my own family and friends over the years. Always a big hit. I may try the sugar this year!
Yumm! These look super good! So glad you linked em up 😀
This is such fun. I first made these in 8th grade (Beatles on Ed Sullivan) and i recently regained the recipe from a helpful cook on Chowhound. They are soooo wicked sweet; they could easily use less sugar! Anyway, for the sake of pepople looking for a specific recipe (in my case, “Date Balls”) I hope you will make your recipe titles more descriptive i.e.
Glad you found what you are looking for! As for the title, I usually use pretty descriptive titles, but in the case of this recipe, this is the name they have always had in my family. I have the post set up to show up in searches for other things, though (such as date balls).
My neighbor just made some of these and made me take some! They are so good, but SO sweet they almost make my teeth hurt.
It’s true, it takes years of sweet tooth training to put away a whole batch of these. 😉 You’ll get there someday, young grasshopper.
they would be ok without the dates?
Hi Jackie – The dates are 100% critical to this cookie. If you aren’t a fan of dates, you probably aren’t going to be a fan of these cookies!
What is the measurement for a “Stick of butter”? Where I live butter only comes in one pound bricks.
Hi there – A stick is equal to 8 tablespoons, or 1/4 of a pound.
My grand mothers recipe is identical except we roll them in coconut instead of powdered sugar
I can 100% approve of that move. YUM!
I’d love to make these for a friend who enjoys GF goodies, but these seem like they might be awfully sweet (dates PLUS a cup of sugar!!)…do you think I could reduce the amount of sugar, or would that throw off the texture/consistency terribly?
I would be careful about reducing the sugar. I always make them exactly as written because…well, you just don’t mess with a recipe this old and venerated in our family. 🙂 They are definitely sweet (you only need 1 or 2 to get a “sweet fix”), but our family has an infamous sweet tooth!
Hi Stephie, I’d like to try and make these nut free, what do you think I could substitute with? Thanks in advance!
Hi there – I really am not sure, I have never made them without nuts. Using extra rice krispies might affect the texture. I wonder if you could use some kind of seeds instead? If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you decided to use!
I reduced the granulated sugar to 1/2 cup because the dates themselves are sweet. The stick of butter makes these very rich. An unusual treat.