Celebrate Grinchmas with Whimsical Christmas Tree Marshmallow Cereal Treats! Sweet, charming, and fittingly green. Even the Grinch would approve!
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The Story: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Brought to life by legendary director Ron Howard, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) is a charming fantasy comedy-drama with lots of heart. Did you know it was the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film—thanks to screenwriters Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman? Anthony Hopkins even narrates! Quite the feat.
The Grinch (Jim Carrey) lives alone in a cave on Mount Crumpet. (Only his loyal best friend, Max the dog, keeps him company.) While overlooking cheery citizens in Whoville, the Grinch’s heart burns with jealousy and anger. He despises everything about Christmas, only finding satisfaction in stealing the Whos’ beloved holiday decor, food, and gifts. When the Grinch happens upon six-year-old Cindy Lou Who (Tayler Momsen), his whole world is turned upside down. Together, they discover the true meaning of Christmas.
My Take
As Cindy Lou Who argues, the holiday season is more than elaborate presents and decorations. Sure, we all deserve to indulge! There’s nothing wrong with that. Yet, making memories with loved ones is the ultimate gift. Our stay here is limited, but we can be generous with quality time and attention, not only material goods.
This season can multiply stressors, tensions, and frustrations. (I’ve surely experienced it in the HomeGoods parking lot.) But, it also gives people the opportunity to pause and reflect. What are your favorite familial pastimes? Baking treats, volunteering at the food pantry, playing board games, or catching up on festive films…? Whatever your traditions, remember to lead with gratitude. I don’t always follow my own advice, but it’s a powerful intention to set.
The Recipe: Whimsical Christmas Tree Marshmallow Cereal Treats
When I think of Christamastime, I envision snow-capped trees, delectable sweets, bright lights, and glowing hearts. I combined all of these highlights in my Grinch-inspired whimsical Christmas tree marshmallow cereal treats. They’re a little crunchy and rough around the edges—like the Grinch—but they’re made with ooey-gooey marshmallow-y LOVE! Cheers to you this holiday season. May our hearts “grow three sizes” with joy!
Whimsical Christmas Tree Marshmallow Cereal Treats
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Wooden Spoons (2)
- 9 x 9 Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil (refined)
- 4 cups or 1 x 10 oz. bag of vegan vanilla marshmallows (Dandies)
- green food coloring
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3.5-4 cups crispy rice cereal (Brown Rice Crisps)
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 9 baking tray with parchment paper.
- Melt ¼ cup coconut oil for about 30-45 seconds in the microwave. So much easier to measure in its liquid form!¼ cup coconut oil
- In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over low-medium for a few minutes. Stir in the vegan marshmallows and cook until gooey. It took me about 7 minutes.4 cups or 1 x 10 oz. bag of vegan vanilla marshmallows
- Remove from the heat and quickly add green food coloring, non-dairy milk, and almond extract.green food coloring, 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Next, pour in the crispy rice cereal and combine well.3.5-4 cups crispy rice cereal
- Press the marshmallow-cereal mixture into your pan.
- Once relatively cool, cut or shape and decorate! It’s extra festive if you use cookie cutters and sprinkles. I chose to mold my treats by hand!
Notes
- You should use refined coconut oil, if you want to avoid the coconut flavor.
- I needed about 25-30 drops of green food coloring to turn the Dandies marshmallows green. Initially, they didn’t want to absorb the bright green color, but I used two wooden spatulas like an electric beater and churned away.
- I incorporated Whole Foods’ Organic Gluten-Free Brown Rice Crisps.
- I formed each whimsical three-dimensional Christmas tree by hand. (It helps to grease each palm with coconut oil). It’s not essential, but I wrapped my marshmallow treats in aluminum foil and let them rest overnight. If you want to take a page out of my book, you can follow these instructions:
- Roll a handful of the marshmallow treat into a firm ball.
- Stretch and shape until it resembles a tree/cone.
- Take a square of aluminum foil, wrapping it around the tree/cone to hold its form. Orient each tree’s pointy end toward any corner of the foil. Start with the tip and cover the flat base.
- You can use vegan peanut butter cups as the tree stumps!
- If you want to decorate, royal icing is the perfect glue! My favorite vegan version is from Wallflower Kitchen. Here’s the link!
