Toasted coconut matcha rice crispy treats are a fun flavor take on a sweet treat favorite. Two extra ingredients are all you need to transform these classic bar desserts!
There’s no need for your to adjust your computer monitors because these rice crispy treats are indeed a hue of green. Not a vibrant green of course, but enough of a tint that Brian side eyed them when he first saw them wondering what was up.
That green coloring of these toasted coconut matcha rice crispy treats comes from matcha powder, which I’ll be honest – I almost like cooking/baking with more so than drinking. Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that traditionally is combined with hot water and whisked to form a frothed up green tea beverage. However its semi-bitter, pungent green tea flavor adds the perfect offset to sweetened desserts or smoothies with fairly sweet fruit, like in this pineapple matcha vanilla smoothie.
I’m not sure why my brain goes toward sweetened coconut flakes when I think of desserts that can include matcha, but that’s a flavor combination I fell in love with when I first made cranberry almond matcha macaroons. Matcha takes the sweetness down a notch and adds a delicious, unexpected flavor.
Rice crispy treats are a classic favorite that tends to get phased out of the dessert rotation once you age out of school (at least in my world). Why is that? I mean, they’re SO easy to make, use very few ingredients, and tell me – have you ever had trouble offloading the leftovers of a pan of rice crispy treats?
I didn’t think so.
This recipe for toasted coconut matcha rice crispy treats is my answer to that predicament, in that they feature ‘adult’ flavors with all the crispy, marshmallow-y goodness of the originals. The only differences here are that a little bit of matcha powder is mixed into the melting marshmallow mixture, and toasted coconut flakes are added to it along with the crispy rice cereal. That’s it!
The matcha flavor here is subtle, but present and enjoyable (aka it won’t overwhelm you like some bold ingredients have a tendency to do). I use this matcha powder and find a canister lasts forever – a little definitely goes a long way. <–affiliate link
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 10.5 oz (about 6 cups) mini marshmallows
- 1 1/2 tsp matcha powder
- 6 cups (about 6.5 oz) crispy rice cereal
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spread flaked coconut in an even layer over sheet.
- Place sheet in the middle of the oven and toast for 5-6 minutes, or until coconut just becomes fragrant and has turned golden.
- Remove from oven and transfer toasted coconut to a separate plate or bowl to cool slightly. This also prevents it from continuing to toast on the hot sheet. Set aside.
- Grease bottom and sides of a 9"x13" baking dish and set aside.
- Add butter to a large saucepan set over low to low-medium heat and stir it around until melted.
- Add the marshmallows and occasionally stir. The marshmallows will become sticky and begin to lose their shape. Once the marshmallow mixture is cohesive and melted together, remove saucepan from heat.
- Immediately add matcha powder and work it into the melted marshmallow mixture with a spatula or spoon.
- Add crispy rice cereal and toasted coconut and work it into the mixture as evenly as you can.
- Pour it out into the prepared dish and press it into a dense, even layer. Let cool to room temperature in the dish, then turn out onto a cutting board and slice into bars. Store in an airtight container.
I found using a silicone spatula to stir the marshmallow mixture worked to prevent sticking. If you'd rather use a wooden spoon, spraying it with cooking spray before stirring will help.
If you'd like to half the batch, use an 8"x8" baking dish. They'll be a tiny bit thicker but they fit just fine.
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