Valentine’s Rice Cereal Pops…Because I Heart You.

Rice Cereal Treats….

Coated in melted candy….

Covered with tons of sprinkles…..

On a stick.

If that doesn’t scream LOVE, than I don’t know what the heck does.

Sometimes, simplicity is best. So don’t fret over laborious desserts today — instead, consider making these whimsical Rice Cereal Pops for your loved ones.

They come together quite easily and are much less cumbersome than their Cake Pops cousins. Man…those Cake Pops can be the bane of my existence at times. But these Rice Cereal Pops will be the sprinkly sunshine of our lives.

And in case you still need help planning a special {and delicious} Valentine’s Day meal, check out my proposed menu below:

Cocktails: Love Actually
Appetizer: Oysters with Asian inspired Mignonette
Entree: Sriracha Crab Cakes and Filet Mignon
Desserts: Rice Cereal Pops or Double Chocolate Tart with Fresh Raspberries

And with that dear friends, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

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Valentine’s Rice Cereal Pops
Makes 24 pops

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces marshmallows (approx. 20 large marshmallows)
1 pinch salt
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
5 cups rice cereal
20 ounces candy melts
2 dozen lollipop sticks
TONS of sprinkles

Line a 9 x 9 inch square pan with parchment paper. Cover the inside of the pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large pot, slowly melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the rice cereal and stir until well coated. Quickly transfer the rice cereal mixture into the greased pan and firmly press it into an even layer. Refrigerate the pan for one hour.

Using the parchment paper to assist, carefully transfer the rice cereal to a cutting board. Take a serrated knife and cut the rice cereal into 24 even bars. Place a few candy melts into a bowl. In intervals of 15 seconds (stirring in between), melt the candy in the microwave until smooth. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into some of the melted candy and insert it into the bottom of one of the rice cereal bars. Place it on a baking sheet and continue the process with the rest of the rice cereal pops. Refrigerate the entire sheet for one hour.

Place the remaining candy melts into the bowl and melt them in the microwave using the same method above. Take one rice cereal pop out of the refrigerator. Using a small offset spatula, spread a thin layer of the melted candy all over the rice cereal pop. Quickly add the sprinkles and stand the pop upright in a styrofoam block to dry.

Repeat the process with the remaining pops. You may need to reheat the candy melts in the microwave from time to time if it becomes too stiff to spread over the rice cereal.

Allow the rice cereal pops to dry for at least 2 hours before sharing them with your sweetie.