Let Me Tell You About Holiday Avalanche Squares…
Alright, so have you ever just needed a dessert that looks fancy but really lets you be a little bit lazy? (Asking for a friend, but also for myself nearly every Christmas.) That’s absolutely what Holiday Avalanche Squares mean to me—halfway between a bake sale superstar and that “throw-it-together” magic. I remember one icy December where the power flickered on and off and I made these by candlelight. I won’t say they turned out better, but the memory’s sweet (and I think I dropped chocolate on my sock and didn’t notice till January).
Also, kids love helping with the stirring here—my little one once dumped almost the whole bag of marshmallows in, and you know what? Not mad about it.
Why You’ll Love This (In My Possibly Biased Opinion)
Honestly, I pull this recipe out when I’m short on time, or I’m being a little lazy, or I want people to think I tried super hard (I didn’t). My family basically intercepts these at the fridge—there’s rarely leftovers. Plus, there’s room to mess up and it still turns out tasty.
Once, I tried to make the squares healthier and swapped the white chocolate for yogurt chips; let’s just say the lesson was learned and we’re back to the good stuff. (Also, cleaning sticky Rice Krispies off the dog? Not recommended, trust me.)
The Stuff You’ll Need (Plus My Grown-Up Swap Ideas)
- 4 cups Rice Krispies (or the store brand—I actually prefer it, don’t tell my mom)
- 2 cups mini marshmallows (if you only have big ones, just chop ’em up or rip ’em by hand, which is oddly satisfying)
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (or white almond bark if you’re caught short on chips, melts smoother anyway!)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (crunchy if you like more texture, I’ve tried both because why not?)
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (honestly, I use whatever is open in the pantry; dark chocolate is good too)
- 1/4 cup crushed holiday M&Ms (my cousin swears by adding chopped peppermint bark but eh, I like classic myself)
- Pinch of salt (optional but, if you skip it, no one but me will ever notice)
How You Actually Bring These Holiday Avalanche Squares Together
- Line an 8×8 (or heck, 9×9, it’s forgiving) dish with parchment paper. Don’t overthink this—just as long as you won’t be chiseling out squares at the end, you’re good.
- Melt the white chocolate chips and peanut butter together in the microwave (medium power so you don’t scorch it!) for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat in short bursts until it’s smooth.
- Pour the melted goodness over the Rice Krispies and marshmallows in a big bowl. Now, stir but gently—I tend to crush a few, but it’s all part of the charm, right?
- Let it cool a beat so the morsels don’t just melt into oblivion, then toss in mini chips and holiday M&Ms. Stir again.
- Pour everything (plop might be a better word) into your pan and smooth it down with a spatula. Wetting the spatula helps avoid a sticky mess, unless you like licking your fingers which, to be fair, I usually do here.
- Chill for about an hour. I’ll be honest—sometimes I can’t wait and just hack out a messy square, but they’re neater if you have a bit of patience.
And that’s it! Pretty painless, yeah? (Sometimes I sneak an extra marshmallow or two at the end—no judgement.)
Odds, Ends, and Notes
- If you overheat the chocolate, it’ll get clumpy. Just add another spoon of peanut butter and coax it back—learned the hard way during a phone chat with my aunt!
- Don’t stress about measuring the marshmallows. A little more is never a bad thing. I swear by the “handful-and-a-bit” technique.
- On second thought, don’t skip the salt after all. It kinda wakes up all the sweet stuff.
Things I’ve Tried (That Sometimes Work…Or Don’t)
- Adding chopped dried cranberries: honestly, I thought it’d be festive. It just made things chewy. Maybe not for me.
- Swapping in butterscotch chips for half the white chocolate: SO good (if you can stand the smell while melting, which my brother cannot).
- Using pretzel bits for crunch—surprisingly delicious, though I probably didn’t smash them enough the first try. Live and learn.
Tools You Need (Or Just Improvise!)
- 8×8 baking tray (sometimes I double it up in a 9×13 pan and just go thinner. It’s forgiving!)
- Parchment paper or foil (If you forget, just spray the pan and brace yourself for the sticky aftermath)
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Large mixing bowl (for the mess—trust me on this one)
- Spatula or wooden spoon (I’ve used a potato masher in a pinch…not ideal)
How To Store ‘Em (But Will You Even Need To?)
Pop them in an airtight box in the fridge, and they’ll last three or four days. At least, that’s what I’ve heard—my lot usually polishes off a batch in 24 hours. Oh, and they freeze too! Just don’t expect them to be around long enough for that to happen.
My Favorite Ways To Serve These Squares
Honestly, straight from the fridge is my jam—those cold chocolate chips are oddly satisfying. We sometimes stash a plate by the fireplace (don’t ask me if that’s wise) and eat them with mugs of cocoa while the snow falls outside. Pure cheesy Hallmark movie stuff, but who cares?
A Few Lessons Learned (Yes, I Messed Up)
- I once tried to cut these before they chilled—big mistake; ended up elbow-deep in sticky squares. Let them cool. Or embrace the chaos!
- Don’t microwave all the chocolate at once on high. It turns into a brick faster than you’d think.
- If you don’t LEVEL your mixture before chilling, the end pieces are three times thicker. Not necessarily bad, but maybe don’t let the kids do this bit unsupervised.
Got Questions? Real Answers Here
- Do I really need parchment paper? It’s a lifesaver. But in a pinch, just grease the heck out of your pan and go for it. (I’ve done it with both; parchment wins every time.)
- Can I use milk chocolate instead of white? Of course! The flavor’s different but still awesome. I actually do half/half if I’ve got the scraps floating around, which I almost always do.
- My base is super sticky. Did I mess up? Honestly, maybe just didn’t chill long enough, or you got enthusiastic with the peanut butter. Give it more time—or just embrace the mess and eat it with a spoon. Who’s judging?
- How do you clean the bowl? Hot water and patience. Or let a herd of kids (or bored adults) scrape out the chocolatey bits with a spatula. It’s a weird family tradition, but there it is.
- Why do my chips melt into the base? Gotta let things cool a little before stirring in the chips—learned this after making polka-dotted fudge one year that looked…not so great, but tasted fine.
- Where can I find a good peanut butter? I like Santa Cruz Organic (though, I’ve used everything from Skippy to whatever’s on sale). For white chocolate, Ghirardelli is my favorite, but, honestly, store brand does just fine here.
Hope you have as much fun making these as we do eating them! (And if you manage to save a square for yourself the next day, you’ve already won at holiday snacking. Seriously.)
Ingredients
- 3 cups crispy rice cereal
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup red and green holiday chocolate candies
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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1Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
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2In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
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3Stir in peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
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4Gently fold in crispy rice cereal, mini marshmallows, and half of the holiday chocolate candies.
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5Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate candies and mini chocolate chips on top, pressing them lightly into the surface.
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6Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set. Cut into 16 squares and serve.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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