Easter is over, and now you have to figure out what to do with all of those leftover, multi-colored, and likely already stale Peeps. No worries! Melt those little suckers down and enjoy them in this childhood classic with a Re-Peep twist!
I can remember when I was a kid getting excited for Easter morning. I think many of us can relate to that anticipation of a huge sugar rush, forcing our parents to make their coffee “Irish” at 7:30am. Even though we don’t have kids, I am confident that parents today can relate in the same way. Overdose of candy early in the day = Peeling your 4 year old off the ceiling after 3 chocolate bunnies, a basket full of jelly beans, and 12 of the pure sugar bites that are Peeps.
Good times…
So many great memories of those Easter mornings gone by, and lots of fun stuff to choose from. For me, part of the fun was watching my mom dig into her Easter candy. See, I was raised Catholic and that meant that we all gave up something for Lent. My mother gave up chocolate and all sweets each and every year. She was convinced that God was testing her when Girl Scout cookie season would start just after Lent began. But she persevered, and kept the sugary-goodness at bay until 12:01am on Easter morning. Then she’d pull a sleeve of frozen Thin Mints out of the freezer and dig in. By that morning when we woke up, she’d be sitting on the couch with her Easter basket in her lap, happily nibbling away while the frenzy of egg hunting and sugar binging ensued.
That Easter candy never looked like enough, but strangely it would hang on and last into the next month (or more!). The one thing that never, ever got eaten after the big day though were those Peeps. They’d sit on the counter and slowly harden, eventually turning into something better used as a door stop. I mean let’s be honest, if you love them you likely eat them all in one sitting. But if they’re not your cup of sugar, they languish in your Easter basket, along with the black jelly beans. Ick.
So even though we don’t have Easter baskets to build and eggs to hide for little ones, I always wind up buying the expected candy trove. Why? Years of conditioning that makes me think that Easter isn’t complete without a pile of sugar waiting for me Easter morning. And the real irony here? I’m not even a big sweets person. Yeah, clever marketing and years of watching the Cadbury Egg commercials (“Thank you, Easter Bunny! Bawk, bawk!”) make me cave in every year.
But that means I have to figure out what to DO with all of that candy. Sure, M&Ms can easily be tossed into brownies or other bars. But those Peeps? C’mon. What do you do with those things?
Well I figured out a few fun, easy and actually tasty ways to put them (and me) out of my misery. Hence, Re-Peeps. After all, what are Peeps other than marshmallows dipped in colored sprinkles? And what are the best ways to use marshmallows? Rice Krispie Treats and s’mores, of course!
And so I give you a way to finally use up those wretched little things. I think that it’s pretty cathartic watching the Peeps slowly melt and liquefy before your eyes. Or is that just my morose thinking?
Either way, Rice Krispie Re-Peep Treats should make you marginally happy to see leftover chicks & bunnies staring at you from your kids’ Easter baskets!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 peopl | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15 minutes |
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This is truly the only way I will eat a Peep. They are far too sugary on their own for my taste, but are perfect when mixed with butter and crunchy cereal. Don't just think of the traditional bars of these treats (even though they are great!)--put them in cupcake sleeves, mold them into circles or other shapes, or add other candies to the gooey mixture. Basically, play with your food and join the Re-Peep movement!
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- 1 box Rice Krispie Treats
- 1 package Peeps
- 1 cup minature marshmallows
- 4 tbsp. butter, melted
- Remove Peeps from packaging and pull them apart.
- Over medium low heat, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the marshmallows & Peeps. Continue stirring until the Peeps are completely melted and incorporated into a smooth marshmallow mixture.
- Add the Rice Krispie Treats.
- Stir to fully coat the cereal and incorporate the marshmallow mixture throughout the cereal.
- Pour the mixture into a cooking-spray coated dish. Spread the mixture out evenly in the pan.
- Sprinkle with cookie decorations or colored sugars.
- For a fun twist on the classic treat bars, fill cupcakes sleeves with the mixture and top with additional Easter candy to form "nests".
- Allow to rest for 30 minutes prior to slicing. Cover leftovers and keep, unrefrigerated, for up to 4 days.
The possibilities with these crazy little concoctions are endless. Pretty much wherever you might use marshmallows, these Peeps can stand in with a burst of color. How else have YOU used up these sugary confections?
CUTE!
There are so many peeps on sale right now! Totally going to have to go stock up and makes these!
I say buy them all and have fun with them! :o)
Love this idea! I tend to stock up on candy after Easter is over, so I’ve got plenty on hand to work with 😀
I never was one for peeps, but they sure look cute 🙂 and I love that you made them into treats – very clever. I bet my daughter would love making these