Rice Bubble Slice

Rice Bubble Slice is the New Zealand version of Rice Krispie Treats without marshmallow. Made with honey, it is quick and easy to make and tastes super nostalgic.

Rice Bubble Slice - New Zealand Rice Krispie Treats

Hi hi! Finally sharing the recipe for this Rice Bubble Slice! I shot this last year before we moved home and have needed to get it up as rice bubble slice is the ultimate kid's nostalgia for anyone who grew up in Australia or New Zealand, along with chocolate crackles. I have a bunch of New Zealand recipes on my site - it is so fun to introduce those who aren't familiar to the things that I grew up eating!

What is Rice Bubble Slice?

Rice bubble slice is a version of Rice Krispie Treats, but instead of using marshmallow and butter, it is made with honey. Here's what is in it:

• Rice Bubbles. This is what we call Rice Krispies - the puffed rice cereal.
• Butter. I use unsalted butter, if you have salted butter then just leave the salt in the recipe out.
• Honey. This is what helps form the caramel part of the rice bubble slice. If you haven't tried rice bubble slice with honey instead of rice krispies made with marshmallow, now is the time - it is so good. I have made this with both a creamed style honey and a liquid honey and both work great.
• Sugar. This makes up the caramel portion too. Either caster sugar or regular granulated sugar works great.
• Vanilla. This wasn't included in the ones I had as a kid, but adding a tiny bit of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract to your rice bubble slice makes them taste so good!
• Salt. Always needed to balance out the sweetness of the honey and the sugar. Leave it out if you have used salted butter.

How to make Rice Bubble Slice

Rice bubble slice is super quick and comes together in less than ten minutes.

• Measure out your rice bubbles. Having everything ready to go before you start helps a lot - you want to have your rice bubbles measured out and your pan prepared and lined and ready to go.
• Make the honey caramel. Combine all the ingredients for the caramel except the vanilla in a heavy bottomed pan, and place over medium high heat. Once it has come to a boil, cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.
• Add the rice bubbles. Remove the caramel from the stove, add the salt and vanilla, then pour the hot caramel into the bowl with the rice bubbles and stir until well combined.
• Transfer into the pan. Once the rice bubbles are evenly coated in the mixture, transfer into your prepared pan and smooth down well. I like to use an offset spatula but you could also use a piece of parchment paper to press it down evenly.
• Leave to set. The rice bubble slice needs some time to cool - you can either leave it to cool at room temperature or place it in the fridge to speed things up.
• Cut and store. Cut the rice bubble slice into pieces using a hot knife, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

How to line a square pan

I use a square nonstick pan to make my rice bubble slice. For recipes that are a little sticky or you want to remove all in one go I prefer to use the sling method, where you take two pieces of parchment and use them to line the pan, leaving some overhang.

This means that when the time comes to remove whatever is in your pan, you can use the overhang as handles to take it out cleanly. I like to clamp mine down with some metal binder clips to keep everything tidy.

Rice Bubble Slice Troubleshooting

My rice bubble slice is too hard.
This will be because you over cooked the caramel part of the recipe, bringing it to too high of a temperature, so the rice bubble slice is crunchy. Try cooking it for less time. I aim for about 2 minutes once it has come to a boil.

My rice bubble slice is too soft.
Again this is the reverse of the problem - the mixture didn't cook enough. It will still be totally edible, just try cooking the mix a little longer!

FAQ for Rice Bubble Slice

Can Rice Bubble Slice be made Gluten Free?
Rice bubbles do often have gluten in them - so make sure that you use a gluten free rice bubble, or you can also make this with puffed rice.

What tools and equipment do you use?
You can see a full list of all the tools I use here

Which pan did you use?
I made my rice bubble slice in a non stick 8" (20cm) square pan. This made a nice thick rice bubble slice - you can make it in a thinner pan if you like.

Can I make rice bubble slice with brown butter?
I tried and it didn't go well - it was super greasy and not that nice, so browning the butter is not worth the extra step here.

What is the difference between Rice Krispies and Rice Bubbles?
It's the same thing just a different name.

Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes - you can scale it as you like. My pan size calculator will be helpful for working out how to scale the recipe.

Can I add peanut butter / marshmallow / other ingredients
I haven't tried sorry - you are welcome to but I don't know how it will go.

How do you store rice krispie treats?
I store mine in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best eaten in the first 1-2 days that you make them.

For more New Zealand Recipes, check out:

• Anzac Biscuits
• No-Bake Peppermint Slice
• Custard Square with Homemade Puff Pastry
• Tan Square

Made this recipe and love it?

If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

A note on salt and oven temperature

It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.

All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.

Using the double / triple function in the recipe card

You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!

Tools and equipment

For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!

Recipe For Honey Rice Bubble Slice

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