Pumpkin Rice Crispy Bacon Balls

Posted by Boss Hog on Oct 20th 2020

Looking for a fun, Fall recipe that is super easy to make? These Pumpkin Rice Crispy Bacon Balls are fun to serve at a Halloween party or game day event. Or they’re good to have on hand to satisfy your pumpkin and bacon dessert cravings. They’re easy enough to make with the kids on a rainy afternoon. This recipe was adapted from Thecomfortofcooking.com.

Pumpkin Rice Crispy Bacon Balls

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
10 oz. marshmallows (mini are easier to work with)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 - 1 cup finely chopped bacon (use more if desired)

Directions:

Melt your butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Stir in pumpkin puree, cooking until warmed through. Fold in marshmallows, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Let marshmallow mixture cool at room temperature for 20 minutes to prevent the rice cereal from getting soggy when you mix it in. Add the crispy rice cereal and chopped bacon (as much as you want). Stir until combined.

Pour mixture into a large bowl or pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Form large spoonfuls of the mixture into balls, then roll them in finely chopped bacon if you want more bacon. I find that keeping your hands damp or even spraying them with non-stick spray will keep the mixture from sticking to you hands when you form it into balls. Inset lollipop sticks into each ball to make rice crispy pops. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set.