Toasted Pinipig Marshmallow Treats Recipe

I just know that Asian mothers are Costco’s target demographic on the West Coast—my mother included! Whenever she’d buy us snacks in elementary school, she’d buy them in bulk there. For someone who often vetoed our requests for junk food, she was surprisingly lenient whenever we asked for Rice Krispies treats. At some point, I grew tired of the sixty-pack after getting one a day in my school lunch bag.

Now that years have gone by, I’ve been ready to foray back into eating marshmallow treats.

I first made a batch with furikake for a Valentine’s pasalubong treat box in February 2021, and now I can’t fathom including a recipe without this Japanese seasoning. My homemade version benefits in texture and taste from the addition of furikake and toasted pinipig.

The combination of nori, sesame seeds, salt, and kelp powder in the Trader Joe’s furikake I like to use for these treats adds a salty, umami finish on top. Pinipig are pounded glutinous rice flakes that you’ll commonly see in the freezer section of Filipino grocery stores. They’re often used as a crispy topping for halo-halo. Since you also toast the pinipig for this recipe, they provide a nutty crunch to this dessert.