Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats are such a delicious and easy twist on a classic treat! The browned butter gives a beautiful depth of flavor, and the cereal is tossed in lots of melted marshmallows for a soft and chewy bite every time.
I love a soft, chewy, marshmallow-filled Rice Krispie treat! And the homemade ones are going to be miles ahead of store-bought in terms of flavor and texture every time. Today, we're elevating this nostalgic dessert with browned butter for a hint of nutty, toffee-like flavor.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.22
- Total Cost (16 bars): $3.57
- Those Other Guys: $4.99 per bar
Ingredients
- Puffed Rice Cereal - Either name-brand Rice Krispies or the off-brand of puffed rice cereal will work. You just want to make sure it's fresh!
- Butter - Salted butter is a must for this recipe - trust me... it adds a depth of flavor and helps balance out all of the sweetness. If you don't have salted butter on hand, just add about ½ teaspoon of salt to your butter while browning. And use the real stuff, no margarine!
- Marshmallows - I love an ooey gooey Rice Krispie treat, and I don't think you get that texture by using corn syrup. So marshmallows are the main squeeze in this recipe. The regular-sized ones have more center fluffiness, but the mini ones melt better (and we also mix some in at the end.)
- Vanilla Extract - A little pure vanilla extract gives these treats such an understated flavor that you'll miss if you skip the ingredient. I like to add this in after the butter is browned, alongside the marshmallows.
Variations and Substitutions
Mix-In Ideas: These cereal bar treats will taste amazing with almost any sort of mix-in! Try sprinkles, crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, chopped white chocolate, or toffee chips.
Topping Ideas: Top these with melted chocolate (and let cool!), Homemade Buttercream, or a drizzle of melted peanut butter.
S'mores Rice Krispie Treats: Take your taste buds on a delicious journey with my Halloween S'mores Rice Krispie Treats. These use both puffed rice cereal and graham cereal, and then we spread a layer of dark chocolate on top for even more pizzazz.
How to Make Homemade Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Step 1: To begin, brown your butter. I have a detailed post on how to brown butter if you want to learn a bit more!
Step 2: Once the butter has a nice, nutty aroma - turn the heat to low and add your marshmallows and vanilla extract.
Stir well until it's silky smooth.
Step 3: Pour in your puffed rice cereal.
You can also switch this out for other types of cereal if you want!
Step 4: Fold the mixture together until it's well combined.
Step 5: Add any mix-ins at this step - I always love extra mini marshmallows to get those soft pockets towards the end.
Step 6: Finally, add the mix to a parchment paper-lined 9x9 pan.
Gently press down into an even layer, then let cool until the bars are set. It's that easy!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Watch your browned butter. If your heat is too high or you step away from the pot, your butter can turn from browned to burned really easily. Be mindful about your pot, and turn the heat to low as soon as the butter is ready.
- Careful with the marshmallows too. The marshmallows need to be consistently stirred into the browned butter, otherwise they can easily burn. Be sure to watch the pot.
- No sticky hands. Use a silicone utensil for stirring the mixture together, then press the mix into a lined pan with either a sheet of parchment paper or the leftover butter wrapper.
Recipe FAQs
If you press the mixture into the baking dish too firmly, your treats could get hard when they set. Also, be sure to use FRESH ingredients - the cereal and the marshmallows should be a new bag and freshly opened!
You can use a few different strategies. I like to add another piece of parchment paper down on top and then lightly press that barrier. You can also spray your hands with non-stick spray, or dip your fingers in water, shake the excess off, then press. For a no-waste option, use the butter wrapper from earlier in the recipe!
If it isn't too burnt, you can strain the butter through a fine meshed sieve. This will remove the bitter, burnt milk solids.
A quality brand of butter with at least 82% fat is best. You can brown any type of real butter, but lower-fat types will take longer because of the increased water content.
Yep, these freeze beautifully for up to 4 months!
Either wrap each treat individually in plastic wrap, or stack them in one layer on parchment paper.
Store in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Other Handheld Sweet Treats You'll Love!
If you tried this Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Chewy Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- Large Saucepot
- Silicone Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- 9x9 Metal Baking Pan
- Chef's Knife for slicing
Ingredients
Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- 9 tablespoons salted butter (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon)
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows (plus 2 ounces more for mix-ins, see below)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Mix-Ins
- 2 ounces mini marshmallows (about ½ cup)
Instructions
- Line a 9x9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
Browned Butter
- Start out with browning your butter. I have a whole article on How to Brown Butter for more tips & tricks!
- Slice the butter into cubes, and add to a large sauce pot.9 tablespoons salted butter
- Melt on medium-low heat, stirring consistently.
- The butter will begin to form a layer of foam on top, and browned bits (these are milk solids) on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the butter is amber colored and has a deep, nutty aroma, it's time to go to the next step to assemble the treats.
Rice Krispie Treats
- Turning the heat to low, pour 10 ounces of mini marshmallows and vanilla extract right into the brown butter.10 ounces mini marshmallows, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir continuously using a silicone spatula/spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted and smooth.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Rice Krispie cereal plus the remaining 2 ounces of mini marshmallows. Stir well until combined.If you have any additional mix-ins (sprinkles, crushed cookies, etc.) stir them into the mixture at this step as well.6 cups Rice Krispies cereal, 2 ounces mini marshmallows
- Pour the Rice Krispie treat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press gently with a square of parchment paper + your fingers to spread it out to the edges.The harder you pack your mix into the pan, the harder the treats will be once they set. We want these to be nice and gooey!
- Let the pan cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or on the counter at room temperature for about 40 minutes.
- Cut into 16 even squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap, and then add the wrapped treats to a large airtight freezer bag or container.
- You can also stack layers of bars in between parchment paper. Store them in a large airtight freezer bag or container.
Ruth Everian says
Omgeeee these are soo good! Me and my kids loved the taste! I also used your brown butter recipe so I wouldn’t screw that up!
Shani H. says
Aww thank you so much Ruth! Glad that the family loved them 🙂