brown butter rice krispie treats

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats are the Queen of underrated desserts! Now, I know you’re thinking rice krispies are boring – but if you think that, you haven’t been making them correctly. Browning the butter, adding extra mallows, and not packing them into the pan are all small tweaks that add up to MAJOR flavor & texture bliss!

this recipe

Why you’ll love Brown Butter Rice Krispies:

• Brown Butter – Brown butter takes just a few extra minutes of effort, and is one of the easiest ways to amp up the flavor of any dessert!
• Easy Dessert – This easy recipe uses minimal ingredients and comes together in about 20 minutes! It’s easy enough for kids to even help out on!
• Actually GOOD Rice Krispies – These aren’t the gum-scratching, hard rice krispies you may be used to – they’re actually SUPER gooey and soft, and packed with flavor.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Brown Butter – Browning the butter takes just a few extra minutes and adds so much flavor! It also adds a more nutty depth of flavor that I think is needed to contrast with the sweetness of the fruity pebbles cereal. I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
• Marshmallows – Use mini marshmallows!
• Rice Krispie Cereal – Feel free to use off brand or brand name.
• Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
• Salt – A pinch of salt also helps balance the sweetness!

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Gluten-free – Some off brand rice krispie cereal is gluten-free – be sure to check the labels! This one can be sneaky with ingredients.
• Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted dairy-free butter. I haven’t had experience browning dairy-free butter but you can certainly try it, or just use 2 tbsp less butter in the recipe and skip the browning.

How to Make Brown Butter Rice Krispies:

Step 1:  Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a large pot, then continue cooking it, stirring lazily, for about 5 minutes or until it turns foamy and a deep golden brown color.

(These steps can obviously be done in the same pot – I just didn’t have a photo of the brown butter from this recipe, so I used an old one.)

Step 2: Melt the Marshmallows. Add the marshmallows to the butter and stir until they’re completely melted.

Step 3: Add Cereal & Remaining Marshmallows. Stir in the rice krispie cereal and extra marshmallows. Stop stirring and remove from the heat as soon as the marshmallows are partially melted.

We don’t want full on marshmallows visible, but they shouldn’t be melted all the way in.

Step 4: Add to Pan & Cool. Pour the mixture into a lined 8×8 pan and GENTLY nudge the mixture around into a semi-even layer.

Do not pack the mixture in – this is what makes rice krispie treats hard and crunchy (well that, and my recipe uses SO much butter, haha!). Add a few extra mini marshmallows on top, if desired. Let cool for 30-60 minutes.

Serving + Storing:

Once the rice krispies have cooled down a bit, slice into squares and enjoy! Prepare to be blown away by how irresistibly gooey these are. Then, share the recipe with all your friends and family – please and thank you!

Love rice krispies? Make my Brown Butter Chocolate Rice Krispies or my Fruity Pebbles Treats next!

Expert Baking Tips:

• Don’t Press! – Pressing the krispies into the pan is tempting – but is the best way to leave you with hard and crunchy bars.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• 8×8 or 9×9 Pan – You’ll need any 8×8 or 9×9 pan!

More No-Bake Treats:

• No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
• No-Bake Black Forest Pie
• Amazing No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
• No-Bake Nutella Tart

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