Once you try brown butter rice krispie treats, you will never want them any other way! The nutty browned butter gives these nostalgic bars an incredible depth of flavor.
Why it works
It's pretty much common knowledge that brown butter makes basically everything better. The nutty, almost caramel flavor elevates everything it touches. Rice krispie treats are no exception. In fact, this is one of my favorite ways to have my brown butter.
Unlike the store-bought variety, this treat is far more balanced and not just sweet all the way through. Instead, the brown butter adds depth and complexity and the hint of salt keeps these bars from tasting like a sugar overload.
Ingredient overview
It only takes a handful of ingredients to make these incredible treats. Let's do a quick overview of them and if there are any substitutions.
- Butter - I highly recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt. If you don't mind risking salty treats, you can use salted butter. Margarine and other alternatives don't work as substitutions.
- Marshmallows - You can use regular or mini marshmallows here. They both work equally well, but you may get better pools of stretchy marshmallow using mini marshmallows.
- Cereal - Rice krispie treats are obvious, but you can experiment with replacing some of it with another favorite cereal to add more fun.
- Salt - I like to use sea salt, but you can also finish them with a light sprinkle of fleur de sel when leaving them to set.
How to Make
Making rice krispie treats with brown butter is incredibly simple. It is a matter of making regular rice krispie treats.... but browning the butter first.
- Add your butter for a large saucepan or pot.
- Heat on medium-high heat until the butter smells nutty and aromatic. (For more information on how to make brown butter, I got you covered)
- Add marshmallows, then mix until they've melted.
- Stir in the cereal.
The only difference here is that it does take a little more time to make because you have to brown the butter. Luckily, it takes only a few minutes to brown your butter.
Tips for Perfect Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats are more or less foolproof, but there are things you can do to make sure you get the best treats every single time.
- Don't wait until all the marshmallows are melted before adding in your cereal. The blobs of unmelted marshmallow add really delicious pockets of marshmallow which are so good, especially if you love marshmallows.
- Don't press down too hard when you are adding your treats to a pan. Gently press them to prevent crushing the cereal too much. That way you don't end up with super dense squares and instead get fluffy bars of brown butter rice krispie treats.
- Use the butter wrapper to press down on your cereal. It keeps your hands clean and the grease from the butter on the wrapper keeps the cereal from sticking everywhere.
- Use a bench scraper (I love this one) for the best cuts to get perfect squares. I also recommend trimming the edges (save those for yourself for being such an awesome baker).
Mix things up
Did you know you can take your treats to a whole new level by adding things like Golden Grahams and chocolate chips to make a brown butter s'mores rice krispie treat?! Cue the drool emoji.
I also like to enhance my treats sometimes by adding a drizzle of brown butter glaze. You can make one by stirring brown butter, powdered sugar, and a touch of milk or water together until is it just thin enough to drizzle from a spoon.
Don't have time to make these melt in your mouth brown butter rice Krispy treats now? Pin them for later!
Recipe FAQs
It depends on the brand of puffed rice cereal you use because some brands do contain gluten.
You cannot use fluff in this recipe. It doesn't work well to give you a nice final texture.
I do not recommend it. The cold will alter the texture of them and you will lose the soft, chewiness that we look for in rice krispie treats. Instead, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
If you want more rice krispie treats, try my peanut butter and jelly rice krispie treats and my pumpkin rice krispie treats! My Oreo rice krispie treats are a family favorite. If you want more inspiration, check out my rice krispie treats four ways!
Recipe Card
Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 10 oz marshmallows
- 8 cups rice krispies 200g
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper. You can use a larger pan if you prefer smaller treats.
- Heat the butter over medium heat until it starts to brown and give a light nutty scent. Remove from heat immediately to prevent the butter from burning.
- Add the vanilla and salt to the butter and mix.
- Add the marshmallows and mix until they are mostly melted. The heat of the pot and the butter should be enough to melt the marshmallows. If not, put the pot back on the burner and put the heat on low until the marshmallows melt.
- Add the Rice Krispies one cup at a time and mix thoroughly.
- Pour the mix into the pan and pat down until flat. Allow to cool - about 1 - 2 hours. Cut into squares
Ty says
Soooo good. Everyone loves them.
Christine says
Haha, I loved your over-hyphenating everything comment. We are (were?) the same way with our three year old. I mean we tried keeping it fun..he'd get digestive biscuits and basic cookies, and if I made it he'd have it...you know, homemade chocolate cake or choco chip cookies...but this is a kid who asks for a second apple for his snack...who am I to say no? Of course, we're the same. At nap time, a package of chips might slowly be ripped open, or after bed a Snickers bar unwrapped;p These look cheery and delish. Brown butter anything please!