Gooey Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

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Better than store-bought gooey Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats! Whether you’re looking for a quick back to school treat or a bite of nostalgia, these rice krispie treats are the perfect no-bake snack to have on hand all year long. Made with the same classic ingredients, but with the addition of browned butter to make each bite a little nutty, a splash of vanilla, and a handful of extra marshmallows thrown in at the end to ensure the perfect gooey bite! Bonus? These rice krispie treats are actually SO easy to make, perfectly soft and chewy, full of flavor, and ready in less than an hour. SO. GOOD.

About The Recipe

We are welcoming in a new month with something a bit nostalgic…rice krispie treats! I mean, with all the back to school rush, sometimes there’s nothing better to slow down with than something we all loved as a kid.

My mom used to make rice krispie treats for me and my brother all the time when we were younger. They were one of our absolute favorite snacks!

And, me being the marshmallow gremlin that I am (for those of you who don’t know, I could literally sit down and eat a whole bag of marshmallows!), they were always something I looked forward to.

But, they are something that we haven’t made since I was a kid. It wasn’t until we made the Lucky Charm Marshmallow Treats a few months ago that we realized we hadn’t published a recipe for regular rice krispie treats!

Though, we didn’t just want to post a regular recipe for them. My mom and I wanted to upgrade the flavor, make them more robust, chewier, and more delicious.

We immediately knew we wanted to add some vanilla. I mean, vanilla makes everything better, right?

So, a splash of vanilla…but what else? Vanilla does add a delicious undertone to compliment the marshmallows, but we still wanted to add one more element. Something to give it that extra little bit of oomph.

Which is where the idea for using browned butter came from!

One of the first times we used browned butter was in our Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and fell in love. I knew it was something we were definitely going to use again, but we could just never quite figure out when…until now!

The addition of browned butter in these rice krispie treats not only adds an incredible depth of flavor, as well as a slight nuttiness, but it also gives them a bit more of a “grown-up” flavor.

From there, we tossed in an extra handful of marshmallows for extra gooey-ness.

All together, it creates what I believe to be the ultimate rice krispie treat!

What are Rice Krispie Treats?

A Rice Krispie Treat, or marshmallow treat, is a type of bar shaped treat that’s typically made from a combination of Rice Kripies cereal, marshmallows and butter.

This recipe is essentially the same, but with the addition of vanilla, a few extra marshmallows, and browned butter!

Reasons You Will These Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

• Super easy to make!
• Every bite is extra gooey and chewy.
• Made with BROWNED. BUTTER. Need I say more?
• Perfect for back-to-school treat or just whenever you’re craving something nostalgic.
• Extra sweet, but full of flavor.
• A no bake treat the whole family will love!

Equipment Needed

• 9×13 Inch Sheet Pan
• 4 Quart Pot
• Rubber Spatula

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Salted Butter – This is essential! Using salted butter adds just the right amount of salt to cut some of the sweetness.
• Mini Marshmallows – We found that it’s best to use mini marshmallows, as they melt more evenly and quicker! You can also use Homemade Marshmallows in this recipe, if you’d like.
• Vanilla Extract – A splash of vanilla adds a more well-rounded flavor to these rice krispie treats.
• Rice Krispies Cereal – Make sure the cereal isn’t stale or crushed into small pieces before using!

How To Make Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Step 1: Brown the butter

In a large pot over medium low heat, melt butter and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add marshmallows

Add 16 ounces marshmallows. Stir until completely melted.

Step 3: Stir in remaining ingredients

Add vanilla, cereal, and 4 ounces marshmallows. Stir until thoroughly coated

Step 4: Pack into pan

Quickly press into prepared pan and allow to set before cutting.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

Why are my rice krispie treats hard?

There are a few things that could be causing the marshmallow treats to become hard! The main culprit tends to be stale marshmallows. Always check your marshmallows before using! If your marshmallows are a-okay, then it might be that your marshmallows were cooked over too high of heat/for too long. It typically only takes about 5-10 minutes for the marshmallows to melt over medium-low heat!

Can I refrigerate these rice krispie treats?

Absolutely! This is actually one of our tricks to have these done in less than an hour. So, if you want these marshmallow treats to set up a little faster, you can place them in the fridge to allow them to chill quickly! Just don’t store leave them in the fridge for longer than 1 hour.

Can rice krispie treats be frozen?

While fresh is definitely better, these marshmallow treats can be frozen. More info on this below!

Can I use a different cereal?

This recipe and it’s amounts is specifically for rice krispie cereal. If you use a different cereal, we cannot guarantee the outcome.

How To Store

Fresh rice krispie treats are always best! Though, it’s always inevitable that there’s a few leftover. No worries! Just store them in an airtight container and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days.

If you absolutely MUST, you can also freeze these rice krispie treats. Individually wrap each bar in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe zip top bag. It should keep for about a month. To thaw, set one out on the counter to allow to come to room temperature.

Just be aware that freezing may cause these marshmallow treats to dry out/become hard.

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Expert Tips

• Keep stirring the butter as it cooks! It can burn very quickly, if left alone. Keep an eye on it and keep it stirred. Use the photos in the post above to help know when the butter is perfectly golden.
• Do NOT over cook your marshmallows! This is so important. If the marshmallows are over-cooked, they will result in a hard/unpleasant bar. We recommend that you take the marshmallows off the heat as soon as the almost all of the marshmallows are melted. If you still see 2 or 3 marshmallows that aren’t melted, that’s okay! Go ahead and take it off the heat. Be sure to use the photos in the post above as a reference!
• Be sure to WORK QUICKLY! This is something that is so important. Marshmallows are like any other candy. Once they start cooling, they become almost impossible to work with.
• Don’t skip greasing your spatula. This helps keep the marshmallow from sticking so much.
• Be careful to not over-mix! I know it sounds a bit silly, but you really only need to mix until the cereal is combined with the melted marshmallows. If you keep mixing, you may risk breaking the cereal and/or allowing the marshmallows to cool too much.

When you make these Gooey Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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