When I told my mom that I was going to post a recipe for a Rice Krispie treat, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I felt the same way when I first started experimenting with this recipe! To me, Rice Krispie treats feel like a childhood dessert. I hadn’t had one in years! Rice Krispie treats are so simple, but so tasty – just marshmallows, butter, and rice cereal. These Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie treats are a little more special than the traditional version because they are made with brown butter, an extra pinch of salt, and have big, gooey pockets of marshmallow throughout.
Don’t be afraid of browning butter – it’s actually pretty easy! The trick is to brown it slowly over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly. Those brown flecks at the bottom of the pan are toasted milk solids- that’s what you should look for. The toasted milk solids bring a really complex, nutty flavor, and I love using them to upgrade any baked good. Since these Rice Krispie treats have so few ingredients, browning the butter is a great way to make them extraordinary!
One of my favorite things about these bars is the pockets of marshmallow throughout. By separating a cup of marshmallows from the package and stirring them in later with the rice cereal, they don’t melt fully. This is what creates those delicious marshmallow bites! I always try to grab a bar with those visible marshmallow pockets, and this ensures that every bar will have a piece or two. If you prefer totally melted marshmallow, just add it all at at once so that it melts completely.
Even though marshmallow is delicious, it can be overwhelmingly sweet. To counteract this, I like to add a large pinch of salt. This really brings out to nutty flavors of the browned butter and accentuates the sweetness of the marshmallow. Instead of just being sweet, these bars are sweet, salty, a little nutty, and a lot more complex. Adding a little extra salt makes all the difference!
Although these Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie treats might not look much different from a traditional Rice Krispie treat, they take those nostalgic flavors and kick them up a notch! These Rice Krispie treats are chewy, soft, salty-sweet, and utterly irresistible! I hope you enjoy!
Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 10-oz package mini marshmallows divided
- 5 ½ cups rice cereal
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp flaky salt optional
Instructions
- Grease a 9×9 square pan and set aside.
- Brown the butter in a large pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until specks at the bottom of the pan darken and become brown.
- Remove pot from heat. Stir in salt and vanilla.
- Remove one cup of marshmallows from the package; set aside. Add the remainder of the package of mini marshmallows to the butter and stir until melted.
- Add the rice cereal and remaining 1 cup of mini marshmallows to the pot. Stir until just combined.
- Press into prepared pan. If using, top with a sprinkle of flaky salt. Let cool before cutting and serving. Enjoy!