Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Classic Rice Krispie treats made extraordinary by browning the butter first, adding a layer of nutty, caramel-like depth to every bite.
Prep: 10 min · Cook: 15 min · Total: 45 min · Serves: 16 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.9/5 (864 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Rice Krispie treats have been made the same way since Kellogg's published the recipe in the 1940s. The brown butter version circulated in food blogs for years as a quiet upgrade, and once you make it this way it is impossible to go back. The nutty, toasty notes from the cooked butter milk solids turn a kids' snack into something adults will hover over.
Story
My mom made Rice Krispie treats for every school event, every bake sale, every time a teacher needed something and called the night before. She used exactly the recipe on the box. Melted butter, melted marshmallows, cereal, press, done. They were good. I ate hundreds of them growing up without ever questioning the process. I started making them myself in my thirties and was coasting on the box recipe until my neighbor brought over a batch that tasted genuinely different. Deeper, almost buttery in a toasted way, with a little sparkle of salt on top. I asked her what she did differently and she said just brown the butter first. That was it. That was the whole secret. My first batch of brown butter treats was almost a disaster. I was not watching closely enough and I let the butter go too far. The specks at the bottom went from golden to dark brown to almost black before I caught it. The kitchen smelled acrid for an hour. I threw it out and started again. The second time I stayed at the stove, swirling constantly, and pulled it when the smell turned nutty and warm, like toasted hazelnuts. That is the moment. Right there. Not a second longer. The flaky salt at the end is the other thing I will not skip. I tried making a batch without it to see if it actually mattered and it absolutely did. The sweetness from the marshmallows is intense without something to balance it. The salt brings the whole thing into focus and makes the brown butter flavor even more pronounced. These are the treats I bring to things now. People always ask for the recipe and look slightly disbelieving when I say it is just the regular recipe, except you brown the butter. The simplest changes are always the best ones.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 16 oz mini marshmallows (one standard bag)
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt (plus more for topping)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil or butter, for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or neutral oil. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Keep cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter foams and then the foam subsides and the butter smells nutty with golden-brown specks on the bottom. This takes about 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
- Add the marshmallows to the brown butter. Return to low heat and stir constantly until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Add the Rice Krispies cereal all at once and fold to combine. Work quickly but gently; overmixing makes the treats dense and tough.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Using lightly buttered hands or a piece of wax paper, press the mixture into an even layer. Press firmly but not so hard you compress all the air out.
- Sprinkle with additional flaky sea salt. Let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 16 squares with a sharp knife.
Chef Tips
- Do not rush the brown butter and do not walk away from it. The difference between perfect brown butter and burnt butter is about 30 seconds over the right heat. Look for golden-brown specks at the bottom of the pan and a smell like toasted hazelnuts. If the specks are dark brown and it smells bitter, start over. The flaky salt on top is not decoration; it is the counterpoint that makes the sweetness pop.
Cook's Notes
- **Brown butter watch:** Stay at the stove for the entire browning process; the butter can go from perfect to burned in under a minute.
- **Substitution:** Salted butter works if you have it; reduce added salt to a pinch.
- **Make-ahead:** Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; do not refrigerate (they become hard and dry).
- **Pressing:** Use lightly buttered hands or wax paper to press; dry hands stick and tear the treats.
- **Doneness cue:** Brown butter is ready when it smells nutty and the solids at the bottom are golden-amber, not dark brown.
- **Cutting tip:** Use a sharp knife dipped in warm water for clean cuts without tearing.
- **Variations:** Press mini chocolate chips into the top after spreading in the pan while still warm.