Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Warm, toasty browned butter adds a twist to the classic rice crispy treats. Extra marshmallows added at the end leave them studded with gooey chunks of marshmallows.
This is one of those recipes that isn’t really a ‘recipe’. I mean, it is but.. there’s no baking involved. And you’re mixing cereal and butter and melted marshmallows together. But hey, it’s a classic and people love them so who am I to argue?!
I remember in high school being at a friend’s house and she asked if we wanted some rice crispy treats. Of course we did. So she set out in the kitchen, just mixing things together on the stove like it was nothing, no recipe referenced and little measuring. I was amazed. As I type this I know how silly that sounds. But I didn’t grow up learning to bake or making homemade rice crispy treats. We made boxed brownies every Sunday. Don’t get me wrong, I have fond memories fighting with my sisters about the whether we would do the fudgy or cake-y directions from the box. It wasn’t until near the end of high school that I really got into baking and learning to make things from scratch. And I haven’t looked back since!
Browned butter rice crispy treats has been on my recipe ideas list for a couple years. I keep a list in my Notes on my phone and add flavor combinations and recipe ideas whenever inspiration strikes. It may have taken my almost ten years to get around to making my own ‘recipe’ for homemade rice crispy treats but who’s counting?
Here are a few things to note about these treats:
browned butter: see how to brown butter here. Browning the butter is the process of melting it (solid -> liquid). Some of the water content evaporates, concentrating the fat a little more. Then the milk solids get toasted. They are literally turning brown, adding caramelization. This gives it a unique, more complex flavor. It’s a little nutty, toasty, and warm. It’s a fun twist to add to many baked goods. See: brown butter chocolate chip cookies, brown butter banana bread with brown butter glaze..
extra un-melted marshmallows: to get those delicious pockets of gooey marshmallows, I save a handful of marshmallows that I don’t melt in the beginning and end up added them after the cereal is mixed in. They start to melt just a little, but because you add them at the end of the mixing, they create these delicious sticky, melty pockets of marshmallows. You’re not gonna want to skip this tip!
What are some other add-in’s that you like to use?
Happy baking!
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1-10 oz. bag mini marshmallows
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 5 cups crispy rice cereal
