These gluten-free Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats are a delightful dessert. With their sweet, crunchy, and gooey texture from melted marshmallows, these treats are absolutely delicious.
If you enjoy dessert bars, you should also try these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars or Chewy Special K Bars.
Recipe Details
Rice Krispie Treats are a classic, but this brown butter version takes them to a whole new level. My entire family loves when we make these delicious bars, and I’m sure yours will too.
- Taste: These Rice Krispie treats are perfectly sweet with a hint of vanilla. The brown butter gives them a subtle nutty flavor and balances out the sweetness.
- Texture: The marshmallows are wonderfully gooey in these crispy bars. It’s hard to resist these chewy treats with their chunks of fluffy marshmallow.
- Time: This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make.
- Ease: This no-bake dessert is incredibly easy to make. With just 4 ingredients, you can quickly whip up these treats or freeze extras for later.
What You’ll Need
- An 8×8-inch baking dish
- 8 tablespoons of salted butter + 1/2 tablespoon
- 10 cups of mini marshmallows, divided (20 oz total)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 7 cups of Rice Krispies cereal
Ingredient Notes
- Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows are best for this recipe as they melt easier than full-sized ones.
- Butter: Use salted butter to add a little saltiness that balances out the sweetness. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Vegan version: For a vegan version, substitute plant-based butter or oil and use vegan marshmallows, like the Dandies brand.
- Additional mix-ins: You can add mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreo cookies, or sprinkles for extra flavor and texture.
- Add candy: Chop up M&Ms, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Milky Way bars, or Butterfinger bars and mix them into the treats.
- Top with chocolate: Melt some chocolate and drizzle it on the cooled Rice Krispie Treats. Alternatively, spread some Chocolate Ganache on top.
How to Make Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Prepare the baking dish: Butter the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish and line it with parchment or wax paper.
- Melt and brown the butter: In a large pot, melt the salted butter over medium heat until it turns a dark amber color.
- Add marshmallows and vanilla: Stir in 8 cups of mini marshmallows and continue stirring until melted. Then, mix in the vanilla and remove from heat.
- Add Rice Krispies: Fold in the Rice Krispies cereal until fully coated with the marshmallow mixture. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of mini marshmallows.
- Mold and cool: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it into an even layer. Let the bars cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Butter your baking pan before adding parchment paper to keep it in place.
- Take the marshmallows off the heat once melted to avoid burning them.
- Stir in additional marshmallows at the end for extra gooeyness.
- To prevent sticking, spray a spatula with non-stick spray before compressing the bars into the pan.
FAQs
What happens if you put too much butter in Rice Krispie Treats?
Putting too much butter will result in soggy and very sticky Rice Krispie treats. It’s best to measure the amount of butter accurately to achieve the perfect texture.
Why are my homemade Rice Krispy treats so hard?
Homemade Rice Krispy treats can turn out hard for two reasons. First, if you use too much cereal and not enough butter, the treats can become dry and crunchy instead of gooey and crisp. Second, if you melt the butter and marshmallows over high heat, the treats can lose their desired texture. Using medium heat may take longer, but it produces better results.
Serving Suggestions
These Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats are great on their own or paired with other desserts. Serve them with cookies, ice cream, bars, or other sweet treats.
- Cookies: Serve these treats with Cookies and Cream Cookies, Monster Cookies, Chocolate Meringue Cookies, or Chewy M&M Cookies.
- Ice Cream/Sorbet: Pair these sweet bars with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or sorbet, such as No Churn Ice Cream, Easy Ube Ice Cream, or Honeydew Melon Sorbet.
- Other dessert bars: Serve these Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats with other tasty bars, like Chewy Special K Bars, Blueberry Oatmeal Bars, Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars, or No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars.
- Sweet treats: Enjoy this dessert alongside Chocolate Bark, Coffee Chocolate Mousse, Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, or Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Prepare these Rice Krispie Treats ahead of time and wrap them individually in plastic wrap for serving at a later date.
Storing: Once wrapped in plastic wrap, place the Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
Freeze: Freeze the individually wrapped treats in a ziplock bag for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
More Delicious Desserts!
- Paleo Chocolate Fudge
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mini Pavlova Recipe with Chocolate (VIDEO)
- Scotcheroos
