Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats are a nutty, elevated twist on the classic rice krispie treats recipe. This gooey, sweet, and toasty treat is full of nostalgia so share a tray full with family and friends at your next gathering.
Wondering how else you can use brown butter? After you learn how to make brown butter rice krispie treats, try Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Frosting and Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash.
This content contains affiliate links which helps WhisperofYum.com to provide free recipes. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for support of the blog, Whisper of Yum!
Although rice krispie treats taste amazing, brown butter adds another dimension of delicious, caramelized, warm depth to this dessert. The rich, nutty aroma of browned butter adds complexity, transforming a simple childhood treat into a sophisticated dessert. Get ready to make the best brown butter rice krispie treats!
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to Make – Making browned butter is a simple process that requires just 1 ingredient. The cooking time is only 20 minutes and the rest of the time is spent waiting for the dessert to cool down before slicing. This is a no-bake recipe.
- Perfect Anytime Sweet – Rice krispie treats are loved by kids and adults so anytime is a good time to indulge! They’re great as a packed snack with lunch, after school, at parties, or just lounging at home.
- Customizable – This recipe is a variation of a popular treat but there are even more ways to customize it. Let’s get into it!
What is brown butter?
Brown butter is butter that has been browned over heat on the stovetop. Continuously stir the melted butter until brown specks appear and a nutty aroma develops. Brown butter gives traditional butter a toasted, nutty taste that works in both sweet and savory recipes.
Tools You’ll Need
Ingredients You Will Need for Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Standard rice krispie treat recipes only include marshmallows and butter. But brown butter rice krispie treats are enhanced with pure vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, and milk powder.
- Unsalted butter – This ingredient is essential for browned butter rice krispie treats.
- Mini marshmallows – Gooey marshmallows hold the ingredients together and give this snack a light, airy quality and ensure they are nice and chewy.
- Kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal.
- Pure vanilla extract – I use Nielson Massey Madagascar Bourbon.
- Rice Krispie Cereal – These sweetened, puffed grains of rice are essential.
- Sweetened condensed milk – This adds a sweet, creamy quality.
- Milk powder – This deepens the flavor.
How To Make Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Learn how to make rice crispy treats with brown butter in just a few simple steps.
- Butter 9×9 pan well. Set aside.
- Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add butter. Add butter and whisk to encourage melting. Once melted, the butter will foam a little bit (that’s normal). Keep a consistent stir with a spatula. Watch carefully as brown specks will start to form and you will begin to smell a nutty aroma. Once evenly deep brown, add salt and milk powder. Continue stirring with the spatula until evenly combined and deep brown in color. Stir in sweetened condensed milk.
2. Turn off heat and add vanilla and stir in 7 ounces of marshmallows. Keep a consistent stir until the marshmallows are fully melted. This will take a few minutes.
3. Add cereal, fold a few times, then add remaining marshmallows and continue folding until fully combined.
4. Quickly transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and use the spatula to gently press and even out the mixture. Do not pack the mixture too hard or that will result in hard rice krispie treats.
5. Leave the treats to set in the pan for one hour. Then cut into 16 squares and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh ingredients. Stale marshmallows and cereal won’t work here.
- Gently add the rice krispie mixture to the pan. If you press too much, the rice krispie treats will be dense and hard.
- Store leftover brown butter rice krispie treats in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
Variations
- Shapes – Use a deeper or more shallow pan for thicker or thinner brown butter rice krispie treats. You can also use a different shaped pan if you’d like.
- Toppings & Add-Ins – You can fold in sprinkles, or drizzle caramel or fudge over the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze rice krispie treats?
To freeze rice krispie treats, wait until they are cool, then slice them. Place parchment paper between them so they don’t stick together then place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. They will last up to 4 weeks. Place them on the kitchen counter 3-4 hours before you plan to serve them, so they can defrost.
Why do people who lift eat rice crispy treats?
Regular rice crispy treats are low fat but high in sugar and carbs. They can boost energy before a workout without slowing digestion and causing a stomach ache.
What can I use instead of Rice Krispie Treats?
If you want to make marshmallow cereal bars, this recipe works with other cereals like Cheerios, Fruity Pebbles, Chex, and Golden Grahams too.
Why are my homemade rice crispy treats so hard?
If your brown butter rice krispie treats come out hard, several factors may be to blame. You may have used stale ingredients, pressed the mixture too firmly into the pan, used too many rice krispies, or used too little butter.
Looking for More Dessert Recipes
- Apple Dutch Baby
- Salted Caramel Popcorn
- Mango Sticky Rice
- Whipped Cottage Cheese with Nectarine Peach Compote
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Churro Bites with Miso Caramel
Loving this Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe?
There’s a reason this browned butter rice krispie treats recipe is loved by all! Leave a comment below and share your love for this recipe on Instagram and Pinterest. We love to see you get down in the kitchen. Thank you for supporting Whisper of Yum and happy eating!
Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- 9 x 9 square pan
- Large dutch oven
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering pan
- 9 ounces mini marshmallow
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, I use Nielson Massey Madagascar Bourbon
- 6 cups rice krispie cereal
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup milk powder
Instructions
- Butter 9×9 pan well. Set aside.
- Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add butter. Add butter and whisk to encourage melting. Once melted, the butter will foam a little bit (that's normal). Keep a consistent stir with a spatula. Watch carefully as brown specks will start to form and you will begin to smell a nutty aroma. Once evenly deep brown, add salt and milk powder. Continue stirring with the spatula until evenly combined and deep brown in color. Stir in sweetened condensed milk.
- Turn off heat and add vanilla and stir in 7 ounces of marshmallows. Keep a consistent stir until the marshmallows are fully melted. This will take a few minutes.
- Add cereal, fold a few times, then add remaining marshmallows and continue folding until fully combined.
- Quickly transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and use the spatula to gently press and even out the mixture. Do not pack the mixture too hard or that will result in hard rice krispie treats.
- Leave the treats to set in the pan for one hour. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy.
