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Who doesn’t like a rice cereal treat? Made with butter, rice cereal, mini marshmallows, vanilla extract, and salt, they’re the perfect balance of crunchy and ooey-gooey textures. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good old-fashioned version but I find that they can be a little too sweet and one-note. That’s why I developed these Salted Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats. They don’t stray too far from the classic, but there are just enough elements to keep things interesting.
To make these bites a little less sweet but a whole lot more flavorful, I start with browned butter, which means not just melting butter on the stovetop but really letting it cook until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. All of those toasted notes give the bars a fantastic depth of flavor and really gives them all the campfire vibes.
The other addition to these bars is a couple of tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. (Do y’all remember those peanut butter and fluff sandwiches from when we were kids?!) While it doesn’t really make these bars taste like peanut butter, it gives them just a little more richness and plays off the nutty notes brown butter.
A final sprinkle of flaky salt takes them over the top for a better-than-average rice crispy treat that kids (and kids at heart) are going to love.
Ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter
- Mini Marshmallows
- Vanilla Extract
- Smooth Peanut Butter
- Kosher Salt
- Crispy Rice Cereal
- Flaky Sea Salt
Step-by-Step:
step one: prep the baking pan
Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease the parchment with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
step two: brown the butter
Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium-low heat. Continue cooking, swirling often, until it foams, then turns golden and smells nutty with browned bits on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
step three: melt the marshmallows
Reduce the heat to low. Add 7 cups of mini marshmallows and stir until fully melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
step four: add the remaining ingredients
Stir in the vanilla, peanut butter, and salt until just smooth. Add the rice cereal and fold gently until evenly coated. Add the remaining 2 cups mini marshmallows and fold once more until combined.
step five: form the bars
Immediately transfer to the prepared pan. Press down gently and evenly with a buttered spatula or your hands (don’t compact too hard, or they’ll be dense). Finish with flaky salt on top.
step six: let rest, then serve
Cool for at least 30 minutes, then lift out and cut into 12 squares.
Recipe FAQs
Feel free to use any other nut butter that you like! These would be great with almond or cashew butter, or honestly even cookie butter (yum!)
One of the biggest mistakes when making rice cereal treats is cooking the butter and marshmallows over very high heat. This will cause them to burn and seize, so low and slow is the name of the game. Also don’t pack the mixture too tightly; otherwise, you’ll end up with really dense bars rather than ones that are light and airy.
I cannot wait for y’all to try these Salted Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats. They’re such a nostalgic kid-friendly treat, but don’t be surprised when the adults in the room eat them all up! Tag me on social @thedefineddish so I can see your final dish!
looking for more no-bake sweet treats? try these!
No-Bake Almond Butter and Raspberry Cups
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Salted Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- 1 (16-ounce bag) (about 9 cups) mini marshmallows, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt, for topping
Instructions
- Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease the parchment with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium-low heat. Continue cooking, swirling often, until it foams, then turns golden and smells nutty with browned bits on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add 7 cups of mini marshmallows and stir until fully melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the vanilla, peanut butter, and salt until just smooth. Add the rice cereal and fold gently until evenly coated. Add the remaining 2 cups mini marshmallows and fold once more until combined.
- Immediately transfer to the prepared pan. Press down gently and evenly with a buttered spatula or your hands (don’t compact too hard, or they’ll be dense). Finish with flaky salt on top.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes, then lift out and cut into 12 squares.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
