I have several adult friends that LOVE Rice Krispy Treats, you know, the ones with melted marshmallows and margarine mixed with Rice Krispy Cereal? But, I’ll confess, I’m not quite a fan of the Rice Krispy Treat. I think they taste overly sweet with a plastic-like texture, so when I saw this recipe on the SmittenKitchen blog for a more “sophisticated crispy treat” I had to try it out!
The key update on the old classic is in the browning of the butter before adding the marshmallows. Brown butter takes on a rich, almost nutty flavor that is very distinctive and appealing. Add in a little coarse salt and you’ve taken lowly rice crispy treats and made Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats! I have to say, my Dad hates marshmallows and Rice Krispy treats….but he loved these! I bet you will too. Here is how you make them:
You can find the entire recipe for Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats here. Start by buttering an 8×8 inch pan or you can do like I did and line the entire pan with aluminum foil and spray with Pam for super easy cleanup. Set the pan aside.
In a large pot melt a stick of butter on medium-low heat, stirring frequently and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. The butter will become foamy and then start to get golden brown.
Watch the butter carefully and stir constantly because it goes from golden to burned quickly! When the butter looks nice and golden brown remove from the heat and quickly stir in the 10 oz. of marshmallows until they become all melted and smooth. Add in 6 cups of Rice Krispies Cereal and 1/4 tsp. of sea salt or you can use coarse kosher salt like I did.
Mix well to coat and spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Using a oiled spatula (or you can just spray some Pam on your hands like i did) press the mixture evenly into the pan. Make sure to press down very firmly as this will help ensure that your treats don’t fall apart when you try to cut them.
Let the treats cool completely in the pan. When cool, remove from pan and cut into small squares. To package mine for gift giving I simply cut some small squares of colored wax paper and placed in between the treats. I wrapped them up tightly in plastic wrap, taped the ends together and tied with a ribbon and added a tag. Easy and fun!
