Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Slightly nutty and much more flavorful than store-bought treats. The brown butter adds a subtle toasted richness.
Texture: Crispy, sticky, and gooey with that perfect marshmallow pull.
Ease: Super easy. Browning butter sounds fancy, but it takes just a few minutes and makes a huge difference.
Why You’ll Love It: An upgraded version of the classic that still comes together in about 10 minutes.
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Would you believe that I didn’t like the packaged Rice Crispy Treats as a kid? Even back then, the taste was way too sweet for me.
But I remember the first time I saw homemade rice crispy treats made right in front of me. It felt almost magical how quickly they came together.
This Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats recipe is that same simple concept, just elevated.
The brown butter transforms them into something much more flavorful without making the process any more complicated.
Reader Love
I made this today for the first time…and wow!! It’s almost gone already! Everyone loves it!!
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Reader Love
I’ve made this recipe 4x in the last 4 months! It’s an instant crowd pleaser & has everyone asking “what is the secret ingredient?” The browned butter levels these up from an after-school-snack, to a dinner party dessert! My only edit is to 2 tsp of vanilla.
Thank you Tessa for this recipe!!
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Sprinkle of Science
Ingredient Notes
Brown Butter: This is where the magic happens. Browning the butter creates a nutty aroma and amber milk solids that deepen the flavor dramatically. Use a stainless steel pan so you can clearly see the color change.
Mini Marshmallows: Freshness matters. Stale marshmallows will produce hard bars. The marshmallows provide both sweetness and structure.
Vanilla Extract: Don’t skip this! It enhances the marshmallow flavor and complements the nuttiness of the butter. To elevate, try using vanilla bean paste (same amount).
Crispy Rice Cereal: Any brand works, but make sure it’s fresh. Stale cereal leads to stale-tasting treats.
Store-Bought vs. Homemade Rice Crispy Treats
Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats are an upgraded version of the classic no-bake dessert made with crispy rice cereal and marshmallows. Instead of plain melted butter, this version uses browned butter to add a nutty, caramelized depth of flavor.
The result? Thicker, gooier, chewier bars that taste far less artificial than the packaged kind:
How to Make Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats (Step by Step)
1. Prepare the Pan
Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Doesn’t matter if it’s glass, ceramic, or metal, though metal will give you straighter edges.
2. Brown the Butter
In a large stainless steel pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
It will become foamy and begin to crack and pop.
Once the crackling stops, continue swirling the pan. Brown bits will form at the bottom and the butter will smell nutty.
When the bits are amber in color — about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops — it’s ready.
3. Melt the Marshmallows
Immediately add the marshmallows, vanilla, and salt. Reduce the heat to low. Stir constantly until fully melted and smooth.
Use gentle heat here — too much heat can make the final bars hard instead of chewy.
4. Add the Cereal
Remove from heat and add the rice cereal. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until evenly coated.
5. Press Into Pan
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press gently into an even layer using your spatula or damp fingers.
Do not aggressively pack it down. Press firmly enough to bind, but gently enough to keep the texture chewy.
6. Cool
Allow to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour before cutting into 12 squares.
Baking Success Tips:
- Use a stainless steel pan so you can see the butter browning properly. Avoid nonstick.
- Don’t stir the butter constantly you want brown bits to form. Be sure to scrape those into the mixture for optimal flavor.
- Use fresh marshmallows and fresh cereal for best texture.
- Melt marshmallows over low heat to prevent scorching or hard bars.
- Press the mixture gently into the pan — packing too tightly leads to dense treats.
Storage & Make Ahead
These Rice Crispy Treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Do not refrigerate. Refrigeration makes the marshmallows firm and the bars hard.
Freezing is not recommended, as the texture becomes very hard. If needed, freeze airtight with wax paper between layers and thaw overnight at room temperature — but these are best fresh.
FAQs
Use fresh marshmallows and cereal, melt the marshmallows over low heat, and press the mixture gently into the pan. Overheating or packing too firmly will make them dense and hard. Don’t refrigerate.
Yes! Halve all ingredients and use an 8×8-inch baking pan.
Yes! Just eliminate half or all of the salt called for in the recipe.
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Ingredients
- 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 10-ounce bags of mini marshmallows*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 9 cups (225 grams) crispy rice cereal**
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with a stick of butter.
- Melt butter in a large stainless steel pan over medium-low heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally. It should become foamy and crack and pop audibly. When the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, add the marshmallows, vanilla, and salt to the pan. Reducing the heat to low, stir constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted. Remove from heat.
- Add the rice cereal and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the cereal is evenly coated. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing the mixture gently with your spatula, wooden spoon, or damp fingers into an even layer. Don’t be too aggressive pressing the mixture into the pan. You want to be firm enough to bind the mixture together, but not so firm that you compress it super solidly. The more tightly you pack it in, the more solid the end result will be once set. Be a little gentle so they stay chewy once set.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cut into 12 squares before serving. Squares can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
More Sweet Treats You’ll Love:
- Milano Cookies
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Homemade Fudge Rounds
- Homemade Oreo Cookies
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
- Chocolate Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
This post was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2022 with new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Amazing! Gooey and flavorful. I added m&ms just for fun. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Loved making these with my daughter! No one in my family is particularly interested in rice crispy treats, but we devoured these.
This recipe with browned butter really takes Rice Krispie treats up a notch! I have memories of baking them for the bake sale at my daughter’s gymnastics meets many years ago. Thanks for a great new version of a great recipe!
Oh, the brown butter adds SUCH a nice flavor! And so easy – if you divide the recipe – that the temptation to add salted, mixed nuts, and caramel chips could not be resisted. So good!
Now, if the Gleam Competitions entry widget only made a tenth as much sense. Why can’t it be straightforward? I feel like I spend as much time with entry as I do with baking!
These were easy to make and very tasty!
These were a huge surprise! The browned butter and vanilla is a game changer. Best ever!
This recipe is so yummy and so quick to put together. I had to hide the tray from my 3 year old because he kept trying to get more. Highly recommend making these.
Brown butter is life!!! These are amazing! The only thing I did different was leave 1 cup marshmallow out and mixed them back in after adding the Rice Krispies for puddles of marshmallows and instead of vanilla extract I used the same amount of vanilla bean paste. Love these Tess
I made these in a 12 x 17 pan because we are moving and my other pans are packed up! I actually like the size for quick sampling. The recipe was simple to make, the browned butter adds a lot of extra flavor. This recipe is a definite keeper!
WOW browning the butter made a MAGNIFICENT difference!!! I ended up using a nonstick pan that had a light gray bottom so I could still tell when the butter was browning and it worked just fine! I also didn’t have a large enough pan to fit the krispies in once the marshmallows had melted down, so I mixed everything in a big bowl. Everything was easy and delicious! VERY easy to decorate with sprinkles on top as well. I don’t have rice krispies often but I will be using this recipe every time for the future.
I made these less than 24 hours ago and have already eaten more than half of them. I usually find browned butter to be a bit overrated but with so few ingredients in these it’s really noticeable and delicious. What I liked even more though is the salt level. Not sure if I just didn’t mix things well enough but my squares have occasionally salty bites that are amazing.
Those slightly salty bites are delicious! So happy you loved this recipe, Kelli, thanks for sharing! 🙂
I never thought I’d be so excited over rice crispy treats, but these were an unexpected surprise! They’re delicious, the flavor is unique, and the texture is just the right amount of softness and chewiness. These are not something I typically bake, but when I do in the future, this will definitely be my go-to recipe!