Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

When I try and think what sort of baked goods I want to share with all of you, I can get a little overwhelmed. There’s SO much out there I want to create and share. I literally have pages in a notebook with recipe ideas separated into categories – cakes, cupcakes, donuts, muffins, breads, glazes, etc. But when it comes down to actually making something? I can’t decide. I’ll sit staring at all my cookbooks, at all of the lists, and I just can’t pick something. I want it to be something worthy, something that maybe you wouldn’t think about or something that I’ve never done before. Sometimes it can be something I’ve done a thousand times before and want to share a personal favorite. It’s different every time.

This time around, I wanted something simple. Something that wouldn’t overwhelm me, something that’s been on my list, and something that wouldn’t take long at all to put together. And that’s when I decided on these.

Yes, they’re basically just traditional rice krispie treats but with a little more butter that’s browned before you mix in the marshmallows (see those beautiful brown flecks up above?!). Nothing too crazy and it doesn’t add a crazy amount of flavor, but the subtleness of the nutty/caramel flavor of the brown butter makes it clear that these are homemade.

Sometimes simple and easy is nice.

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

makes 16 2-inch squares (1 9×9 pan)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-10 oz bag mini marshmallows
6 cups rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Spray a 9×9 square pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Add cereal to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a silver-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, whisk continuously as butter foams. Once the foam subsides, keep whisking. Brown flecks will start to form. Once they’ve reached a medium/dark brown color and smell nutty/caramel-like, remove from heat. Pour in marshmallows immediately and stir using a wooden or heat proof spoon.

Once marshmallows are completely melted, add in sea salt. Pour mixture over rice cereal and mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan, pressing down so that treats are evenly distributed. Let cool. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

[source: adapted from these rice krispie treats]