Brown Butter Caramel Rice Krispies Treats

Soft and chewy rice krispies treats flavored with the nuttiness of browned butter and a gooey layer of caramel-infused marshmallow creme!

In this world, there are treats that you share with your friends….and then there are treats that you share with NO ONE.

For me, this is one of those treats…

These rice krispies treats are loaded with the golden sweet lusciousness of caramel…

the heavenly nuttiness of browned butter…

and never-ending gooey strings of marshmallow that hang on for dear life.

In cases like this, it’s OK to let go of your Mother Theresa tendencies and embrace the Gollum in you.

My Precious….

Everyone knows that the BEST rice krispies treats are the ones that are ULTRA gooey. Obviously. These rice krispies treats turned out especially soft and gooey thanks to two of the stickiest ingredients in the world–caramel and marshmallow creme. These two ingredients were pretty much a match made in sweet, sweet Heaven.

Being a caramel fanatic, I always have caramel on hand. Whether it’s caramel syrup for ice cream or soft chewy caramels for devouring, I’m always well-stocked. Looking through my caramel stash, I decided to go with a bag of these super addictive Lancaster caramels–soft, rich, and PERFECT in these treats.

Because there just wasn’t enough sticky ooey gooeyness already, I decided to stuff these treats with a layer of caramel-infused marshmallow creme.

Just for added “sticky” insurance…

No, you are not dreaming right now.

Whenever a recipe calls for melted butter, I almost always brown the butter. I mean, why not? All you have to do is cook the butter a little longer. Plus, who wouldn’t want that extra flavor and added nuttiness? It’s a simple step to turn this traditional kiddie treat into something more sophisticated.

Of course, you probably won’t look so sophisticated with sticky fingers and strings of marshmallow hanging from your chin once you’ve wolfed down an entire square in 3.5 seconds. 

But who cares, when they’re THIS good?

But enough small talk, let’s get to the good stuff!

First, butter or spray a 9×13 inch dish with non-stick spray. Stir the caramel topping into the marshmallow creme. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it’ll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma. At this point the butter can go from nicely browned and nutty to burnt in a matter of seconds, so KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PAN!

Once the butter has browned, add the caramels, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Continue stirring until the caramels have melted and mixture is smooth.

Turn heat down to low, add the marshmallows (reserving 1 cup), and stir until almost all of the marshmallows have melted.

Once melted, take the pan off the heat, add the reserved cup of marshmallows to the mixture, then immediately pour into the bowl of cereal. Stir until evenly coated.

Press half of the rice krispies mixture into the prepared pan. Pour the caramel-marshmallow creme mixture over the rice krispies and spread evenly. Pour the last half of the rice krispies mixture on top of the marshmallow creme and press into an even layer. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least two hours before cutting into squares. If you can’t wait that long, you can always pop the pan in the refrigerator for an hour instead.

Brown Butter Caramel Rice Krispies Treats

Soft and chewy rice krispies treats flavored with the nuttiness of browned butter and a gooey layer of caramel-infused marshmallow creme!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Setting Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24 Squares

Ingredients

  

• 1 (7 oz) container marshmallow creme
• 3 Tablespoons caramel topping
• 12 cups crisp rice cereal
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 6 ½ ounces caramels (about 30), unwrapped
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces marshmallows (reserve 1 cup)

Instructions

 

• Butter or spray a 9x13 inch dish with non-stick spray. Stir the caramel topping into the marshmallow creme. Set aside.
• Place cereal in a large bowl.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it'll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma.
• Once browned and nutty, add the caramels, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Continue stirring until the caramels have melted and mixture is smooth. Turn heat down to low, add the marshmallows (reserving 1 cup), and stir until almost all of the marshmallows have melted.
• Once melted, take the pan off the heat, add the reserved cup of marshmallows to the mixture, then immediately pour into the bowl of cereal. Stir until evenly coated.
• Press half of the rice krispies mixture into the prepared pan. Pour the caramel-marshmallow creme mixture over the rice krispies and spread evenly. Pour the last half of the rice krispies mixture on top of the marshmallow creme and press into an even layer.
• Allow to sit at room temperature for at least two hours before cutting into squares. If you can't wait that long, you can always pop the pan in the refrigerator for an hour instead.