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Best-Ever Rice Krispie Treats
A few tweaks to the back-of-the-box recipe make these Rice Krispie Treats the best ever.
I’m always hesitant to say a recipe is the “best ever,” especially for a dessert like Rice Krispie Treats that everyone knows and loves. But once you’ve tinkered around with a recipe for weeks — asking your kids, their friends, and basically anyone who passes through your house (tutors…cable guy…electrician…) to sample different versions — you can say it’s the best with some confidence.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the original back-of-the-box recipe but it can be made so much better with almost no effort. Here’s how: use more butter (lots more) and brown it; increase the marshmallows and stir in some at the end for extra gooeyness; add vanilla for flavor; and, of course, add salt because a little salt makes anything sweet taste so much better.
What You’ll Need To Make The Best-Ever Rice Krispie Treats
How To Make The Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats
Begin by melting the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
After the butter melts, it will begin to bubble, foam, and turn golden around the edges. Eventually it will turn a dark golden color and smell nutty — watch carefully, it will go from golden brown to burned quickly.
You’ll see little bits of golden brown sediment forming; that’s okay. But if they get too dark, go ahead and strain them out and then pour the brown butter back in the pot.
Add all but 2 cups of the marshmallows, the vanilla, and salt.
Place the pot over medium heat and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cereal.
Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until evenly combined.
Add the reserved 2 cups of marshmallows.
Stir until they are softened and partially melted. Don’t overmix — you want pockets of goo.
Transfer the mixture to a foil-lined 9×13-in baking dish.
Using the butter wrappers, press into an even layer.
Let cool for at least an hour, then use the foil overhang to lift the treats onto a cutting board.
Use a serrated bread knife to cut into squares and enjoy.
How To Freeze Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats freeze well. Place the treats in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container; freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let the treats stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
You May Also Like
- Chewy, Gooey Golden Rice Krispie Treats
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies
- Luscious Lemon Bars
- Cheesecake Bars
- Supernatural Brownies
Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats
A few tweaks to the back-of-the-box recipe make these Rice Krispie Treats the best ever.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- Two 10-oz bags mini marshmallows, divided
- 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8-1/2 cups Rice Krispies or crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-in pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly grease with softened butter. Set aside 2 cups of the marshmallows.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, preferably with a light bottom so you can monitor the color, melt the butter over medium heat (save the butter wrappers; you'll use them later for pressing the mixture into the pan). Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly.
- As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble and foam, and the color will progress from bright yellow to golden to, finally, a toasty-brown. Once you smell that nutty brown butter aroma, take the pan off the heat. (You'll see little bits of golden brown sediment forming; that's okay. However, if the sediment looks almost black, go ahead and pass the butter through a fine sieve to strain it out, then return the brown butter to the pan.)
- Off the heat, add the remaining marshmallows, vanilla, and salt.
- Place the pot back over medium heat and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cereal. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until evenly combined.
- Add the reserved marshmallows and stir until they are softened and partially melted. Don't overmix; you want pockets of goo. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and, using the butter wrapper or damp fingers, press the mixture gently into an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Let cool at room temperature for at least an hour.
- Use the foil overhang to lift the treats onto a cutting board, then use a serrated bread knife to cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (24 servings)
- Calories: 162
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 93 mg
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Worst recipe ever.
Whatever you do, don’t ever brown the butter for rice crispies! Destroyed my entire batch this way.
I just made these and added a little brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk and they are SO good! (Next time I’m just going to add the brown sugar as they’re a little too sweet with both.) I don’t think I got the butter as browned as it needed to be because I didn’t think ahead and used a dark colored pot. Next time I’m going to use something light so I can see better. I can’t wait to drop some off at my friends’ house – I’m not going to tell them they’re made differently and see what they say. Thanks!
So, I’ve made these twice now and both my husband and dad think these are the best rice krispie treats they’ve ever had!
They are perfect.
Really great! I’ve always thought these could be better but I wasn’t sure how to fix the recipe. I’ll be making these for a welcome basket and I think the family will really enjoy them. My kids and husband ate the entire pan and said they were the best treats they had ever had.
Best homemade Rice Krispy Treats I’ve had!
These were very good Krispie treats, but it was just too much butter for us. Made them again with the great add-ins of the salt, vanilla and the extra mini marshmallows (which make them awesome!) but only 4 T of butter. Much better for us. Still tasted great, but not so overwhelmingly rich. Added bonus of using less butter is I could eat more of them!
Hi Jenn. Would this recipe work with vegan marshmallows like the one you can find at Trader Joe’s? We can’t have gelatin so wanted to find out if the vegan ones would work.
Hi Ayesha, I’ve never used vegan marshmallows so I can’t say for sure – I’m sorry! If you do try it, please report back and let me know how it works out!
Made my first Cannabis Rice Krispie with the recipe. Fantastic, thanks!
AMAZING! These are truly the best way to make Rice Krispie Treats. When the adults keep coming back for more, you know it’s a keeper recipe. The tip about “pressing the mixture gently into the baking pan” is key!
This really is a great recipe. I’ve made it twice now and both times it turned out amazingly delicious. I don’t think I’ll ever use another rice krispie treat recipe again.
One thing that I should mention is that the foil is completely unnecessary, at least if you’re using a glass pan. I just buttered the pan itself and the treats cut and come out cleanly with no sticking at all. No need to waste a section of foil.
It’s definitely the best-ever rice krispie treats I’ve ever made, and I’ve followed a lot of recipes. My family agrees. Never browned the butter before, so would have to say that’s the secret to these best-ever treats. Having a dark Dutch oven and never having made brown butter before, I was winging it. Your instructions were perfect. Eventually the small bubbles came and kept increasing till it was almost a frothy foam. I noticed also that the white particles of the butter were breaking down during this time. Still didn’t see any sediment so just kept stirring and smelling. Eventually I started to see a yellowish coating on the bottom of the pan. Had to look hard though because that frothy foam made it hard to see sediment against the darkness of my pan. It was also beginning to smell sweeter which is what I thought you might mean by a nutty smell. I was patient and kept stirring until I started to see a little darkness on the edges. I took my pan off the heat quickly because was I afraid it might burn. Never was able to note the color change you talk about in your instructions (yellow to golden with brown sediment) due to the darkness of my pan, but definitely think I came very close to brown butter because of the changes I’ve mentioned. Thank you again for this delicious recipe. It’ll be my “go to” from here on.
i dont have unsalted butter will it make that much
of a difference?
Hi Debbie, Salted butter will work fine; just reduce the salt to 1/8 teaspoon. Enjoy!
Please pay extra attention to the rice cereal that’s used if you would like to maintain gluten free. Learned the hard way that the blue rice cereal box isn’t gluten free. The malt flavor in there has gluten in it.
Tried out the recipe, and my results are perfect. Best rice krispie treats I’ve ever had.
These turned out amazing! The extra marshmallows and cereal (8.5 cups is more than the box recipe) with a 9 x 13 pan results in thick treats. I expected them to be overly sweet and gooey and they were not at all. We added a chocolate topping, with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips (a few handfuls) mixed with 2 Hershey milk chocolate bars.
Best [email protected] rice krispie treats, just as the name implies. In a pinch, the empty cereal bag can be used to press the mixture into the dish, if like me, you threw out the butter paper.
We’ve made this so many times for family functions and parties and special days in the last 2 years. We LOVE it. We can’t even eat others regular rice krispies anymore. Thanks for posting it. Best ever.
This was an amazing recipe! No wonder why this was is five stars.
Best krispy treats ever! Everyone loves them whenever I bring them. Thank you!
Uhhhh….yeah! These are fabulous! I was never in love with rice crispy treats, but my hubby just switched to a gluten free diet and I thought I’d give these a shot.
Totally worth it!
How many grams per serving?
Hi Nancy, I’ve never weighed them so, unfortunately, I don’t know – I’m sorry!
These are absolute perfection. They are my go to for parties and events. People always rave about them.
Omg! You were not exaggerating! THE BEST EVER! I’m 63 years old… old enough to say I’ve tasted more than my fair share of Krispie Treats! Oh, why couldn’t I have found these 40 years ago!! Oh, that’s right… you were probably not allowed to use the stove yet since you were a mere wee one!! Delicious, Jenn! Taking them over to my 10 year old granddaughter tomorrow to celebrate the adoption of a new puppy!
May I ask are these crunchy/ crispy or soft? Also when cutting witha serrated edge knife, do I slice it or saw it? I am sure you know what I mean…I hope? Thanks
Hi Tracy, I’d describe them as soft yet chewy (with a tiny bit of crunch from the cereal). And yes, you’ll use a bit of a sawing motion when cutting them. Hope you enjoy!
All this time I’ve been indifferent to Rice Krispies but decided to make them as a fun activity to do with the kids. I decided to use your recipe and I was so astonished at how incredibly delicious these are. The brown butter addition is a game changer. Needless to say, I pretty much devoured the entire batch myself, despite it being for the kids! I am now a Rice Krispie convert. Thank you for sharing it – I can not recommend this recipe highly enough!
Oh my word!!! These are sooooo delicious. The small “tweaks” make a huge difference. The brown butter, salt, and vanilla make for an amazing chewy little taste of heaven. Do not bother making any other Rice Krispies treats. Thank you, Jenn.
This is a fantastic recipe!! My family loves it! The rice krispy treats aren’t as sickenly sweet as store bought, and they have a wonderful buttery taste.
In my opinion these are indeed THE BEST. I’ve been making the regular ones for many, many years but for my grandson’s birthday decided to give these a shot. So much nicer. And you get bigger squares!! They mixed up easier and are just wonderful. This will be THE recipe for me from now on. BUT I might still try the one with the Golden Grahams and see what we think of those. Really appreciate you giving us this great recipe!
They’re a bit plain ….😓
Hi!
Excited to try, but have novice question…. I only have one bag of large marshmallows, is that the same as one bag of mini marshmallows? Obviously can’t use it for the mix in, but want to make with what I’ve got on hand.
Thanks!!
Hi Jackie, I’ve never tried this with big marshmallows, but I suspect you could use them if you cut them in quarters before starting the recipe. (Keep in mind that they may take slightly longer to melt.) And not sure how many ounces your bag contains but you’ll need a total of 20 ounces of marshmallows for the recipe. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Jackie i only had 1 bag of marshmallows too but i needed to Use them up and i know anything Jenn makes is awesome so i halfed the recipe and they are awesome- the browned butter and vanilla is a game changer! I am definite they would be even better done with the mini ones and the extra ones mixed in at the end. I’ll be making it again the “right” way next time! 😊.
It’s true. This is the best ever recipe. I had no idea rice krispies squares could be this good – huge hit with my friends and family, now my new favourite treat!!
Probably a stupid question but is it ok to double this recipe ?
Thanks!
Not a stupid question! Sure you can double them (I’d bake them in two separate 9 x 13-inch pans.) Hope you enjoy!
We love this recipe and just tried it today. Flavor is perfect and it’s perfectly gooey. Very easy to make, and I’m no cook. We love Noodle CO’s rice Krispy treats and all agreed these are way better! We did a half batch since it’s just a 3-person household right now. Worked out great!
I just finished eating my second square of these incredible rice krispie treats. So delicious and easy to make. The directions made preparation a snap and the gooey deliciousness is the best I’ve ever had. I can’t wait till these times are over so I can make them for friends and family. For now, I’ll just have to eat them all myself!
Turned out great!! I stopped making these treats years ago because they were never sweet or chewy enough. This recipe finally changed my mind and my family and friend’s minds about homemade rice treats. I used different cereals and it also worked out well too!
This recipe is phenomenal. The brown butter gives them so much flavor, and the pockets of gooey marshmallows make them truly irresistible. This is a favorite in my household. And the fact that they freeze well is of course an added bonus. I’ve only ever been able to freeze a couple treats because they’re all gone so quickly!
I will eat this entire tray. These are the best marshmallow treats I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
This is a very good rice Krispie treat recipe. I love the whole marshmallows added at the end. I also added 3 TBSP white miso to the butter/marshmallow mix and it was SO good!
This recipe is great! I only had a 7 oz bag of marshmallows so adjusted the recipe accordingly. I did add about a cup extra of Rice Krispies. Also do NOT skip the salt! Makes this sweet treat even better!
These are the BEST rice krispie treats I have ever made!!! It was so delicious. My whole family enjoyed this dessert.
Used this recipe today, not kidding, awesome! Love the brown the butter trick.
So delicious! Made for my husband the Rice Krispie connoisseur.
I saw this recipe and didn’t have any idea what the whole “brown butter” hoopla was all about. However, I jumped in and followed the recipe exactly and carefully monitored the changes in the butter color and consistency. After I poured the finished mixture into the dish and licked the spoon, I finally understood brown butter. As my daughter would say, “OMG”. It was like a religious experience.
But I didn’t stop there. To make this already excellent recipe even more decadent, I decided to add a topping. I combined 1 cup of Nutella, 1.5 cups of chocolate chips and 1 tbl of vegetable oil. I melted these together in the microwave using 30 second bursts and mixing at each interval. After about 3 rounds, the mixture was silky smooth. I spooned it over the rice krispie treats and then popped in refrigerator to set to 30 minutes. Then cut them into squares and put into individual cupcake cups so my daughter could take them to work. Received phenomenal reviews from everyone.
Hi Jenn,
Love you, Love your recipes! My grandchildren love these – sometimes I add a chocolate drizzle – yum. Now I send them to my granddaughter in college. I always make 2-3 batches because all the other kids love them too. Every time I send a “care” package, this is always on her wish list. What a WINNER! Thanks –
I love this recipe and when anyone asks for a rice krispie recipe, this is the one I share. It’s perfect as is. To smooth out the top, I layer either parchment paper or plastic wrap, and then roll whatever canned food I have over it.
Once Upon AMAZING Rice Krispie treats ever! Making more than once a week! Thank you!
These are the Best ever!!
I have made these the last couple years for each of my kids birthday treat to take to school. They request them every year. I grew up never liking Rice Krispie treats because they were always hard. This recipe has a wonderful buttery taste and they are always soft! I will never try another Rice Krispie treat recipe again.
Literally THE BEST rice krispie treat recipe anywhere. My kids are already big krispie treats lovers and when I made these I had to make two batches the same week because we were addicted. Now any special occassion or holiday comes around this is what they ask for. The browning of the butter makes ALL the difference. This is the perfect way to take a classic treat to the next level and really impress your friends and family!
These are the best I have ever had and tried. I made them for a work bake sale and received so many compliments. For the holiday season I added a drizzle of white chocolate and some Christmas sprinkles. So good. I need to make more for family and friends. Thank you
These really are the best rice krispies treats!! Everyone I serve them to, raves about them!
I’ve made these twice, and they’ve been amazing both times!
These are stupid good. I made a pan for dessert, and have already eaten a row before dinner. 🤦
LOL – glad you like them! 🙂
I love these! They are perfect and I always get compliments when I take them to a get together! If you throw away the butter wrapper, you can also flip the marshmallow bag inside out, place your hand in it, and press it into the pan 🙂
Thanks Jennifer for this tried, tested and true recipe! I absolutely love the browned butter, and the marshmallow-to-butter-to-cereal ratio is bang on!! 🙂
WOW! I have a 3.5 year old so we have had our fair share of Rice Krispies in our lifetime. These are hands down the absolute best recipe. The vanilla, dash of salt and browning the butter really take these to the next level! I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the back of the box recipe! 15/10!!
The browned butter makes all the difference! I added 1 extra tsp butter and rainbow sprinkles for a pop of color, and pressed them into muffin cups for a kid’s birthday party.
Made these earlier today and my husband says they are the best ever! I believe the browned butter makes all the difference, as well as reserving some mallows and adding them at the end! Love all your recipes!
I made these for a July 4th pool party. They were easy to make and were a total hit at the party. I sprinkled some red, white and blue sprinkles over them for a festive touch. Thanks for this tweak of an old standby.
This is an outstanding recipe! I have had other good rice krispy treats before, but this recipe is as good or better than any of them. The directions are very clear and accurate and the preparation time is also as represented. I have now served them at numerous events and everyone loves them!
I have made this recipe countless times as written. It’s fantastic and I always get lots of compliments. But yesterday I finally got to try something that I’ve wanting to do for a while: half Rice Krispies and half Fruity Pebbles. My goodness. It was marvelous. Make it either way and it will be addictive.
I couldn’t get a picture because these bars disappeared so quickly. They had more substantial buttery, caramel flavor than other Rice Krispie treats!
OMG, the title says it all – these are the best rice krispie treats ever! My husband watched me browning the butter and was intrigued. After watching me assemble them and tasting later he declared the brown butter and extra marshmallows the secret to the “pockets of fluff”. I served them to visiting family and they raved about them, too! Another winner, Jenn.
This recipe is amazing! These are elevated rice krispy treats. Your instructions to brown the butter were so helpful. I’d never done it before this recipe. Browning butter is my happy place. The smell is heaven! My family, friends and co-workers have all enjoyed this recipe many times. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
I’ve made this recipe twice so far and it’s been a big hit in my house. My sister loved it – only my mom said there were too many marshmallows. I quartered the recipe. However, the first time I made these treats, I think I browned the butter too much. But I definitely recommend this recipe.
My family (adults!) loves the Chewy, Gooey recipe with the secret ingredient. Now a staple.
I absolutely love this recipe… have used it several times since I first saw it on your website. It is so much better than the original recipe on the Rice Krispies box. The problem is that when I make a batch, I can’t stop eating them!
Also love all your other recipes. I signed up a number of years ago to get them by email. Haven’t found a single one I didn’t like. Your website is the first place I go to when I need something to make for guests and want to be sure it will be great. The details and pictures you include also help me to be successful.
Thanks for always being there for me!
❤️
I have made these many times over, and they are fantastic. I love the addition of salt and vanilla, and browning the butter is the clincher. People always ask, “what’s in here??”. A tip for browning the butter is to use a pan with a light colored bottom so you can see the stages the butter goes through, and pull the pan away from the heat at just the right moment. In my opinion, using a wooden spoon to constantly stir the marshmallows while they melt seems to help.
After reading some of the negative reviews, I was left to wonder about the expectations of some people. I think “treat” in the name says quite a bit. That’s what they are, a sugary, gooey, delicious treat, not a main course. If you want a salad, then eat one but don’t criticize a dessert food for butter, sugar etc. By following the directions, and studying the pictures for just a minute, these are fool-proof!
Sadly, there are no Rice Krispies available over here anymore… 🙁 And I don’t want to spend $8 (for a seriously small box!) and have them shipped via Amazon, that seems a little over the top.
So my choices are:
Chocolate Krispies
some grain shaped cereals made from oats
plain puffed rice
Any suggestions what to use for best results?
Thanks,
Anna
Hi Anna, I think you’ll get the most predictable results with the Chocolate Krispies. The other options may work, but the texture will be different. Please let me know what you end up using! 🙂
So, I made half a batch using Chocolate Krispies and half a batch using puffed rice. Because the puffed rice has no added sugar I melted some more Marshmallows to have a comparable sugar content.
The Chocolate Krispies batch looked weird, but tasted great, I especially liked the “crunch”.
The puffed rice batch was a lot higher (I used the same pan), and tasted great. But it missed the “crunch” and although the taste was really good, it was too chewy for my taste.
Next time I’ll try whether other manufacturers have something more similar to Rice Krispies than the puffed rice.
But Chocolate Krispies were the better substitute. If I have to keep using the Chocolate Krispies I might try adding some peanut butter…. 🙂
Jenn, Rice Krispie Treats (named brand) are NOT gluten free. They did have a GF version at one time but are no longer in production. I have a cottage food business and going to incorporate these into my line up. They are amazing and have added a couple small changes. I did find gluten free crispie cereal at my local Winco. It is their store brand. Thanks again for making a difference in the original dry crispie treats!
So glad you like these enough to incorporate them into your line up! (And regarding them being gluten-free, I know that not all brands of rice cereal are gluten-free, but put them in the gluten-free adaptable category because they are available in gluten-free versions. (I have a disclaimer at the bottom of all the gluten-free adaptable recipes indicating that.) Hope that clarifies! 🙂
I love you!!!
Great recipe. Really good detail on adding the reserve marshmallows. This is the only thing I can make that actually turns out really good.
Thank You
These rice krispy treats are perfection. I love the brown butter! Thank you for another five star recipe!
Other than to use it to pull it out of the pan, is there a reason to use the foil lining in the pan as long as you butter it? Could you use parchment?
Hi Beth, sure, parchment will work here too. Hope you enjoy!
Excellent and really easy! I add melted chocolate chips on top, wow ! Thanks!
Totally amazing! I may need to make another pan to take to work as this pan is going to disappear.
Would be a hit at bake sales and any party!
I have light butter in fridge…can I use it for this recipe Jen?
Thank you!
Rochelle
For the best results, I’d stick with regular butter – sorry!
These are the best rice Krisipie treats I’ve ever had!! I’ve made them twice in the past week. The only change I made is that I used a full tsp of vanilla and I also doubled the salt. The gobs of marshmallows not fully melted are amazing
These truly are the best ever rice krispies treats, great recipe. Made a second batch and added peanut butter chips and chocolate chips…OhMyGoodness, they were wonderful.
Game changing rice crispy treats!! Made them last night and I’ve eaten 4 already!! (I did cut them medium sized at least lol) my whole family loved them! I’ve never thought to use browned butter, oh so much flavor!! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!!
HOLY MOLY. These are LIFE-CHANGING delicious. They have such a depth of flavor that elevates something simple, and makes it extraordinary. I will never make Rice Krispies treats the same way again! 😍
Perfection. Delicious. Took to the office and they were devoured.
Followed recipe to the letter. I’ve made the Chewy, Gooey Golden Rice Krispies Treats from this site and be careful: I almost used 2 sticks of butter for this recipe. (uses 1.5 sticks)
Excellent treats.
I have never commented on a recipe before. I don’t enjoy making RK Treats because I can never get them to come out right. Too hard, too sticky, too dry. You name it – they never came out right. These came out perfectly. I only have one complaint . . . I can’t stop eating them. But that is more of my own problem.
The BEST rice krispies squares recipe!!!
Is it 1 1/2 or 2 cups butter? I printed the recipe out for my files last year and the recipe is different online now?
Hi Stacey, the recipe calls for 1.5 sticks (not cups). I think you may be confusing this recipe with the one for Golden Rice Krispies Treats as they call for 2 sticks of butter. Hope that clears things up! 🙂
Please remove “gluten free” from this. You are endangering those with gluten issues by saying it gluten free. Not all rice crispy (any cereal) and marshmallows are gluten free. Someone out there would not understand the “hidde gluten” and would make these to hand out to children declaring it as gluten free. In some cases, this can KILL a child for false advertisement .
Hi Vicky, Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Yes, I’m aware that not all rice cereals are gluten-free. I’m trying to determine how to navigate the gluten-free recipe category carefully since so many gluten-free recipes call for ingredients that aren’t necessarily gluten-free, but rather available in gluten-free versions. While I figure out the best way to go here, I’ve removed the gluten-free category from the index.
I have celiac disease and have made many many many of Jenn’s recipes. If you have celiac disease or care for someone who does, I’d think that the baker or cook is responsible for making sure that THAT particular rice cereal is gluten free. I found GF rice crispy at Aldi. Most marshmallow’s are gluten free – again, really not Jenn’s responsibility.
I’m not trying to be condescending, I’m just pointing out that if someone is making these – even if THEY don’t have celiac, but want to make it for someone who does, then you need to read labels. There’s also an app that I find to be very helpful – GF Scanner. Try it out!
The people who are REALLY responsible are the food companies and sometimes supermarkets. Some GF versions of regular products look almost identical. Go look at the Van’s Waffles in the grocery store. Even my husband picked up the wrong box.
Thanks Jenn for always thinking of us celiacs! xoxoxoxo
Gluten free mom- take it down a notch. I am also a mom to a child with a dangerous allergy. That is my responsibility as a mom to know what I should and should not feed my child- NOT the culinary professionals who share recipes for all people. Jenn, thanks for the recipe- it’s really wonderful!
Exactly Holly. I am Gluten Intolerant and I know what I can and cannot eat. I am making these and making modifications based on my needs. Chill out Gluten free Mom.
The Best recipe for Krispy treats ever!!
Made these with my daughter for the first time today, as a treat for the holidays. Absolutely fantastic. No troubles or problems with the amount of cereal and marshmallows. You do need to work quickly because the marshmallows get sticky fast (which is normal, has nothing to do with this particular recipe). Will definitely make these again. Yet another 5 star recipe from Jen! Thank you so much!
Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats!!!!! I’ve tried a few but yes these really are the best according to everyone from my 12 year old and her friends to my 47 year old brother, my 74 year old mother and everyone in between. I followed the recipe exactly after corresponding with Jenn the Chef as I contemplated using a smaller pan but I am glad I didn’t as the treats were perfectly sized. Her advice and ideas were much appreciated. This is the perfect recipe and Ms. Segal was very helpful.
I use these exact same ingredients in MY bars….but your recipe is a hundred times better! Thank you you!
These have ruined me for all other rice krispie treats for ever… So good!!!!!
Hi living in London I ran out of golden grahams so made this . How come despite the same amount of Rice Krispies and marshmallows you use less butter? I had a heck of a time mixing the Rice Krispies into the marshmallow mixture so I ended up using almost 2 cups less. Just curious
Hi Leeann, Sorry you had a problem with these! I’m honestly not sure why I used a different amount of butter here. (I developed the two recipes separately and have never had a problem with either one.)
Absolutely THE BEST!! I get so many compliments when I make these for parties. They always vanish too! Thanks for such an EASY, amazing recipe!
This recipe really is the best!!! My partner and I can’t believe how overwhelmingly gooey and delicious the result is. Thank you!
Worst recipe ever. It’s a complete disaster… Do not try
Best ever!! This is the only recipe I use and it’s perfect as is.
These are the best rice krispie treats I have ever had! The brown butter and the golden grahams are the secret. These have become a much requested treat within our extended family.
I love this recipe. I add colored sprinkles to make my granddaughters unicorn rice bars. These are good treats
Hands down the best recipe ever!!!! I sent to my son at college. He was able to trade one small rice crispy treat for two mac and cheese bowls
I can bake almost anything. An elaborate wedding cake? No problem. A 24 layer Dobosh Torte with Swiss meringue buttercream? Can do! Candies, cookies, and more, I can do. But I, for some reason, have never been able to make a halfway decent rice krispie treat. (seriously, you could break your teeth on my earlier attempts.) . Until now. This really is the best recipe around!
Thank you for this recipe. It was a hit for my husband that has never tasted homemade rice krispies! The browned butter adds an extra layer of sophistication.
SoOOooOooo GOOOOD!!!! I haven’t been eating sugar for the past 2 months and decided this was this recipe to cheat with (and it was worth it). These have such a great depth of flavor, I will be making again for F&F 🙂 thanks for sharing!
These were super simple and came out great! I made then for the 4th or July and i went to the store to get the supplies and luckily got the last box of rice crispies!!!
I am an avid home baker. I like Rice Krispie Treats but never made them for anyone but family. I felt like they were a cheat, like store bought cookie dough. And then I made THESE! These are truly The Best Ever. I even tried tweaking them, adding more butter or more marshmallows. Went back to your recipe. I’ve taken them to work, to bake sale, parties… always get the same reaction, they look at them , take one, take a bite, then they get that look on their face! Joy! Thanks for a great recipe. Katrena-June 2018
I made two batches of these for an end of the school year party & they were a huge hit with the adults & children! The amount of browned butter plus addition of vanilla, salt & 2nd batch of marshmallows really amped the flavor without changing it so much they didn’t taste like Rice Krispie Treats anymore. A couple of people said I should sell them!
I made as written but did dip one end into melted white chocolate & sprinkles.
The title does not lie. The combo of the browned butter and vanilla is the kicker. I used more krispies–about 10 cups–cause I don’t like them too goopy. Thought they were perfect. So did everyone at the BBQ. The pan was practically licked clean.
Also used the mallow/butter base for s’mores treats (golden grahams + chocolate chips). All were devoured, with people making a point to tell me they were “seriously good.”
I did notice the marshmallows initially had a hard time mixing with the browned butter. I kept the heat on and vigorously mixed for maybe 4-5 mins and eventually it combined together.
I will be making these again and again. So happy I found this recipe.
I have been using this particular recipe for a few years now, and have it bookmarked on all my devices. I didn’t know much about browned butter before I began making my own RKTs, but now I am obsessed with brown butter blondies with white chocolate. Thank you for inspiring me to do more. You are a genius and it’s obvious you are an expert.
These are the best ever Rice Krispie bars! I was visiting family and they had this recipe to make for a sweet treat. They were easy to make and really are the best I have ever tasted! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe! I’m 15 and I love to bake, and I had no experience of browning butter, but your descriptions really helped! I nailed it on the first try! They taste really good and I was worried about having too much butter at first, but the cereal absorbed it. Adding the marshmallows at the very end was genius! I agree, it may be too buttery for some, but I like it!
So glad you enjoyed these, Cassie (and love that you’re 15 and know your way around the kitchen!) 🙂
I am a serious fan of RKTs. Wanted to start making my own because I am tired of spending $3 for one at Starbucks every time a craving hits! This was my first attempt (ever) at making RKT and I went with this recipe because of all the great reviews. While the browned butter, salt and vanilla additions are great, the sheer amount of butter used here is just entirely too rich. I had one and almost immediately felt sick. And I’m far from a lightweight (in both body mass and eating habits!) Proceed with caution here. I could cut the butter in half and I’m sure they’d still be great, and actually edible. Perhaps to each their own. But this was way too rich for my blood/stomach.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This was the first time I was able to make RKT without them turning into bricks! Amazing recipe, truly the best I’ve ever had! The only bad part is, I’m going to be gaining 10 lbs of marshmallow to my waistline! Also, beautiful pictures and step by step instructions, thank you!
This recipe is absolutely perfect! I never thought of adding mini marshmallows a after mixing in the cereal! This will be a go to for me! ❤️
This recipe is seriously incredible. It takes rice krispie treats to a whole new level. My daughters came home from college and that pan was gone in an hour. There’s simply no going back after trying these. To press it down, I just sprayed my hands with cooking spray pushed them firmly down. Waiting for them to cool down is the hardest part!
These are the BEST Rice Krispies recipe EVER!!! I would probably add a little extra marshmallows in the middle of process to add even more of the gooey texture.
Honestly thought how different could any Rice Krispie treat recipe be from any other. But this recipe is really great. The addition of the vanilla and pinch of salt makes all the difference in the world.
I made these for Valentine’s Day and they were absolutely delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly and everyone loved them. They were not too sweet at all… they were perfect!
These were way to sweet and could never feed these to my kids. Way to much marshmallows and butter. I had one and instantly felt sick. These reviews must be wrong.
I agree way too sweet.
Yes and way too much butter had to throw out the whole batch
Agree!! What a waste of ingredients. All the grease at the bottom and a glob of brown marshmallow. I’ve made RKT so many times and this was awful!! So frustrating also!!
Not wrong, just different taste preferences.
This really is the best recipe for rice krispie squares! It is super flavorful because of the browned butter. For new cooks or young cooks with little experience, Browning butter may seem daunting! But your photos are very helpful as are your descriptions of the smell, color and what the butter will actually do during the process. Making this the first time was the first time I had browned butter, but it went well! The recipe turned out fantastic and they were devoured. I think I ended up making three batches that week alone! I’m now on my fifth go since December and I have it down to a science in my kitchen.
I personally think you could add a hair more butter, maybe a total of 1 3/4 cups? I feel like there’s not enough butter to melt the marshmallows. But it always works out.
Another tip? Use the mini mallows for better melting uniformity. Or cut up big mallows. They don’t melt fast enough when whole.
Another tip: the stirring and melting of the mallows into the butter needs to be renamed “beat the ever living snot out of those mallows and stir hard and fast because everything is cooling in record time and you must get these mallows melted!!”
Last time: when mixing in the cereal, the instructions should read “be prepared to use every ounce of power your biceps can muster and don’t be afraid to get your shoulder into the movement! Move move move! Mush mush mush! Beat that cereal into submission!”. Holy crap is that part a workout!
Great recipe! Am going to troll some of your others to see what you’ve done with blueberries as of late 🙂 hehe
OMG I love this review. You just made my day!!
had to comment, this is my first time making Krispie Treats and i was terrified of turning them into dust. thanks to you, i am very much looking forward to the next batch. i have a bone to pick with them mallows. >:)
Someone suggested that she kept the marshmallow mixture on low heat while adding the cereal slowly and said that was the ticket! No workout necessary!
Amazing treats! the whole family loved them! thank you for this recipe!
Awesome! Made these for a Super Bowl Party, added green food coloring, for the EAGLES, and they were a huge hit! Nice and soft
I love how you are something plain and elevate it. Those few simple steps, browning butter, adding marshmallow pockets made something every day special. Just that little bit of effort made a simple treat a dessert!
Just made this today. I love rice Krispy squares! This recipe has so much flavour, probably from browning the butter and the added salt. I agree with the label of Best Ever Rice Krispy Squares!!!
Jenn, I am so happy I found your website! Thank you for giving this non-cook the confidence and instruction to make delicious recipes! Question about the butter browning, about how long ? My butter turned a very dark color and when mixed with the cereal, my krispies became slightly brown. They still came out yummy though!! Any tips would be appreciated.
I, too, am happy that you found the site! 🙂 The browning of the butter should take 3 to 5 minutes. Perhaps you added a bit of the sediment (that forms when browning butter) to the mixture. That might account for the slightly brown color.
These tasted delicious but turned out rock hard! What did I do wrong? (Yes I used butter and followed the recipe exactly). Maybe they sat out too long? I let them sit for 2 Hours (???) before packing them up. Could that be it?!
Angie, Sorry to hear these turned out hard! Letting them sit out for 2 hours shouldn’t make much of a difference. Is there any chance you could’ve made a measuring error?
I love this recipe and so does my family! It turns out perfect every time! The only think I experiment with is the butter. Too my surprise I find that organic butter is the best even better than the expensive European butters. One thing I learned while on the hunt to prefect the RKT recipe was to not pack them too tight when they are warm. Just a light touch to even then out. Over packing will definitely turn them to rocks when cool. 🙂
Thanks for our family’s favorite recipe!
This is the best rice crispie treat recipe I have used.
I want to try this, but don’t want such a big pan hanging around (too tempting!). Can I half this & obtain good results? I’m thinking an 8×8 pan should work. What do you think?
Yep that should be fine. Enjoy!
AMAZING!! I make these at least twice a month. It is a family favorite.
Amazing!! So delicious. Can’t stop eating them!!
Are you trying to say around 3 to 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract? Not three-fourths of a teaspoon? I noticed the same thing with the salt, is it half of a teaspoon or 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt?
Hi Molly, Those are fractions – so three-fourths of a teaspoon of vanilla and a half teaspoon of salt.
So disappointed with this. Followed all directions and not enough marshmallows!!
Sorry to hear you had a problem with the recipe, Rose! Did you make any adjustments to the amounts of the other ingredients?
I can’t believe you didn’t have enough marshmallows. I followed the recipe to the letter and mine are soooooooo marshmallowy! (Not complaining!)
Amazingly delicious!!!
I made this recipe for a xmas party at work and they were a huge hit, I received compliments all day!
Fantastic!!!! So chewy and delicious. I’ve been making these wrong for so many years. My husband and children LOVE this recipe. And it’s so easy. Can wait to deliver them around the neighborhood!
Jenn, I want to send a batch of your Rice Krispie treats to some soldiers oversea. Do you think I can make the recipie as is and ship them? Thank you!
Hi Lu, while these are pretty sturdy, I don’t think they’ll be all that fresh by the time they get to the soldiers. Some other options that may work are any of my biscotti recipes (these chocolate biscotti and really well-liked), or Toffee Almond Sandies. Hope that helps (and what a nice thing to do at the holidays)!
Thanks Jen! Ha, I was just thinking about your chocolate biscotti!
Very good
I hardly ever write reviews, but had too. Hands down, BEST EVER recipe!! Made for child’s bake sale and he was so happy that they sold out and he heard so many kids saying how good they were.
I too, hardly ever write reviews, but had to for this one! They’re delicious!
Great reviews, so I tried this. Never made rice crispy treats before, but I’d heard it was super easy. AND I bake. Not just regular baking, but gluten free, as well. Completely from scratch.
Well, I followed the directions, but the butter–on med-high–never browned. It was on about 8 minutes. The sound changed, the smell got the nuttiness. I went for another minute…still no browning. So I pulled it off and added the marshmallows, salt, vanilla. On low, after several minutes, it barely melted. I turned it up higher and higher. Finally, after probably 10 minutes and getting up to medium heat, it became a mass of marshmallow, floating in butter. No matter how I stirred, it just never combined. After another 2-3 minutes of absolutely no change or combining, I figured I’d better start mixing in the cereal. It was a total disaster. Butter coating the bowl(Aside from a deep stock pot, I didn’t have a pot big enough for the whole mixture, so I transferred to a huge mixing bowl) crispies refusing to combine and just sliding all over the place. Complete F-ing disaster. With crispies crunching under my feet, I said “screw it” and turned the entire mixture out onto a huge cutting board and did my best to knead the crispies into the completely unmixed mixture of molten mallows and slippery butter, without burning myself or completely smashing the crispies. I finally gave it no choice but to combine and in the end it tasted ok, and looks fine, but I worked on that for more like 45 minutes and then spent another 45 cleaning up the kitchen. So, can you please tell me… what went wrong. Why didn’t the butter and marshmallow, salt, vanilla mixture never combine?
Thank you,
Zoya
Hi Zoya, sorry to hear this was a bit of an ordeal for you! Did you by chance use margarine or a butter substitute? That might account for the problem with the ingredients combining.
What did you use for this Recipe-Butter or Margarine??? And can I ask what brand it was?? I am going to try to make this and what them to turn out Great like yours….every time I had made them they turn out hard as a brick after they set up😪 Thank You!!
Hi Jennifer, I use regular store-brand butter; nothing fancy. Did this recipe come out hard for you? If so, happy to try to help troubleshoot!
The name says it all. The best!!
All I can say is OMG these are ooey gooey good 😊 I have tried to make good rice krispy treats before and the browned butter is what they were missing. That nutty flavor is 💋
Do you have to have unsalted butter? Does it make a difference?
You don’t have to use unsalted butter, but the primary reason that recipes call for it is that the amount of salt in salted butter varies by brand. This makes it harder to calibrate the rest of your seasoning in the recipe. While it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. Hope that helps!
AMAZING!
And the tip to use the butter paper to spread out the mixture was genius!
These are amazing! I am not normally a fan of rice krispie treats but I needed to make them for my son’s daycare. After I made them, the batch didn’t even make it to daycare because my husband and son ate so many of them. They are fantastic!
These were amazing! Great recipe!
Omg… Finally found the recipe for PERFECT rice krispy treats! Yes!
I made a batch for my kid’s birthday treat for her classmates and they all LOVED it, including the teacher who couldn’t resist sneaking a bite before the birthday song was sung…..
I used Trader Joe’s rice krispies and marshmallows (less “bad stuff” in the ingredients than Kraft brand) and they turned out really delicious. The big marshmallows took a little time to melt but wasn’t too tedious.
The browned butter heightened the taste – highly recommend!! Am making again this weekend….
My husband always loved the large rice krispie treats with the partially melted marshmellow, but my attempts only ever tasted ok. This is the perfect recipe if you like that little bit of marshmellow chunk in your treat! Everyone loves this recipe!
Omg, this was the best rice krispy treat I have ever had in my life. My kids loved them too! The instructions were so easy to follow.
First time making Rice Krispie treats. Recipe was great. Unfortunately put husband’s grandfather’s cake pan in dishwasher and ruined it. Can I add peanut butter to this recipe?
Sorry to hear about the cake pan!! I haven’t added peanut butter to these, but a few other readers have commented that they’ve added a few tablespoons with good results.
This is the best recipe ever! I love these. I am not usually a fan of homemade rice krispie treats. I made these for my family and decided to try one and I am hooked. I have mixed in mini chocolate chips, almond butter, butterscotch chips and mini candy coated chocolate pieces. Each time they come out delicious!
Best ever indeed. The butter browning process was a little intimidating (the butter spits!), but it takes these to another level. I love how this recipe makes taller, more substantial treats than others I’ve tried. My family also loved the little marshmallow pieces flecked throughout. This will be my go-to Rice Krispies Treats recipe.
These rice krispie treats were DELICIOUS! The browned butter added a layer of scrumptious flavor and the marshmallows added at the end added a little extra texture. The kids loved it and the teacher as well!
Thanks for another tasty easy-to-prepare recipe!
Thank you so much for posting this great step by step tutorial/recipe! First time making rice crispy treats and they turned out great! Added sprinkles at the end before putting in the pan and then added more on top after pressing the mixture into the pan. Very happy!
I am making these for my son’s wedding. They are going to surround the chocolate fountain. I would like to do some flavored ones any suggestions??? Has anyone tried to swirl colors? I’d like to figure out how to get a burgandy color swirl
I want to add some color with some mini M&m’s. Any thoughts on the best way to this? I’m afraid if I just sprinkle them on the top they will fall off easily?!?
Hi Lisa, I think you could get away with that. I’d add them along with the cereal. LMK how they turn out!
Better than what I’d imagined. I got a little nervous upfront about the Browning of the butter but it was a simple.
I’ve made mine like this before, only what I’ve also done (to get the campfire marshmallow flavor) is toast the marshmallows under a broiler to brown them a bit before scraping the mess into the pot. That’s probably about the only thing you could do to this to take it up another notch and still maintain the feel of a classic (e.g. not adding peanut butter or chocolate chips, or anything else that would degrade the simple and pure flavor).
Not an exaggeration – I have made these at least a dozen times and heard from more than a dozen people that this recipe for Rice Krispies is the best they’ve ever had! Thanks for making me look like a rock star chef Jenn!!
I made these for the very first time! It was a big hit with my family. Very tasty and gooey!! Will never buy them again, will always make homemade ones. I do have 1 question, if I use the regular size marshmallows how much should I use? Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
I can’t find 10 oz bags of marshmallows so how many cups total do you need?
I did some very crude math and I believe you’d need a total of about 12 cups. Hope you enjoy!
These bars were amazing, our 17 year old farm helper said they were the best he had ever had! i tried making them without browning the butter (forgot, didn’t have the recipe in front of me so went of memory) and i think that and the salt are the secret. They are truly amazing.
Thanks!
To step these up another notch use almond extract instead of vanilla.
What size box of Rice Krispies do you buy to get the 8 1/2 cup of cereal?
The family size is 24oz, but I also have an 11oz box of Fruity Pebbles I wanted to make into treats.
Would I need to cut the recipe in half to do an 11oz box of cereal?
I believe the small box of Rice Krispies is 12 ounces and that’s what I’ve used. 11 ounces of the Fruity Pebbles should be enough. Hope you enjoy!
These were delish! The only thing that I didn’t like was the aluminum foil did not work out so great. When I started to cut them into squares, it stuck to the rice krispies treats so much that I had to use a knife to cut foil off. I will def be using this recipe again just won’t use tin foil tho!?
Hi Alaine, It’s important to use heavy duty foil (such as Reynolds) — if you don’t have it, you can also use parchment paper.
They now have non-stick foil. That’s what I use. (typically, the non-stick side is the dull side)
😉
I most definitely will try this because no doubt it has to be a winner. Whenever I make Rice Krispie Treats I spray my stirring utensil w/cooking spray, it helps keeps things from getting so sticky. I also spray the pan for easy removal. I will give the foil method a try. Usually they don’t last long enough to be cut, just pull off some and gobble.
How long can you keep them? I wanna make them now and keep them for 2 months til the event I’m using them.
Hi Sara, You can freeze them for up to 6 weeks. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container.
This recipie IS the best ever! I’ve already made them twice. Trying to restrain myself and not eat the whole pan! The goey pockets of marshmallow was a genius idea!
These are absolutely delicious. The chunks of marshmallows from the 2C you hold out and the salt are what make these stand out. I am next going to try the recipe with the Golden Grahams!
Thank you for sharing this Jenn.
My kids love this, esp the extra gooey factor!
The brown butter really makes a difference.
Thank you for another great recipe.
Heidi
I made these Rice Krispies and didn’t want to share. The brown butter, salt and vanilla made all the difference! YUM!
These are definitely kicked up a notch !
Love them!
I just made these and they ARE the best Rice Krispies Treats ever! I’m going to have to hide them from my sister!
Oh my goodness. These are too good for my health. Way too easy to whittle off an edge here and there : ) I can’t wait to try your other version! Thank you!
These are absolutely delicious! I never liked Rice Krispie treats, but these are a keeper!!! The golden ones are even more amazing 😉
My husband and I agree…these are the best Rice Krispie treats we have ever had.
Made these for my teenage son and his friends and they just about inhaled the platter. Had to immediately make a second batch. Thank you!!
I live in a country where marshmallows are hard to come by, but that jarred Fluff stuff is plentiful. How would you modify this recipe to use Fluff instead of marshmallows? (Or would that be a terrible idea? I’ve never had Fluff!)
Thank you!
Hi Jess, I’ve never tried it but on the Rice Krispies website it says that 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows, so you’d need 2 jars. Please lmk how it turns out if you try it!
I added the LorAnn peanut butter oil extract in with the butter, vanilla mixture and then browned.
Once the marshmallows had melted I added a shake of cinnamon and 2 rounded tablespoons of peanut butter to melt together. Then added the Rice Krispies.
Amazing recipe!