Best Rice Krispie Treats
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A childhood favorite you never outgrow—this Rice Krispie Treat recipe gets a few irresistible upgrades for even more gooey, buttery goodness!
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 anyone who passes through your house 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 Rice Krispie treat recipe, but it can be made so much better with almost no effort. Here’s how:
- Use more butter (lots more) and brown it to deepen the flavor.
- Increase the marshmallows and stir in some at the end for extra gooeyness.
- Add vanilla extract for flavor.
- Add salt because a little salt makes anything sweet taste so much better.
If you love Rice Krispie Treats, be sure to check out my Chewy, Gooey, Golden Rice Krispie Treats (made with a secret ingredient) or my Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats for a sweet-and-salty twist.
“These really are the BEST rice krispie treats! Moist, delicious, and full of gooey marshmallow goodness!”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Rice Krispie Treat Recipe
- Butter: Provides the rich, buttery flavor and helps bind the treats together. Browning it deepens the flavor, creating a nutty, caramel-like richness.
- Mini Marshmallows: The main sweetener and binder, melted marshmallows create the gooey, sticky texture that gives Rice Krispie treats their characteristic chewiness.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of warm, aromatic flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Rice Krispies: These crisped rice cereal pieces absorb the melted marshmallow mixture and provide a crispiness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by melting the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. And don’t toss those butter wrappers—you’ll use them later to press the mixture into the pan without it sticking to your spatula!
Once the butter melts, it’ll start to bubble, foam, and turn golden around the edges. Keep a close eye on it—before long, it’ll turn a deep golden brown and smell nutty. But be careful! It can go from perfectly browned to burnt in seconds.
You’ll notice little bits of golden brown sediment forming—that’s totally fine! But if they start to get too dark, just strain them out, then pour the brown butter back into the pot.
Add all but 2 cups of the marshmallows, the vanilla, and salt to the brown butter.
Set the pot over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted and smooth.
Take the pot off the heat and add the Rice Krispies cereal. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until everything is evenly coated.
Now toss in those reserved marshmallows and stir just until they soften and start to melt. Don’t overmix—you want those delicious pockets of goo!
Transfer the mixture to a foil-lined baking dish. Using the butter wrappers you saved, press it gently into an even layer.
Let the treats cool for at least an hour, then use the foil overhang to lift them onto a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut them into squares. You can store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze them for longer storage.
Video Tutorial
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Best Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- Two (10-oz) bags mini marshmallows, divided
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8½ cups Rice Krispies or crispy rice cereal (see note)
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly grease with softened butter. Set aside 2 cups (110 g) 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 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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Hi Jenn.
Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe! I wanted to make some special treats for our 14 kids at our Kids Club! I followed your exact recipe, but added mini chocolate chips with the last 2 cups of marshmallows and it turned out Awesome!
Each child received a very large piece and just loved it!!! This is a keeper and I will make it again for my 2 granddaughters!!! So gooey and delicious!!!
Delicious!! I made these before my kids came home from school today and they were excited to see Rice Kripie treats when they walked in the door. They loved your recipe and we’ll never go back to making them the old boring way. Thanks Jenn!
WORST. RECIPE. EVER.
I’m sorry I wanted to like it but no, just no.
I honestly don’t see how someone could mess this up.. It was super yummy! I actually formed mine into little “birds nests”for Easter using a cupcake tin and pushing it down in the center. I have mini Cadbury eggs I’m putting in them too! I like store bought rice Krispy treats, but nothing beats homemade!
I love butter also, but 12 tablespoons??? That’s crazy. Way more than needed. I’d say about 6 should do it. But thanks for your version, I may try it
The recipe was ok it might be because I used off brand ingredients because it looked like the picture but the rice krispies where a little tough (not like rubery but not normal) it tasted good but I needed it to be perfect because I was using this recipe for my demonstration speech about how to make homemade rice krispies treats for my first thing I have made that didn’t get burnt it turned out ok
These are over the top! The BEST! So full of gooey goodness! Thanks, Jenn, for another outstanding recipe!
These are the absolute best rice krispie treats ever! Your tweaks to the traditional recipe are spot on Jenn. I have made this recipe several times and they are always a hit. My husband even won the Paul Bunyan trophy at work with your recipe for rice krispies. So thank you Jenn! That said, my husband wants me to make them with cocoa krispies. What do you think? Would it work? Would you make any other adjustments to the recipe?
~Cathy
Hi Kathy, so glad you like these and that they were award-winning in your husband‘s office! 🙂
I’ve never made these with Cocoa Krispies so I can’t say for sure how they would turn out but I think you could substitute some of the traditional Rice Krispies with Cocoa Krispies without any other modifications. You may want to start out using half regular Rice Krispies and half Cocoa Krispies just to test it out. Please LMK what you think if you try them this way!
I’ve made several different types of cereals to make my crispy treats Edibles and ALL have been loved. Fruity pebbles, cocoa pebbles, Pb and chocolate pebbles etc., and I didn’t mix w rice crispes, also different flavored marshmallows and fluff as well. Sky is the limit of ur taste buds and imagination 👍
I’m actually about to make Pumpkin spice ones for the 1st time right now. Happy Making 😀
I added a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips. Added even more sinful goodness.
I made these for the first time last night, super easy and delicious! I used 7 1/2 cups of crispy cereal because I like my treats gooier. I also used vegan marshmallows and vegan butter, so they’re tasty and vegan! I couldn’t find vegan mini marshmallows so I just tore up the regular ones into mini pieces. 5/5 will definitely make again.
Very good recipe! So gooey and soft! We loved it and will definitely use this as our go to Rice Krispy Square recipe! Adding the extra marshmallows at the end put it over the top!