Chewy, Gooey Golden Rice Krispie Treats
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These toasty, golden, and caramel-y Rice Krispie Treats are made with brown butter and a secret ingredient.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
The inspiration for these delicious Rice Krispie treats comes from the bakery bar at Summer House Santa Monica, a fun restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. They’re made with a secret ingredient that gives the bars a distinctly toasty, caramel flavor. After one bite, you’ll pause and wonder, “What’s in these?” I’ll give you a clue: it starts with “golden” and ends with “grahams.” Once you try them, you may never go back to the classic version of Rice Krispie Treats! And if you want another riff on the original Rice Krispie Treats, Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are a really fun option for peanut butter lovers.
Table of Contents
“These are absolutely amazing…I work in a nice restaurant and bring them in for my coworkers…they are always inhaled and greatly appreciated!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chewy, Gooey Golden Rice Krispie Treats
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, place the Golden Grahams in a resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, the bottom of a dry measuring cup or your fist, pound the cereal into smaller pieces. You don’t want to pulverize it – some pieces should be Rice Krispies-sized, some should be larger, and some should be crumbs.
In a large pot, melt the butter 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 brown sediment forming; that’s okay.)
Once the butter is browned, remove the pan from the heat and add all but 2 cups of the marshmallows, the vanilla, and salt.
Place the pot over low heat and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cereals.
Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until evenly combined. Add the reserved marshmallows.
Stir until they are softened and partially melted, but not completely mixed in.
Using the butter wrapper or damp fingers, press the mixture into an even layer in the prepared baking pan.
Let cool for at least an hour.
Use the foil overhang to lift the treats onto a cutting board, then cut into squares. Enjoy!
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Chewy, Gooey Golden Rice Krispie Treats
These toasty, golden, and caramel-y Rice Krispie Treats are made with brown butter and a secret ingredient.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- Two 10-oz bags mini marshmallows, divided (about 10⅔ cups)
- 3 cups Golden Grahams
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
- 5½ cups Rice Krispies or crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly grease with softened butter or nonstick spray. Set aside 2 cups of the marshmallows.
- Place the Golden Grahams in a resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, the bottom of a dry measuring cup, or your fist, pound the cereal into smaller pieces. You don't want to pulverize it -- some pieces should be Rice Krispies-sized, some should be larger, and some should be crumbs.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat (save the wrappers for pressing the mixture into the pan). After the butter is melted, it will begin to bubble, foam, and turn golden around the edges. Swirl or stir the butter as it continues to brown; eventually it will turn a dark golden color and smell nutty -- watch carefully as it will go from golden brown to burned quickly. (You'll see little bits of brown sediment forming; that's okay.) This whole process should take just a few minutes. Once the butter is browned, immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining marshmallows, vanilla, and salt.
- Place the pot over low heat and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cereals. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until evenly combined. Add the reserved marshmallows and stir until they are softened and partially melted (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. Let cool for at least an hour.
- Use the foil overhang to lift the treats onto a cutting board, then cut into 18 to 24 bars, depending on how large you'd like them. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 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: 187
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Sugar: 16g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 104mg
- Cholesterol: 20mg
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.
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I’ve made this recipe as stated previously and loved it, but today I tried a slightly lighter version because I was a little short on marshmallows and it worked great! I used 1 stick of butter, used only 2 c Golden Grahams (same amt rice krispies) and about 14 oz. of marshmallows total. Did not change the vanilla, but used a scant 1/2t. Salt. They turned out great 😊Thanks for the recipe!
These are dangerously good!!! Browning the butter makes all the difference in upping the taste! They are rich, so I usually end up adding an add’l cup or two of the rice krispies. But it’s impossible to wait an hour before digging in!
I don’t think I’ve made or met a “Jenn Recipe” I didn’t like. All of her recipes (and I’ve tried many) are easy to follow and always come out wonderfully delicious.
These rice krispie treats are no exception. I’ve made them dozens of times and they are always a hit. Absolutely stellar recipe and they always turn out beautifully. They are always a hit whenever I make them and everyone asks for the recipe. I usually send everyone to this wbsite and let them know if they are not following “Once Upon a Chef”, then they absolutely should.
Kudos Jenn, for another great recipe!
Oh my gosh. These are so good! I made these as a total afterthought. I needed something in a hurry and had remembered seeing the recipe on the site. I had the ingredients so whipped it up quick and really thought I was just making a Rice Krispie Treat and really didn’t give it a lot of thought. Boy. Was I wrong! They were the absolute best and the hit of the party! I am constantly being asked to make them, and I don’t mind a bit because I love them! If you haven’t tried these yet, they are a MUST. Those Golden Grahams take the whole thing over the top.
This takes rice krispies to a whole new level! They are now a must at any of our family gatherings. And they really are pretty easy to make. I don’t even know how many times we have now made this recipe. So yummy!
My partner LOVES rice krispie bars, but he is a purist – he swears he only likes the recipe on the cereal box. For me, those treats are … ok. Definitely underwhelming. They were good when I was a kid, but I would not make them for myself. But it is fun to occasionally try to “pull one over” on him by changing up the recipe. Usually he is grumpy about these experiments. But because EVERY recipe on Jenns site that I have tried has been awesome, the last time he begged for krispie bars, I made these. I loved them. The purist loved them! I made these again this weekend, and everyone in the house loved them. A childhood favorite, re-imagined for kids and adults alike. Well done, Jenn!
These are delicious! A fun change to Rice Krispy Treats! Everyone liked them!
Truly the best ever recipe for RKT’s. Every time I make them, people rave over them. They freeze well, too! I use the highest fat content butter I can find. First time I made them with butter I brought back from France and it definitely made them better.
This is the best Rice Krispies bar by far !! Grandkids love them as well as the adults as there is a extra layer of flavors. My go too treat
Once you taste Jenn’s Chewy Gooey Golden Rice Krispy Treats you will eat no other. They are the best! My grandkids make these all the time. Using brown butter and Golden Grahams makes all the difference.