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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Do you think I could make this with vegan butter with the same proportions (Miyokos brand)?
Hi Dawn, you can but I don’t know whether or not vegan butter will brown. – I’d just melt it and proceed with the recipe as written. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I made these yesterday and my husband and I inhaled them all! What a great twist on a classic. I didn’t know they still made Golden Grahams cereal. What a treat!
I brought these to work and my coworkers were amazed. Best Rice Krispies treats ever! Everyone wanted to know my secret. I used graham crackers since I had them on hand but probably created the same result as the Golden Grahams. Will be adding this recipe to my regular dessert rotation.
Hi, This looks great! Was wondering if you’ve ever added semi sweet chocolate chips?
I haven’t, Jen – but it should work. Just keep in mind that they’ll melt a bit from the heat of the marshmallow mixture.
Yum! Simple and delicious-takes me back to my childhood. I made them with coco puffs since I love chocolate and they were super.
I work for a coffee shop that sells something very similar to this bar. Your recipe is much better. I refer my customers who purchase a bar to check out your web site and make their own batch of bars. This is my go to dessert when I don’t know what to serve as they disappear off the plate very quickly…and so easy to make.
Best krispie treats ever! Little chunks of marshmallows are key to ooey goodness. This recipe is a keeper!
These are incredible. Rice Krispie treats are so yummy, but this takes them to a whole other level. I’ll never make them the old way again!
I lugged Golden Graham’s all the way back to London from New York so I could make this. It did not disappoint. They are wonderful. My very British family loved them
That’s commitment!! So glad everyone enjoyed 🙂
I’m now out of them and want to make more- any ideas for a substitution ?
I think you try graham crackers in place of the Golden Grahams. I’d crush them like the recipe indicates for the Golden Grahams. Because I’ve never used graham crackers here, I might suggest starting out by using less than the recipe calls for– (maybe 1 1/2 cups instead of 3) and use additional Rice Krispies in their place. If you don’t feel like going that route, you could always make my traditional Rice Krispies Treats.
We don’t have graham crackers either ☹️ But we do have something called digestive biscuits — I’m afraid they might turn mushy .
I think I will have to stick with the plain one
We do have Cinnamon toast cereal so I made them with this – they were also delicious .
I just bought Golden Graham’s in ASDA.
These are amazing. I did replace the Golden Graham Cereal with Honey Maid S’more Cereal. Definitely the best rice krispy treats ever. Thank you for he recipe.