Not Your Mama’s Rice Krispie Treats :: Part 1 :: Toasted Marshmallow Browned Butter Bars

Not Your Mama’s Rice Krispie Treats :: Part 1 :: Toasted Marshmallow Browned Butter Bars

While mindlessly scrolling one night a while back, I saw this TikTok where a woman was making browned butter Rice Krispie treats. I’ve made them that way for years — browning butter in most sweet treats and baked goods is an easy way to level them up. But it was her other addition that made me really want to try them out: crushed Golden Grahams.

I hadn’t had Golden Grahams in a decade, probably longer. And when I bought them to make this recipe, the box boasted that it was the “retro ’80s recipe using real honey.” Whatever it was, it brought me right back to childhood, watching Saturday morning cartoons in my jammies. They DEFINITELY leveled up even my browned butter Rice Krispie treats. But to take them a step further, I decided to incorporate a tip I saw in another TikTok video: toasted marshmallows.

Have. Mercy.

These were by far the best Rice Krispie treats I’ve ever had. And well worth the extra steps.

If you’re looking for other easy no-bake bars, check out these Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars or these S’mores Bars from this same recipe series.

Toasted Marshmallow Browned Butter Bars

2 sticks butter, cut into pieces
3 cups Golden Grahams cereal
5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
3 10-ounce bags mini marshallows
Salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Spray a 13×9 baking pan with cooking spray (or grease with the wrappers from your sticks of butter).

Sprinkle 2 cups of mini marshmallows on a foil-covered baking sheet.

Set aside one bag of marshmallows for a later step.

Crush the 3 cups of Golden Grahams in a large Ziploc bag. You want a few chunkier pieces for the great graham flavor, but you want it to be about the consistency of panko bread crumbs. Once the Golden Grahams are crushed, add your Rice Krispies to the bag and mix the cereals until they’re uniform.

Brown your butter: It’s best to use a light-colored pot if you have one so you can see how browned it is. Place the pieces of butter in your pot and heat over medium heat. (If the heat is too high, the butter will burn and not brown.) Stir the butter constantly as it melts. Once it’s totally melted, the butter will foam and pop around the edges. Keep stirring and after another 3-5 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown and the milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pot and toast, making it smell very nutty. And there you have browned butter!

While your butter is browning, heat your broiler. Once hot, broil your marshmallows to your desired level of toastiness. Mine took about 90 seconds — WATCH THEM VERY CLOSELY! Set aside.

Once the butter is browned, add the bag and a half of mini marshmallows, a healthy pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Add in your mixed cereal and stir until coated.

Using a greased rubber spatula, scrape the toasted marshmallows off the foil and into the pot and mix. Spread into your prepared pan and cover it with the last bag of marshmallows. Broil to your desired level of toastiness. (Mine took about 60 seconds.)

Let cool, slice & serve.

Joey Yearous
Joey is a New Orleans native, Dominican alum, and LSU grad who joined the ranks of motherhood in the summer of 2019. She and her Colorado born-and-raised husband, Phil, left their Mid-City apartment for a house on the Northshore about ten days before they welcomed their son, Sam, into the world. A short 19 months later, their daughter Sloane arrived and their caboose Nicholas completed their family 17 months after that. Though she’s always had a passion for writing, it’s her work in whole-home generator sales that pays the bills. Her 3 kiddos keep her busy, but when she’s got a free moment, you can find her cooking, trying new restaurants, and listening to true crime podcasts. A consummate Pinterest fanatic, she’s always looking for her next DIY project or recipe to try. She believes good senses of humor and random acts of kindness make the world go ‘round.

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