Brown Butter and Salted Butterscotch Rice Krispy Treats

Homemade Rice Krispy Treats with brown butter and a salted butterscotch ganache top

Does the internet need another Rice Krispy Treat recipe?  There is already a recipe on the back of the box, so why make a change?  I promise you, these are the BEST Rice Krispy Treats you will ever make. The original recipe on the back of the box is good, but with a few extra steps you can make them even better. This recipe is incredibly easy and is done in 20 minutes or less.  The sea salted butterscotch and brown butter really elevates this retro treat.

I think its one of the world’s biggest fallacies that Rice Krispy Treats should be reserved for a kid’s soccer game, Halloween party, or a school lunch.  Why cant a grown adult fantasize about these desserts too? Throw the word sea salt or brown butter on a dessert, and now it’s grown-up. Tah-da! All ages can now enjoy this dessert with no judgement!

How to brown butter

I absolutely love the nutty flavor of browned butter. Browning butter sounds intimating, but it actually is very simple to make.  Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large pot.  Stirring constantly, the butter will start to foam at the top and then turn a nutty brown color. When the butter turns a golden brown color, immediately remove from the heat.  Golden brown can quickly turn to black if you are not monitoring closely.

Ingredients in the Brown Butter Butterscotch Rice Krispy Treats

1. Rice Krispy Cereal- Duh, of course.  This is what gives this dessert the name and the crunch.

2. Marshmallows- Makes them sugary, chewy, and oh so good.

3. Butter- Everything is better with butter! I brown the butter to give it a more complex nutty flavor.

4. Butterscotch chips & cream- These 2 ingredients are used to make a ganache to drizzle on top.  The cream thins out the butterscotch chips and allows it to soak into the Rice Krispies.

5. Sea Salt- Brings out the sugar and butterscotch flavors.  Makes this dessert go from super good to super AMAZING.

How to make the butterscotch ganache in the microwave

I’m not going to ruin this easy dessert by making you break out your double broiler.  Ganache is a fancy word for melted chocolate (or butterscotch chips) thinned out by heavy cream.  Microwave the cream for 1 minute.  Add the butterscotch chips and stir with a fork until completely melted.  You may have to microwave for an additional 20 seconds until the chips are completely melted.

How to make the Rice Krispy Treats

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Stirring constantly, continue to cook until the butter turns a nutty golden brown color.  Immediately remove from the heat.  Golden brown can turn to dark brown in less than a minute, so keep a close eye.
2. Add the sea salt and marshmallows to the pot and melt, stirring constantly.  You may need to turn the heat back on for 30 seconds to completely melt the marshmallows.  Pour in the cereal and mix until combined.
3. Grease an 8″ square or a 2 quart baking pan.  Pour in the sticky cereal mixture.  Gently flatten into pan with a greased spatula.
4. For the ganache, microwave the heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds.  Stir in the butterscotch chips with a spoon, until melted.  You may need to microwave the butterscotch for additional 20 seconds to completely melt. Spread butterscotch ganache over Rice Krispy treats.
5. Let cool for 20 minutes and sprinkle with sea salt.  Continue to cool for before cutting and serving.

Can you substitute the Butterscotch?

I get it, not every loves butterscotch.  If you identify as a chocoholic, then you can certainly substitute the butterscotch chips for chocolate chips instead. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips are all great substitutions.  Eliminate the ganache top all together if you are more of a traditionalist.

Brown Butter Salted Butterscotch Rice Krispy Treats

Brown butter and marshmello Rice Krispy Treats, topped with sea salted butterscotch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Squares

Ingredients

  

• 7 tbsp butter
• 10 oz. marshmallow
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)

Instructions

 

• In a large pot, melt the butter. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam at the top and get a golden nutty brown color. Remove from the heat.
• Pour in the marshmellos and sea salt, and mix until melted. You may have to turn the heat back on until fully melted.
• Add the Rice Krispies and stir until combined.
• Butter an 8" square or 2 quart baking pan. Pour the rice krispy mixture into the pan and flatten using a buttered spatula. Press gently to keep the rice krispy treats fluffy.
• For the ganache, microwave the heavy cream for 45 seconds. Using a fork, mix in the butterscotch chips until melted. You may need to microwave for an additional 20 seconds until the chips are compltly melted and combined. Pour the ganache over the top of the rice krispy treats.
• After 10 minues, sprinkle the sea salt over the top. Let cool before cutting.

Keyword easy recipe, kid recipe, snack