These Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate Chips are simply AMAZING! Now, if you’re sitting there rolling you’re eyes thinking this is just a frivolous spin on an ordinary treat, you’d be wrong. Dead wrong.
The truth is that browning the butter adds a rich, almost nutty flavor that takes them to another level. It’s a simple upgrade that takes just a few minutes but adds so much flavor.
And the chocolate chips? Let’s just say they don’t make things worse. 😆
These treats are great to make any time of year and especially during the holiday season when you want something a little more special. They’ll feel right at home sitting on a platter of cookies. And if you’re in the habit of making a weekly batch of cookies, try swapping them for these treats. I’d bet no one complains.
Looking for more elevated sweet treats? Check out our Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats and our Oreo Rice Krispie Treats. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, you’ll probably make all three. 😆
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
- Brown butter makes all the difference. It’s kind of crazy how you take just a few minutes to brown the butter and yet the rich, nutty flavor takes them to a whole other level.
- Chocolate chips make them fun, familiar, and taste even better. Because let’s be honest, when do chocolate chips make a sweet treat worse?
- They’re perfect for the holiday season. These treats are right at home sitting on your Christmas cookie tray. Plus, they’re a time saver when you don’t have space for more desserts in your oven.
- Still easy to make. I know that brown butter sounds fancy, but don’t be fooled, they’re still Krispie treats and they’re still just as easy as the original.
Ingredients
- Rice Cereal – Make sure the cereal is fresh. So please whatever you do, don’t use that old box taking cover in the cabinet. 😆
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows melt faster than the larger ones.
- Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips are a perfect match for the rich, nutty flavor of brown butter.
- Butter – For most treats we use salted butter. And browning the butter elevates the treats by adding a deep, almost nutty flavor. It takes just minutes so it’s totally worth the effort.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds another layer of flavor so you get an almost baker-quality treat. We’ve tried them with and without vanilla extract…it makes a difference.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate Chips
Place the chocolate chips in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freezing the chocolate chips helps prevent them from melting too quickly.
Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Place the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add 14 ounces of the mini marshmallows to the browned butter and stir until melted and smooth.
Stir in the vanilla and kosher salt.
Add the Rice Krispies cereal and mix until evenly coated.
Fold in the remaining 4 ounces of mini marshmallows and let the mixture cool for 3 to 5 minutes. This helps prevent the chocolate chips from completely melting.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and lightly press into an even layer.
Do not pack the mixture tightly.
Allow the treats to cool for 1 hour before cutting into 16 squares.
Top Tips
Keep a close eye on the pan while browning the butter. Things can go from glorious to glum quickly.
If you want little pockets of chocolate morsels throughout rather than chocolate-colored treats, place the treats in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to adding the them to the mix. Also, allow the mixture to cool for a minute or two before adding them in.
Storage
You store your new favorite treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for a week. If stacking, place parchment between layers.
If freezing, we like to wrap each treat individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. This is great for meal prep. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
If storing in the fridge or freezer allow them to come to room temp before serving.
Other No Bake Desserts You’ll Love
- No Bake Mixed Berry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
- Lemon Mousse Recipe
- Strawberry Cheesecake Dip
- Easy Oreo Delight
FAQ
Of course not. We like semi-sweet because it’s like the goldilocks of chocolate chips. Not too sweet, not too bitter, which most people will like. But if you prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips, those will work, too.
Brown butter is easy to make, and unfortunately, easy to mess up. So keep a close eye on the pan and remove from the heat as soon as the butter smells a little nutty and you see those golden brown bits.
Absolutely! Chopped pecans or walnuts would go perfectly in these treats. That’s like flavor pairing royalty. A match made in flavor nirvana.
There are two reasons this happens. First, you may have accidentally overheated the marshmallow mixture. Next time go low and slow. To be on the safe side, you can turn off the heat as soon as the marshmallows are ALMOST completely melted.
The other reason is you may have pressed the treats too firmly into the pan. Going forward, use a gently touch.
Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Tbsp Salted Butter
- 16 Oz Mini Marshmallows Divided
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 8 Cups Rice Krispie Cereal
- 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freezing the chocolate chips helps prevent them from melting too quickly.
- Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Place the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add 14 ounces of the mini marshmallows to the browned butter and stir until melted and smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla and kosher salt.
- Add the Rice Krispies cereal and mix until evenly coated.
- Fold in the remaining 4 ounces of mini marshmallows and let the mixture cool for 3 to 5 minutes. This helps prevent the chocolate chips from completely melting.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and lightly press into an even layer. Do not pack the mixture tightly.
- Allow the treats to cool for 1 hour before cutting into 16 squares.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Make sure you spray the utensils with cooking spray; this recipe is sticky.
Nutrition
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