Mmmm! These gourmet Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats are the grown-up version of your childhood favorite. They start with fluffy marshmallows and crispy rice cereal, then get an upgrade from rich, gooey caramels and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Sure, they’re a bit fancy, but still easy to make, and oh so good!
These treats are the evergreen snack you can enjoy when binging T.V. Or bring anytime you want to impress people at a potluck. Make them anytime of year and they’re just as satisfying. Oh, by the way, you can package these babies up and give them away.
Are you looking for more Rice Krispie treats that go way beyond the ordinary and typical? I thought so. 😊 Check out our peanut butter treats with chocolate ganache (I don’t have enough time to describe how good they are) or our strawberry shortcake crispy treats…simply excellent.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
- The sweet and salty combo is irresistible. The caramel makes the treats so rich and gooey I had to slow down eating them so I could enjoy them a bit longer. They’re that good!
- Even though they’re impressive, they’re still very easy to make. Bring them to parties and they’ll disappear. Give them away as an edible gift and they’ll be appreciated more than the expensive stuff.
- With flavors like salted caramel and Oreo rice crispy treats, this is a “grown up” twist on your childhood favorite.
Ingredients
- Rice Cereal – Always use fresh cereal.
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows melt more quickly than large marshmallows, plus they melt evenly.
- Butter – We like unsalted butter so that we can control the amount of salt in the treats.
- Caramels – Baking caramels are the magic here, giving the treats that rich, buttery sweet, caramelly flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – We add vanilla extra to elevate the marshmallow and caramel flavors. Just a little does the job.
- Condensed Milk – the secret ingredient for extra rich and gooey gourmet treats.
- Salt – A pinch of salt goes in the recipe balancing the sweetness and makes the caramel flavor stand out.
- Flake Sea Salt – Sprinkled on the finished treats, flake sea salt adds a little crunch and creates that classic, delicious, sweet and salty flavor combination we all love.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by spraying it with butter-flavored cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large pot over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sweetened condensed milk and soft caramels. Stir constantly until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add 13 ounces of the mini marshmallows. Continue stirring until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is creamy.
Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt until well combined.
Add the Rice Krispies cereal and stir with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
Let the mixture cool for about 1 minute, then fold in the remaining 2 ounces of mini marshmallows. This gives the treats pockets of gooey marshmallow throughout.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Gently press it into an even layer using a buttered spatula or lightly greased hands. Do not firmly pack the treats down or they can become dense.
Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top. Let the treats cool for 1 hour before cutting into squares.
Top Tip
Don’t overheat the marshmallow mixture. This tip is especially important for this recipe since it contains more sugar (from the caramels) than most Rice Krispie treats.
Cooking the mixture for too long or heat that’s too high can cause the mixture to seize up, which will make the treats hard and dense instead of soft and gooey.
Storage
Store salted caramel treats in an airtight container or zipper bag for up to 3 days. If you stack them, use parchment paper between layers. They will stick to one another.
They do freeze incredibly well. We do this all the time. Wrap individual treats in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature before serving (usually takes 10-15 minutes).
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
That’s a great question! When developing this recipe, we thought about that, but ultimately decided to use soft caramels instead. Caramel sauce contains more moisture, and the amount of moisture can vary wildly from one brand to another. That additional moisture may prevent the treats from setting properly.
Been there, done that. Hard treats are the result of one of two things, or sometimes both. You may have overheated the marshmallow/caramel mixture. Next time, be sure to use low heat, especially for this recipe as it contains more sugar.
The other cause of hard treats is pressing the mixture too firmly into the pan, compressing it into what I call Krispie treat bricks. 😆
Good question. These treats are extra gooey and sticky, so If you want clean cuts, spray your knife with cooking spray. You may need to wipe the knife after a few cuts and spray it again.
Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treat Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 10 Oz Condensed Milk
- 24 Caramels Unwrapped
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¾ Tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 15 Oz Mini Marshmallows Divided
- 8 ½ Cups Rice Krispy Cereal
- Flake Sea Salt
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by spraying it with butter-flavored cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large pot over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sweetened condensed milk and soft caramels. Stir constantly until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add 13 ounces of the mini marshmallows. Continue stirring until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is creamy.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt until well combined.
- Add the Rice Krispies cereal and stir with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
- Let the mixture cool for about 1 minute, then fold in the remaining 2 ounces of mini marshmallows. This gives the treats pockets of gooey marshmallow throughout.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Gently press it into an even layer using a buttered spatula or lightly greased hands. Do not firmly pack the treats down or they can become dense.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top. Let the treats cool for 1 hour before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an air-tight 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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