If you’re looking for the best rice krispie treats, you’ve come to the right place. This perfect rice krispie treat recipe makes delicious treats that are thick, chewy, and not too sweet.
Start by lining a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper or wax paper. You can also use aluminum foil but make sure to spray it with non-stick spray, it can get sticky. Set the pan aside to use later.
In a large pot or a dutch oven, melt 3/4 cup of butter over low heat. Be careful not to get the pot too hot or the butter and marshmallows will burn.
3/4 cup salted butter
Measure four cups of marshmallows and set aside. Add the remaining marshmallows to the melted butter. Stir the marshmallows into the butter until they are melted. Continue to stir as the marshmallows are melting, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to avoid burning.
3(10 OZ) bags mini marshmallows
Take the pot off of the heat and stir 1 tablespoon of vanilla and the sea salt into the melted marshmallow mixture.
1 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Next, fold half of the rice krispie cereal into the melted marshmallow and butter mixture, mixing thoroughly.
9 oz box of rice krispies cereal
Add the reserved marshmallows and rice cereal until everything is fully melted and combined. Fold as gently as possible to not smash the cereal pieces
Once mixed thoroughly, transfer it onto the prepared pan.
Gently press the treats into the pan by spraying your hands or rubber spatula with nonstick spray and gently push down on the rice krispies until you have an even layer.
Let the rice krispies cool for 2 hours at room temperature then cut them into bars and they are ready to serve!
Notes
Make sure to measure out and set aside your extra marshmallows, even if you are going to omit them. Adding too many marshmallows to the butter can change the texture of the rice krispie treats. So you’d need three bags of mini marshmallows less four cups.Separate your crispy cereal by adding it in batches (like we split it in half) to ensure that some of the cereal stays crunchy and doesn’t all just get soggy being added right at the beginning. This is why we split it into two batches.Store this classic treat for up to five days at room temperature either wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.Freeze these cereal treats for up to three months in an airtight container. But honestly, they’re not going to last long enough to make it to the freezer!Ingredient Notes:
Mini marshmallows need to be used for this recipe so you can measure out the 4 cups of added ones!
Vanilla can be replaced with lemon or almond extract for different flavors.
Salted butter can be substituted with unsalted butter but make sure to add 1/4 tsp of salt to make up for the missing salt in the butter.
Crispy rice cereal - you can substitute this for things like Cocoa Pebbles if you would like. The recipe calls for a nine ounce box of rice krispies (it's a full box) or ten cups if you're using a larger box of cereal. It is NOT nine ounces of rice krispies, it's a full nine ounce box.