Brown Butter Golden Graham Rice Krispie Treats are hands-down the best variation on this classic treat! They’re perfectly soft and gooey with the most amazing nutty, toasty flavor. Plus we’ve included all the tips for keeping them soft and cutting them straight.
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I’ll be honest… I’ve never been a big rice krispie treat fan. Actually, I haven’t been much of a fan of anything with marshmallows. But this recipe for Brown Butter Golden Graham Rice Krispie Treats literally changed my opinion in one bite. These are outstandingly delicious!
This recipe was inspired by Once Upon A Chef, but with a few moderations. I’ve also included lots of tips to make sure yours come out as good as they look! Credit for these beautiful photos goes to my sister, Sky Lynn.
🏅 Why this is the best rice krispie treat variation
- The brown butter and Golden Grahams add so much flavor! Regular rice krispie treats pale in comparison. These are nutty, sweet, and toasty all at the same time. (If you can’t imagine the flavor, just give them a try. Trust me, you’ll fall in love.)
- The texture of these is everything you expect a gourmet rice krispie treat to be, and more. They are soft and gooey (especially when slightly warm 😍), but the Golden Grahams add a gentle crunch and variety of texture.
🧈 Ingredients
A full list of the ingredients is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips for making the best rice krispie treats:
Butter: I use salted butter, because that bit of extra salt really complements the brown butter flavor. If you don't want that extra bit of salt, just use unsalted.
Marshmallows: The fresher your marshmallows, the better your results will be. Don’t use that stray bag that’s been in the pantry for 6 months. (Totally guilty, but I’ve learned my lesson).
Cereals: You don’t have to use name brand of either cereal. In fact, my favorite way to make these is with Mom’s Best Naturals Honey Grahams (not an ad, we just really love this cereal). The flavor is even better than Golden Grahams.
🔪 Instructions
- Prep the pan: Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Make sure to include extra foil on the two ends, which will help you pull them out of the pan later.
- Crush the Golden Grahams: In a food processor, pulse the Golden Grahams until they are roughly broken - there should be a mix of fine crumbs, small pieces, and larger pieces. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cereal in a zipper bag and crush them with a rolling pin or other heavy object.
- Brown the butter: In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter is foamy and golden brown (careful, it will burn easily). For more tips, read this guide on how to brown butter.
- Melt marshmallows: Once the butter is brown, turn the heat to low and add marshmallows, vanilla, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until the marshmallows are completely melted.
- Add cereals: Add the rice krispies and crushed Golden Grahams, then stir until well combined.
- Press into pan: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then use the spatula to press gently until it’s roughly even across the pan. To get them perfectly flat, spray a piece of plastic wrap lightly with non-stick spray. Lay it across the rice krispie treats and finish pressing with a flat-bottomed measuring cup until they are even. Just be sure to press very gently - don’t pack them down or they lose their soft gooeyness.
- Cool and cut: Allow to cool to room temperature (or just dig in while they’re warm!), then cut and serve.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
When making these for a large group, you can definitely double the recipe. However, a double recipe is a lot more difficult to stir, even in a very large pot. My suggestion is to make two batches separately (one at a time) for easier stirring.
📏 How to cut neatly
First, when you should cut rice krispies treats? Most recipes say to cool until room temperature before cutting to help them hold their shape. This is generally good advice, but I also think they’re the best when warm and extra gooey. If you’re in that boat with me, feel free to cut them a little sooner (the shape may not hold perfectly, but is that really relevant if it’s in your belly?).
Next, how do you cut rice krispie treats neatly? I don’t think cutting these perfectly straight is important in most cases (they taste equally good no matter what shape they are), but when I am serving these at a party I admittedly like clean lines. This starts with having the proper tools. You will need a ruler (any ruler will do) and a very sharp knife. My favorite for cutting desserts straight is this one.
To cut the rice krispies, start by spraying the knife lightly with non-stick spray. Remove the rice krispies from the pan, then place a clean ruler long-ways on top, close to the edge (see picture). Use your knife to score the treats every 2 inches (or however many inches you’d like your squares). Repeat this on the other long side, then repeat on the short sides. You should now have small scores or cuts around the entire border every 2 inches.
Next, lay the ruler across the top in line with the scores made on either side of the rice krispies. Holding the ruler in place with one hand, use the knife to cut a straight line along the ruler (key to keeping the line straight) from one side to the other. Repeat this until you have even squares.
🍫 Other variations
- Regular butter: You can use regular melted butter instead of brown butter. But you will be missing out on major flavor, so at your own risk. 😉
- S'mores rice krispies: Drizzle Golden Graham Rice Krispie Treats with melted chocolate for all the flavors of campfire s'mores.
- Whole marshmallows: You can reserve some of the marshmallows and add them with the cereals for larger chunks of marshmallow throughout.
- Festive shapes: Instead of cutting in squares, you can use cookie cutters to make shapes fitting to the party, holiday, or celebration at hand.
🙋 Questions and Answers
There are a few simple tricks you can use to make sure your Golden Graham treats stay soft.
• First, make sure to start with fresh marshmallows. Don’t try to use that bag that’s been in the pantry for 6 months…. It just won’t work the same.
• Second, don’t press too firmly in the pan - press just gently enough to flatten them out. If they are too tightly compressed, they will get hard.
• Third, make sure to store them in an air-tight container. Exposure to air makes them get harder and stale much quicker.
• Last, don’t be afraid to reheat them slightly in the microwave before eating. I like to microwave mine for 5-7 seconds and they are DIVINE.
I am a firm believer that these should be eaten as fresh as possible, because that is when they are softest. But you can definitely store them in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. Remember, a quick reheat in the microwave will instantly restore the golden gooeyness!
I think rice krispie treats are best eaten fresh, but technically you can freeze them. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, store in a zipper bag, or store in a sealed container (separate layers with wax paper). Then freeze for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, remove from the freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. If you like them warm and gooey, reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Use fresh marshmallows. My friends, it makes all the difference.
- Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. This makes everything easier!
- Press the rice krispies flat with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray. You can also use a butter wrapper, or run your clean hands under water and press with wet hands.
- Don’t press them too firmly into the pan, or they lose some of their softness.
📖 More dessert recipes
- Mini Fruit Pizza: Soft shortbread cookies layered with fluffy cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit. Perfect for spring and summer!
- Raspberry Jam Bars: Buttery shortbread crust, sweet jam, and the simplest crumb topping make these an easy and delicious dessert.
- Blondie Sundaes: Start with a white chocolate blondie, then add a scoop of ice cream and maple sauce. Yum!
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📋 Recipe
Brown Butter Golden Graham Rice Krispies
Ingredients
- 3 cups Golden Grahams cereal (or other brand)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- 2 10 oz bags mini marshmallows
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5½ cups rice krispies cereal
Instructions
- Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Make sure to include extra foil on the two ends, which will help you pull them out of the pan later.
- In a food processor, pulse the Golden Grahams until they are roughly broken - there should be a mix of fine crumbs, small pieces, and larger pieces. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cereal in a zipper bag and crush them with a rolling pin or other heavy object.
- In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter is foamy and golden brown (careful, it will burn easily). For more tips, read this guide on how to brown butter.
- Turn the heat to low and add marshmallows, vanilla, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until the marshmallows are completely melted.
- Add the rice krispies and crushed Golden Grahams, then stir until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then use the spatula to press gently until it’s roughly even across the pan. To get them perfectly flat, spray a piece of plastic wrap lightly with non-stick spray. Lay it across the rice krispie treats and finish pressing with a flat-bottomed measuring cup until they are even. Be sure to press very gently for soft rice krispie treats.
- Allow to cool to room temperature (or just dig in while they’re warm!), then cut and serve.
Notes
- Use fresh marshmallows. My friends, it makes all the difference.
- Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. This makes everything easier!
- Press the rice krispies flat with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray. You can also use a butter wrapper, or run your clean hands under water and press with wet hands.
- Don’t press them too firmly into the pan, or they lose some of their softness.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
GWENETH ABERNATHY says
Absolutely perfect! I made these for my daughter and son in law, and they made me remake them the next day, because they got scarfed form so fast by all family and friends. Actually, we've made them 3 times in the 3 weeks I've been visiting them. Only thing I added was Heath toffee bits.
Misty says
How fun! We're so glad you loved them. They sure do disappear in a flash.
Kathy says
Very good with the Graham crackers, adding an extra element of texture and flavor. I added a little extra vanilla (which makes most everything better!) and less butter. Will make these again!
Misty says
Extra vanilla is never a bad idea! Glad you enjoyed it.