Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rice Krispie Treats (w/ Brown Butter)

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These Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rice Krispie Treats are a soft, gooey no bake dessert that delivers unbelievable flavor in every bite. The brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth that takes this treat to the next level. Whether you're making them for a party, potluck, or just a sweet snack, these bars are great all year!

Find your next favorite recipe in our collection of Brown Butter Recipes. From sweet to savory we use this condiment in so many ways!

Three rice krispie treats stacked on top of each other with a pile of rice krispies behind them.

There's nothing wrong with a classic rice krispie treat, but these Cinnamon Toast Crunch Marshmallow Treats are on a whole different level.

They are gooey, buttery, no-bake perfection with a warm, cinnamon-sugar vibe that totally gives churro energy. It's like a rice krispie treat and a churro teamed up to create the ultimate sweet snack. And if you're into fun twists, we've got a S'mores Rice Krispies version too - equally irresistible!

This recipe builds off the brown butter flavor foundation in my favorite Golden Graham Rice Krispie treats, but we switch out the cereal for Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

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Why this recipe is great
Ingredients for Cinnamon Toast Crunch rice krispie treats
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make cinnamon toast rice crispy treats
How to cut into even pieces
How to store
FAQs
Tips & tricks
More no-bake dessert recipes
Recipe
Comments

Why this recipe is great

Out of this world taste: These are not your average Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal treats. They start with rich, nutty brown butter to build great flavor, then things get amped up with gooey marshmallows and that cinnamon-sugar crunch. We've made a lot of marshmallow treats over the years, and these are hands-down next level.
Versatile: They're perfect in the summer when you don't want to turn on the oven, but they work year-round. Cozy enough for fall, festive enough for the holiday cookie tray, and sweet enough to share (or not!) on Valentine's Day. We enjoy serving these with our other Game Day Recipes too!
Super easy: Browning the butter adds just a couple of extra minutes, but every step is simple. No fancy tools, no baking. Just melt, mix, and press into the pan. Done!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Toast Crunch rice krispie treats

This recipe only requires a handful of pantry staples! Exact ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips.

Vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, salt, mini marshmallows, rice crisps cereal, cinnamon toast crunch cereal, and two sticks of butter on a white counter.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal: Use your favorite brand! If it's one you love snacking on straight from the box, it'll be perfect here.
Rice Cereal: Classic Rice Krispies or any similar puffed rice cereal will do the trick as the base.
Butter: We always use salted butter, but unsalted will work as well.
Mini Marshmallows: Small ones melt easier and more quickly while still providing the gooey texture needed.
Vanilla: A dash of pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor.
Cinnamon: Just a little bit to punch up the cinnamon flavor.
Salt: Kosher salt is our standard.

Helpful kitchen tools

How to make cinnamon toast rice crispy treats

These are an easy no-bake treat! Just follow our tips for getting them right every time.

Cinnamon toast crunch cereal crushed in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin beside it.

Place the cinnamon sugar cereal pieces into a ziptop bag and break into medium and small pieces. I find it easiest to use a rolling pin or the flat bottom of a measuring cup.

Next, grab a large pot and melt the butter over medium heat. Once it melts, it will begin to foam, keep stirring. As the foam begins to settle, golden brown specks will begin to float to the top. Continuing stirring until it turns a medium to dark golden brown. Once the desired color is reached, turn off the burner and remove the pot from the heat.

A large cooking pot of mini marshmallows.

As soon as you pull the pan off the heat, toss in the marshmallows, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. The heat from the brown butter will help everything melt smoothly - so work quickly while it's still hot.

Melted marshmallow and butter mixed together in a pot.

Stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted. At this point the mixture should be gooey and sticky but mostly smooth.

A pot full of rice krispies and cinnamon toast crunch cereal.

Pour both cereals onto the top of the hot mixture. Stir to combine. You want to stir with a gentle hand until the mixture is completely uniform.

A sheet pan covered in foil full of cinnamon rice krispie treat batter.

Into a 9x13 pan that has been lined with foil and then oiled or sprayed with baking spray, pour in the cereal treat mixture.

Gently press into place. If you press too hard the bars end up loosing their fluffiness. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon for decoration if desired. You can serve a bit warm or wait until the cool completely before slicing.

Hint: To keep stickiness to a minimum, put a little oil on anything that is going to touch this marshmallow mixture. My favorite way is to use baking spray, but wiping it with a paper towel with oil works just as well.

How to cut into even pieces

First things first-these treats are delicious no matter how you slice them. Uneven edges? Still amazing. But if you're going for that clean, bakery-style look, here's how to get perfect squares:

Once the bars have fully cooled, lift them out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a ruler to lightly mark even sections along the long side - whatever size you're going for. Then grab a serrated knife (seriously, this is my nonnegotiable tool for clean cuts) and make long, confident slices. Repeat going the other direction, and voilà - treats that look as good as they taste!

How to store

Room temperature:

Store the treats in a single layer, with wax paper or parchment between layers if you're stacking. Pop them into an airtight container to keep them fresh - keeping the air out is key to locking in that soft, gooey texture and preventing them from drying out.

Freezer:

Believe it or not, rice krispie treats freeze really well! Just cut them into individual squares and wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap. Lay them out on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze until solid. Once they're frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag or freezer-safe container.
When you're ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour, or pop them in the fridge overnight. Still gooey, still delicious!

Cinnamon toast crunch rice krispie treat squares on a pan with gooey marshmallow stringing between them.

FAQs

Can I double this recipe?

This recipe can definitely be doubled-but trust me, it gets a little unwieldy if you're not fully prepped.
1. First things first: have everything ready to go before you start. That means all ingredients measured, pans lined, and tools ready. That's good advice for most recipes, but it's absolutely essential here since the marshmallow mixture sets up quickly.
2. Second, make sure you've got access to a seriously big pot. We're talking 16- to 18-quart stock pot or larger. Anything smaller and you'll be struggling to mix everything evenly.

Is it better to use big or small marshmallows?

We prefer using small marshmallows because they melt more quickly and incorporate more evenly.

Squares of cinnamon rice krispies sitting in rows on parchment paper.

Tips & tricks

Work quickly. Once it cools even a bit, it gets really hard to handle.
Don't press too firmly or it will make them tough and hard.
Use fresh marshmallows for the best texture.
To get them perfectly flat, you can 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.
Spray nonstick spray on rubber spatula or wipe with oil.

More no-bake dessert recipes

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