Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Rice Krispie Treats
These Sugar Cookie Rice Krispie Treats combine brown butter, marshmallow cereal bars with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream and colorful sprinkles. Flavored with vanilla and a touch of almond, they taste like frosted sugar cookies in Rice Krispie form and take about 15 minutes of hands on time.
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 10 oz mini marshmallows usually 1 bag
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- Pinch of salt
- 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 3/4 cup vanilla buttercream frosting, approximately store bought or homemade
- Sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment paper with nonstick spray or butter.
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, as the butter begins to foam and froth. Once the foam settles slightly and you see golden-brown flecks on the bottom of the pot, remove the pot from the heat or reduce the heat to low. The butter should smell rich and nutty. This generally takes about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low. Add the 10 ounces mini marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are just melted and smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan so all that browned butter flavor blends in. Do not overcook the marshmallows or the bars can turn hard later.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. The almond extract is what gives these treats that classic bakery sugar cookie vibe.
- Add the 5 cups of Rice Krispies cereal to the saucepan. Gently fold until all of the cereal is evenly coated in the marshmallow mixture. Take your time so you do not crush the cereal too much.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9×9 inch pan. Use a lightly greased spatula or clean, buttered hands to press the mixture into an even layer. You can also use a greased piece of parchment paper over the top to help make everything flat. Press just firmly enough to level it out.
- Let the pan sit at room temperature until the bars are completely cool to the touch. This helps the frosting stay neat and keeps the treats from turning soggy.
- Once cool, spread about ¾ cup vanilla buttercream frosting over the top in an even layer. You want a thin “sugar cookie” style layer, not a thick cake layer. Add sprinkles right away so they stick to the frosting. Choose colors to match your party or holiday.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the slab out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares for a party platter or 9 bigger squares if you want bakery sized treats. Serve at room temperature.