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These are the absolute BEST Rice Krispies Treats because they’re soft and THICK, extra gooey, and start with brown butter! This is the ONLY Rice Krispie Treat Recipe you need forever – I make all of my cereal treats this way and everyone loves them!

Three rice krispie treats stacked on top of eachother

Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients

Rice Krispies Cereal: Use regular or generic or any flavor. I use 9 cups of rice krispies because I like thick bars!
Mini Marshmallows: I prefer using mini because not only are we melting them but we’re stirring them in at the end too. Be sure to use FRESH marshmallows, and you need 2 bags (10 ounces each).
Unsalted Butter: You don’t want to brown salted butter so be sure to use unsalted. I’m using 8 tablespoons butter because of the thickness of the bars.
Vanilla: Always buy PURE vanilla extract.

Overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make the best rice krispie treats

Variations

Instead of vanilla extract use almond extract or cake batter extract, like I do in my Cake Batter Cereal Treats.
Add sprinkles, M&Ms, chopped Oreos, or nuts. I add both sprinkles and candies to my Easter Rice Krispie Treats (and 4th of July treats too!)
Use a cookie cutter to make them fun shapes and/or decorate the tops with chocolate and candy, like my Disney Rice Krispie Treats.
Use different flavor Rice Krispies or Pebbles cereal, like Fruity Pebble Cereal Treats or Cocoa Krispie Treats.
Add pudding mix to the melted marshmallow mixture – I do that to make Banana Rice Krispie Treats!

browned butter in large pot on hot plate.

melted butter and marshmallows in large pot on hot plate.

How to Make Rice Krispie Treats

These start with brown butter, which if you want to skip you can and just use melted butter. To brown the butter, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or pot. Stir while it cooks until it turns golden brown. This will take a few minutes, don’t walk away from the pan.
Reserve some of the marshmallows for the end, then stir the rest into the butter with the vanilla until melted.
Add the cereal to the melted marshmallows and stir, so it’s evenly coated in the melted marshmallow mixture, then fold in the rest of the marshmallows gently.
Press the mixture into a prepared baking dish or casserole pan. Press carefully to ensure the mixture is compact in an even layer.
Leave the pan at room temperature so the rice krispy treats can set for easy cutting. It’s a short time to wait – they don’t need to sit long.

Overhead shot of rice krispie treats cut into squares on parchment paper

How To Keep Rice Krispie Treats Soft

The secret to the best gooey rice Krispies treats recipe is the marshmallows. First, make sure they are really fresh for the best results – even slightly stale marshmallows won’t be as ooey-gooey. The quality of the ingredients matters, so always double-check the expiration date!
Be sure your cereal is fresh too – not stale!
The main secret to soft cereal treats is to use the right ratio of butter and marshmallows to cereal. My recipe has been tested numerous times and are guaranteed to stay soft!

Rice krispie treat being pulled apart to show the ooey gooey marshmallow

Expert Tips

You can skip the brown butter step and just use melted butter if you prefer.
Be sure to line your pan with parchment paper or foil and spray it with cooking spray, so the treats don’t stick.
When you press the mixture into the pan, use a piece of wax paper coated with cooking spray. This will keep the mixture from sticking to your hands for less mess. It works better than a spatula or a wooden spoon, too. You can also use the butter wrapper, or spray your hands with cooking spray.

Storing & Freezing Rice Krispie Treats

If you’re not serving them right away, cover them with plastic wrap or saran wrap, and then slice them with a large knife when you are ready to serve them. You can cut them into large squares or smaller squares – it’s up to you!

Store your rice Krispie squares in an airtight container on your kitchen counter at room temperature. They should keep well for up three to four days.

To freeze: Place the cereal treats in a large gallon size bag or airtight container and be sure to separate layers with parchment paper or wax paper. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

BEST Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

5 from 8 votes

These are the absolute BEST Rice Krispie Treats because they’re soft and THICK, extra gooey, and start with brown butter!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Yield 12 servings

Serving Size 1 serving

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Ingredients

▢ 9 cups (237g) Rice Krispies Cereal
▢ 20 ounces (566g) mini marshmallows, divided
▢ 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
▢ 1 teaspoon (15ml) vanilla extract

Instructions

Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil or parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Measure out cereal and place in a large bowl.
Measure out 15 ounces (1 ½ packages) mini marshmallows and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium low heat. Continue cooking the butter, stirring occasionally, until the butter browns. This will take 3-7 minutes depending on the size of your pan, but just watch it – it’ll foam then reduce and little brown flecks will form in the bottom of the pan.
Once the butter is browned, add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Add cereal and stir to coat with the marshmallow mixture. Stir in remaining marshmallows and immediately pour into prepared pan. Press firmly to compact. Tip: spray wax paper with nonstick cooking spray so you can press without it sticking to your hands.
Let set until firm then slice into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, let cool completely then cut into bars and wrap each individual bar in wax paper and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Use any flavor Rice Krispies cereal.
You can use any size marshmallows, just make sure you’re only using 15 ounces in the actual mixture – you’ll want mini ones to mix in or you’ll have to slice large ones to fold in at the end.
You can skip browning the butter but it adds SO much amazing flavor.
These stay extra gooey but will get stale if not stored properly.
Only use FRESH marshmallows and not-stale cereal for best results.

Recipe Nutrition

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

BEST EVER Rice Krispie Treats

For me, there’s nothing more classic than a batch of homemade rice krispies treats! I loved a pan of these cereal treats when I was a kid, and I’ve lost count on how many I’ve made with my kid over the years.

They’re easy, made with simple ingredients, and I never get tired of all the ooey-gooey marshmallows and crispy rice cereal. They really are the best no bake dessert in my book. These have a BONUS that makes them even BETTER: Brown Butter!

Brown butter takes crispy treats to a whole new flavor later. I absolutely love the stuff – it tastes nutty (without nuts!) with a deep flavor that reminds me of caramel. It really makes the best recipe.

My daughter says these are her favorite crispy rice treats!

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3 Comments

William Randall Blumer says:

May 18, 2024 at 9:29 am

These are really good.

Lise Beaulieu says:

April 3, 2024 at 4:22 pm

This is by far the greatest recipe. It is gooey, flavourful, and tasty! However, I have done this in the microwave , in increments of 60 seconds. It turned out just great!

Tena B says:

November 24, 2022 at 9:23 am

The absolute best way to make rice krispy treats is to use a nonstick rice cooker using the saute setting!!

The BEST Rice Krispie Treats