These brown butter Rice Krispies treats have a SUPER brown butter flavor from additional milk powder. Add flaky sea salt on top for extra saltiness. These brown butter Rice Krispies treats stay soft for days! *Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
After the success of my toasted milk powder chocolate chip cookies, I became EVEN MORE OBSESSED with browned butter than before. I’ve always loved browned butter but sometimes felt that the extra effort didn’t have enough payoff in baked goods. WELL, NO MORE! These browned butter Rice Krispies treats are EXTRA browned buttery, and I’ve made sure to give instructions on how to make them so they stay soft and gooey for days!
Milk Powder Rice Krispies Treats
The trick to getting a super brown butter flavor for these Rice Krispies treats is to add milk powder. As I mentioned before, I recently read on Bon Appetit and King Arthur Baking about how toasted milk powder acts like a brown butter powder. When making actual browned butter, you can just add milk powder directly to the melted butter as you’re cooking. Et voila! SUPER DUPER browned butter!
I’ve used milk powder in cookies, in pasta sauce, and now… in Rice Krispies! It’s worth the pantry space, really.
You can buy milk powder at pretty much any grocery store, but of course, it’s also on Amazon.
How to Make Rice Krispies Treats That Stay Soft and Gooey
I’m not sure what the exact trick is to keeping Rice Krispies treats soft, but the internet has told me it’s either adding sweetened condensed milk, adding more butter, or keeping the temperature of the marshmallows low.
I decided to be extra safe and do ALL THREE for this recipe. And it works. I’m sure someday, someone will take the time to do controlled tests to identify the one key technique for soft Rice Krispies treats, but today is not that day, and I am not that someone.
What I do know is that following this recipe creates soft, gooey Rice Krispies treats that stay chewy and stretchy and marshmallow-y even two days after it’s made! Winner!
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Looking for more easy dessert recipes? Start with these:
Always Soft Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 2 tbsp dry milk powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 12 oz bag marshmallows can use a bag of mini marshmallows instead
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- flaky sea salt for topping optional
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add salt and keep cooking, stirring occasionally, as butter starts to bubble. When butter is a very light brown and starting to foam, add the dry milk powder.
- Continue stirring and cooking butter and milk powder until the solution turns a medium brown. Immediately turn heat down to medium-low and quickly add the marshmallows and condensed milk.
- Stir over low heat until marshmallows have melted. Do NOT let it bubble. If mixture is getting too hot, you can turn off the stove and let the residual heat melt the marshmallows.
- When everything is melted and mixed together, add the cereal. Stir gently to combine.
- Pour Rice Krispies into a greased and lined 9×13" pan. Flatten and press down gently with a spatula and lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using.
- Cover and let cool down at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing into squares or rectangles for serving. Leftovers keep in an airtight container at room temperature.