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When it comes down to it, is there anything better than a crispy rice treat?

The archetype is so simple and so satisfying.  Yet the variations are endless.

While it’s probably obvious to you all, it took me a minute to consider adding my new favorite caramelized crispy rice to a rice crispy treat recipe.

I’m very, very glad my slow brain finally showed up to the party.  At first I was worried that it would make for an entirely too sweet situation.  However, a little extra salt balances the who affair out nicely.

I happen to like my crispy rice treats dense and tightly stuck together.  For this reason, I prefer to use corn syrup as the glue for my treats instead of marshmallows.  A long time ago I learned that while this made for my preferred treat structure, you can’t have a crispy rice treat without the marshmallows.  So, I add them in (mini of course) as their own ingredient.

Brown Butter Caramel Crispy Treats

Ingredients

  • 1ish batch Caramelized Crispy Rice
  • 1 C light corn syrup
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 4 TBS brown butter (it’s easy to brown a pound, keep it in the fridge or freezer and use as needed)
  • 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
  • 1 1/2 C mini marshmallows (more or less to taste)
  • 6 C puffed rice cereal

Directions

  1. Line a 9X13 inch baking pan with parchment and oil lightly.
  2. Add 5 C (note, you’ll still have a cup) of cereal to a large bowl, set aside.
  3. In a medium, heavy bottomed sauce pan, add sugar and corn syrup and heat over medium heat, mixing to combine.  Stir continuously until the mixture begins to bubble.  Allow to boil while stirring for a couple of minutes (don’t bother with a thermometer).
  4. Pull mixture from heat and stir-in butter and salt.
  5. Add liquid sugar mixture to bowl of cereal and mix to combine, adding in marshmallows and caramelized crispy rice.  You can also use that last cup of cereal to if the mixture isn’t holding together tightly.
  6. Add cereal mixture to prepared pan.  Press into pan until even.  Allow to cool before cutting.