This 3-ingredient recipe has almost as many hyphens as ingredients. And no, Browned-Butter Crispy Rice Squares are not in my book. Not because I was holding out on you. It’s just that the concept didn’t occur to me until too late in the publication process. My loss. Your win.
This recipe is a twist on The Original Rice Krispie Treat. The only difference here is I brown the butter. Okay, I more than doubled the amount of butter called for, but browning it does the trick. This step adds a wonderful subtle nuttiness — and about 5 minutes to the prep time. I assure you, it’s well worth the extra time and effort.
To keep this a one-bowl recipe, use a Dutch oven. It allows you to brown the butter, melt the marshmallows and mix the squares all in the same pot. It will seem far too large for a mere 1/2 cup of butter, but by the time you’re mixing in the rice cereal, you’ll be quietly thanking me. Or tasting a snick — just to be sure the browned butter is all I make it out to be. (And it is.)
For those looking for details on browning butter, check out the post on No-Egg Browned-Butter Cake. I go into details there.
For those looking for an easy way to line a pan with ornery parchment, check out the post on 3-Ingredient Buttery Oatmeal Squares. I go into details there.
For those just looking for a simple but tasty treat to make the weekend a bit brighter, check out the recipe.
The classic version of this recipe calls for vanilla. I promise you won’t miss it here. The browned butter makes up for it.
Scale
Ingredients
1/2 cup (115 g) salted butter 1 package (10 oz/283g) mini marshmallows* or 40 large 6 cups (180g) crisp rice cereal*
Instructions
Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan with parchment leaving overhang for easy removal. Tear a small second sheet of parchment and set aside.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven with a light-coloured interior melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, gently swirl the pot and continue to cook until the butter has browned. The butter is finished when it has turned dark amber and smells nutty.
Turn off the heat, and stir in the marshmallows. The residual will melt mini marshmallows, but large marshmallows might require the heat to be turned to low.
When the marshmallows are melted and smooth, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rice cereal, mixing to coat well.
Working quickly, transfer the mixture into the prepared pan, place the second parchment sheet on top and press the mixture flat with the palm of your hand. Be sure to press the mixture into the edges of the pan as well.
Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan using the parchment overhang, and cut into squares.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
* This recipe can be gluten-free depending on the brand of marshmallows and rice cereal.
