My Gen Z daughter has told me that I am, “Extra, but in a good way.” What she means is that I often go above and beyond to make things just a little more special or interesting, perhaps more than “normal” people would. These rice crispies treats are also “extra.” It is hard to go wrong with crispies and marshmallows- the classic rice crispies treat is a classic for a reason. These treats just take all that goodness and level it up a notch or three!
This recipe is the result of me throwing all the things I was craving one evening into a big batch of awesomeness. It’s salty and sweet and crunchy. It’s full of peanut butter and chocolate and caramel. It is a treat I can put together quickly to appease the nagging sweet tooth. As a bonus, these bars are full of peanuts and cereal, and Rice Crispies claims to be a good source of 8 essential vitamins and minerals, so there’s that. Maybe I should categorize this as a breakfast sweet…
Anyhow, ordinarily, I send treats to work with my husband, or I give some away to friends and neighbors because there is only so much sugar one family of four can consume. We get our fill of cupcakes and cookies around here, and a batch of treats can last a few days. These treats, however, were an exception. After trying theses bars last night I knew I wanted to get the recipe posted. I had to make a fresh batch this morning, though, because there were not enough left from the night before for me to get any pictures!
You should definitely try these simple treats!
Here’s What You Will Need:
Pro Tips:
No, but I highly recommend it!
Absolutely! That would make the whole process even quicker and easier. I usually have homemade caramel sauce on hand so that is what I used, but do what works best for you.
While I love a good natural peanut butter that is strictly peanuts with maybe a bit of salt for eating by the spoonful, the oils can be problematic. A traditional Jif or Skippy, or the “natural” Skippy pictured above work best for treats.
Rice crispy treats are sticky! It is a struggle to press them into a pan without getting marshmallow all over yourself and the surfaces around you. I find that if I spray my hands with cooking spray I can press the treats into the pan by hand with minimal mess.
“Extra” Crispies Treats
A “leveled up” rice crispy treat full of browned butter, peanut butter, pretzels, chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and flaky sea salt.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Category: cookies and bars
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, browned*
1/2 cup peanut butter
one 16oz bag of mini marshmallows
2 cups pretzels, broken
6 cups rice crispy treat cereal
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
1/2 cup caramel sauce
flaky sea salt
Instructions
Line a 9×13 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large saucepan cook the butter until it begins to foam and solids drop out and become golden brown and fragrant. Browning the butter is optional, but recommended.
Add the peanut butter and marshmallows and stir over low heat until marshmallows have melted.
Stir in the broken pretzels and the rice crispy cereal. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips and spread the treats into the 9×13 pan. Press to even out the treats then top with the remaining chocolate chips and chopped peanuts. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with flaky sea salt. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Notes
*Pretzels were measured out and then crushed by hand. I used mini twist sized pretzels.
*For homemade caramel sauce, in a medium saucepan cook 1 cup of sugar moistened with 2 Tablespoons of water over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved and has taken on a golden brown/amber color. Add 2 Tablespoons of butter and cook , swirling sugar mixture until butter has melted. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream, being cautious of steam and sputtering. Cook over low heat, retaining a gentle boil for 2 additional minutes.
Keywords: rice crispies, caramel, peanut butter, browned butter, pretzel, chocolate
This was my first time baking, and I liked how easy it was to follow the steps.
★★★★★