Pretzel Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

If you’re rolling up to a party, make sure you have a plate of these pretzel brown butter Rice Krispie treats in your hands. These bars have gooey marshmallows, toasty brown butter, salty pretzels, and chocolate chunks for a no-bake, elevated party dessert that comes together in minutes. Make a double batch, you won’t regret it.

The thing about party desserts is that bars are always a good move. We all love an elaborate cake or latticed pie but what really gets the people going is a platter of triple chocolate brownies, strawberry cheesecake bars, or the humble Rice Krispie treat.

I don’t care how old you are or how refined your palate, a Rice Krispie treat always hits. But, if we ever did want a more elegant version of the childhood classic, well, this salty, chocolatey, toasty brown buttery version would definitely do it.

This recipe is based on the brown butter cereal treats I used to make when I was in pastry school. And ever since, it’s been my go-to potluck dessert for pretty much every casual get-together. They’re the best!

A few ingredients you’ll need

• Butter – make sure it’s unsalted, because the pretzels will add a lot of salt to this recipe! We will brown the butter to give these bars a nutty, toasty flavor.
• Mini Marshmallows – the mini mallows melt more consistently than the larger ones.
• Vanilla Extract – vanilla extract isn’t a part of the OG recipe but it definitely should be. Use 100% pure vanilla extract for the best flavor!
• Rice Krispies – or any puffed rice cereal that you like.
• Pretzels – I like twists cause they’re prettier for decorating but sticks will work too.
• Chocolate – dark, milk, or semi-sweet, all are good! I usually chop up chocolate bars but you can also use chocolate chips.

More add-ins

If you want to try another flavor combo, there are so many great options here. You will want about 1 1/2-2 1/2 cups of mix-ins total.

• Mini peanut butter cups + chopped peanuts
• Butterscotch chips + coconut
• White chocolate chips
• Chopped Oreos!
• Pretzels without chocolate – I actually kind of prefer it this way but when I tested this recipe on friends, everyone else liked the addition of chocolate.

How to make these treats

Brown the butter

1. First, brown the butter! It literally only takes 5 minutes, promise. Just place the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot and set it over medium-low heat.
2. Melt the butter and let it gently simmer, stirring the butter often. It will foam up a bit.
3. After about 4-5 minutes, it will start to get toasty and brown. When the butter smells nutty and there are brown bits at the bottom of the pan, it’s ready to go!

Once you notice brown bits at the bottom of the pan, keep a close eye. It will burn quickly! The butter should have a good amount of brown bits and smell nice and toasty.

Melt the mallows

1. Add the marshmallows to the pot and stir until they’re well-coated in the butter.
2. Stir often until the marshmallows until they’re completely melted and smooth.
3. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Make & assemble the treats

1. Next, add the Rice Krispies and pretzels to the melted marshmallows.
2. Using a wood spoon, mix everything together until the cereal and pretzels are completely coated with the marshmallow mixture.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chocolate chunks.

To keep the cereal-marshmallow mixture from sticking to the spoon, spray it with a bit of cooking spray. Works every time!

4. Working quickly, stir the chocolate chunks into the cereal mixture. You don’t want the chocolate chunks to completely melt (small streaks are ok), so fold everything together as fast as you can!
5. Evenly press the mixture into a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper. Stick extra pretzels on top for decoration. Then, chill the treats in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
6. Lastly, use the parchment paper to remove the treats from the pan. Slice the bars into 15-18 bars and sprinkle with flaky salt. Enjoy, friends!

To smooth out the top of the cereal treats, use the bottom of a measuring cup. Gently press the treats into the pan for Rice Krispie treats that are thick and chewy!

Smaller Batch

If you want a smaller batch of pretzel chocolate chip Rice Krispie treats, this recipe is super easy to halve. Just cut all of the ingredients in half and press the cereal treats into an 8×8 pan. Slice the treats into 9-16 bars depending on how many servings you want.

The best way to store leftovers

Place any leftovers in an airtight container or zipper bag. Store the bars at room temperature for up to 2 days. After a couple of days, they will start to get hard.

Rice Krispie treats are softest and chewiest day-of. If you can swing it, I definitely would make them on the same day or night before you eat the bars.

Freezing Rice Krispie treats

If you need them to last more than 2 days, freeze the bars instead. Place the leftovers in an airtight container or zipper bag, separating the layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 2 months, and defrost for at least 30 minutes before serving!

Decoration ideas

For gourmet Rice Krispie treats, try some of these decoration ideas!

• Drizzle the bars with chocolate instead of using chocolate chunks.
• Press whole pretzels to the top of the bars before they set.
• Dip the bars halfway in melted chocolate and add sprinkles.
• Keep it simple with a sprinkle of flaky salt.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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xo Sara Lynn

Song of the day – Pink + White by Frank Ocean

Originally posted on March 27, 2020.