Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats

Happy Halloween!!

If you manage to keep your hands out of your kids' candy tonight, make this your reward :)  It's a slightly fancier version of rice krispy treats - with browned butter, vanilla bean, and pumpkin pie spices.  Ohhhhh, yesssss.  And we already know how much I love browned butter (this much and also this much).  The pumpkin pie spices in this recipe are optional, but they add a hint of warmth and Fall to the taste, so I highly recommend including them.

And while we're here, did you know that I'm awful at making rice krispy treats?  Seriously, every batch I make turns out hard as a rock or flavorless or both.  Except for this one, hurrah!  I got to comparing recipes from the back of the marshmallow bag, the cereal box, and a couple online.  It's amazing how much different the amounts of cereal are.  This recipe I'm posting for you calls for nearly half the cereal of the other recipes.  Half!  So it's no wonder that it turned out perfectly gooey and soft and definitely full of flavor.  After all the cakes and cheesecakes and cake pops and candies, I'm so excited to have finally conquered what everyone else can make blindfolded! :)

Trick Or Treat!


p.s.  Browned butter.  There's really nothing else I need to say about this!

Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats
a mish mash of recipes from The Merry Gourmet and Cookies and Cups

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. cloves)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 10oz. bags marshmallows
9 c. crispy rice cereal

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Add the butter to a large saucepan set over medium-low heat.  The butter will melt, then begin to bubble and foam. Eventually it will start to turn golden brown and smell nutty.  Be patient and watch carefully, it can go from brown to burned quickly. Once the butter is browned, add the vanilla bean paste, the spices, and the salt.  Then add all of the marshmallows and stir the mixture constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Remove from heat and add the cereal, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to coat the cereal evenly with the marshmallow mixture. Spread the mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Note:  If you halve this recipe, use an 8x8" pan.

Ingredient Lineup:

 Stages of Butter:

Melted, and starting to foam:

Starting to bubble:

Browned, with bits:

Stirring in the spices, vanilla, and marshmallows: