Gluten-Free Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats – This gluten-free rice krispies treats recipe is a total revelation. Gooey, gorgeous, and finished with a few flecks of flaky seas salt, they’re absolutely incredible!

The BEST rice krispies treats of your life start with brown butter.

Why? Well, brown butter is basically baking magic. It transforms butter into something caramel-like that adds layered flavor to anything it touches. In this case, our gluten-free rice krispies treats get a major flavor glow-up from adding brown butter to the mixture. Then, we finish them with a bit of flaky sea salt for an elevated finish that makes this classic treat feel just a bit more grown-up.

I’m telling you, I’ve never fallen harder for a rice krispies treat recipe! And you want to know how many ingredients it takes to create all this no-bake magic? FIVE. Just five ingredients!

Here’s all you need for this easy gluten-free brown butter rice krispies treats recipe…

Here’s What You Need To Make Gluten-Free Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

• Gluten-Free Rice Krispies Cereal. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies brand cereal is NOT gluten-free (crazy, I know! It uses malt syrup which contains barley/gluten), so we recommend picking one of the gluten-free crispy rice cereal brands in this post. I like Barbara’s & Aldi’s brands best!
• Butter. Rather than simply melting the butter, we’re going to brown the butter first. This caramelizes the milk solids and gives it a sweet, nutty, caramel-like flavor that’ll totally blow your mind.
• Marshmallows. Next up is marshmallows, for that ooey gooey, pull-apart texture that makes gluten-free rice krispy treats amazing.
• Vanilla. A little flavor trick! Adding some vanilla to the brown butter & marshmallow mixture plays up the caramel notes and gives the flavor more dimension. I love it!
• Flaky Sea Salt. I love adding a few flakes of sea salt to the marshmallow mixture and then a few at the end. It won’t make them taste salty, like pretzels or popcorn. Instead, it adds a satisfying crunch, and wakes up all the other flavors, kind of like salted caramel. YUM.

How To Make These Gluten-Free Rice Krispies Treats, Step By Step:

1. Prepare Your Pan. Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper. I like to leave some parchment hanging over the sides to use as handle later. It makes lifting the treats out of the pan super easy!
2. Measure & Set Aside Your Rice Krispies Cereal. Add your gluten-free crisp rice cereal to a large bowl (the largest mixing bowl you have!). Set aside close by, so its within easy reach when your marshmallow mixture is ready.
3. First, Brown The Butter. Add butter to a medium or large pot. Melt over medium heat, whisking or stirring nearly constantly while the butter melts, until the butter is fully melted and begins to bubble. Continue cooking the butter over medium heat (you’ll hear it popping and bubbling) to let it caramelize and brown. After 6-8 minutes or so, the butter will begin to foam and bubble as the popping slows down. When the butter looks deeply golden, smells caramel-y and sweet and you can see that the butter solids are starting to brown, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. (The butter will continue to cook and brown on the stovetop, so it’s better to stop a minute early than a minute too late!)
4. Immediately Mix In The Marshmallows & Vanilla. As soon as your butter is browned, reduce the heat to LOW and immediately add your marshmallows.
5. Whisk briskly, adding the vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt. Continue to whisk briskly on low heat until the marshmallows are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. (It will be flecked with the brown bits from the butter-this is fine!)
6. Pour Marshmallow Mixture Over Crisp Rice Cereal. As soon as the marshmallow mixture is smooth, pour it over your Rice Krispies and stir to combine. This will be a very gooey process, but do your best to work quickly to coat the cereal evenly. (The marshmallow mixture starts to set as soon as you pull it off the heat.)
7. Gently Press Down Into Your Baking Pan. Quickly transfer the rice krispie treats mixture to your prepared pan. To keep a light, gooey texture, use a gentle hand or a light touch when patting the brown butter Rice Krispies mixture into the pan. I recommend a flexible spatula or your fingertips. (Dip your fingertips in a little water or lightly mist your spatula with spray oil to keep the gooey marshmallow mixture from sticking to you!)
8. Finish With Flaky Sea Salt. Lastly, finish by sprinkling some flaky sea salt over the top of your gluten-free Rice Krispies treats.
9. Let Them Set At Least 15-30 Minutes Before Slicing. If you try to cut them right away, they’ll be too gooey. Also, pro tip: serrated knives work best for slicing rice krispies treats. They don’t crush the cereal as much, which makes for beautiful, even squares!

Yummy Mix-Ins & Extras To Try In These Gluten-free Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats

• Toffee Bits. Play up the caramel notes in these brown butter crispy treats by adding some toffee bits. 1/4-1/2 cup is PLENTY. (I like the Heath Bits ‘O’ Brickle bits!)
• Caramel Or Butterscotch Chips. You can also play up those caramel notes by adding 1/3 cup or so of caramel or butterscotch chips on top as you press them into the pan. This can make them a bit more rich and sweet, so a lighter hand works best!
• Marshmallow Fluff. Add a few little dollops as you’re about to put them into the pan. Leave the little clumps rather than mixing them in all the way so there’s a lovely color contrast.
• Sprinkles. For birthdays, holidays, potlucks, and parties, adding some sprinkles is a fun touch! I recommend jimmies, quins, or nonpareils.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats:

Make Sure You’re Using Gluten-Free Rice Krispies! In case you skipped to the bottom (I get it!), do NOT use Rice Krispies brand cereal if you’re gluten-free or baking for someone who is. It is NOT gluten-free. Instead, use one of these gluten-free crisp rice cereal brands.

Use Gentle Pressure To Pat Them Down. To keep a light, gooey texture, use a gentle hand or a light touch when patting the brown butter Rice Krispies mixture into the pan. I recommend a flexible spatula or your fingertips. (Dip your fingertips in a little water or lightly mist your spatula with spray oil to keep the gooey marshmallow mixture from sticking to you!)

How To Store Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats. These brown butter gluten-free Rice Krispies treats will keep covered at room temperature 2-3 days. After that, they’ll continue to dry out. If you want them to stay especially fresh, wrap each square individually in plastic wrap and store the wrapped squares in an airtight container or bag. You can often prolong their shelf life this way!

Can I Use Dairy-Free Butter Instead? Not if you want it to brown. Butter browns when the milk solids caramelize. This isn’t possible with dairy-free butter sticks (like Earth Balance), vegan butter, or butter substitute (like margarine).

Can I Use Regular Butter Instead? If you want to make these as classic gluten-free Rice Krispies treats, simply melt the butter rather than browning it.

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