Name: Brown Butter Bourbon Rice Krispie Treats (Rice Whiskey Treats)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tbsp salted butter; 4 cups mini marshmallows; 3 tbsp bourbon; 4 cups brown rice crisp cereal (or regular Rice Krispies); Flaky sea salt

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These easy 4-ingredient brown butter bourbon rice krispie treats (aka rice whiskey treats) take your favorite childhood treat and upgrade them with brown butter, a splash of bourbon, and sea salt. You'll love this fun fall dessert that's made in just 10 minutes! (nut-free)

Everyone loves a good rice krispie treat. If somebody says they don't, they're lying. My mom made classic rice krispie treats for me and my friends probably on a weekly basis when I was growing up, and there's still nothing quite like pulling apart a gooey, still-warm rice krispie treat to bring me back to childhood.

For this fall season, I decided to bring you an adult upgrade to classic rice krispies treats with these brown butter bourbon rice krispie treats, fondly known by my Mr. Table as 'rice whiskey treats.' They're just what you need for get-togethers with friends and family this season!

I battled with trying to make these treats 'healthier' without marshmallows, but after a couple of failed attempts, I realized that they just weren't going to be the same without that classic marshmallow goo pull. So the marshmallows stayed. That's the beauty of food freedom, friends. No feeling guilty over a marshmallow. Although I did still use brown rice cereal because whole grains are my jam. But regular rice cereal works just as well here.

Why You'll Love These Brown Butter Bourbon Rice Krispie Treats

As if I need to tell you.

The gooey, sticky, buttery, crispy goodness of rice krispie treats
Brown butter - slightly nutty and so much richer than plain melted butter
Bourbon - a subtle depth of boozy fall sweetness
Sea salt - the only way to make sweet treats even better is with a hint of salt, right?
Hardly any time commitment - these treats come together in just 10 minutes with little more than a stove and a spoon.

How To Make Brown Butter Bourbon Rice Krispie Treats (Rice Whiskey Treats)

These rice krispie treats couldn't be easier to make!

First, brown the butter. Melt butter in a large skillet (I prefer nonstick, like these GreenPan ones) over medium low heat. Let it get nice and golden and foamy, stirring as needed.
Turn off the heat. Very important for gooey marshmallows and not treats that turn out like bricks.
Stir in the marshmallows. Keep stirring until they are completely melted.
Stir in the bourbon.
Add the rice cereal and stir to coat evenly with the marshmallow mixture.
Smoosh the gooey mixture down into a greased pan. I use a greased spatula to do this.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let them cool for a bit before cutting into squares.

Pro Tips For The Best Ever Rice Whiskey Treats

Prepare the pan first, and have all of your ingredients ready at the stove. This recipe moves fast, and if you don't do things immediately, it could mess up the result.
Watch the butter carefully as it browns. It can go from perfectly browned to burned quickly. You want it golden, bubbly, and smelling a bit nutty.
Make sure you turn off the heat to stir in the marshmallows, bourbon, and rice cereal. If the marshmallows get too hot, they will harden as they cool, leaving you with rice krispie bricks instead of the pull-apart treats you crave.
Don't use table salt for the topping. It's not the same. If you can't find flake salt (I buy it on Amazon), you can use sea salt from a grinder on a coarse grind.
If you choose the brown rice cereal like I do, make sure it's actually crispy, not just puffed brown rice. A few that I know of are Nature's Path Organics, Barbara's, One Degree Organic, and Whole Foods Brand.
I like to use a greased spatula for all of my stirring and pressing to reduce sticking. You can also use buttered hands!
For extra tall rice krispie treats, use a loaf pan instead of a square pan.

Can't Get Enough Bourbon Treats? You'll Love These Other Desserts With Bourbon:

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Brown Butter Bourbon Rice Krispie Treats (Rice Whiskey Treats)

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Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 2 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 10-16 squares 1x
Category: dessert
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

4 tbsp salted butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
3 tbsp bourbon
4 cups brown rice crisp cereal (or regular Rice Krispies)
Flaky sea salt

Instructions

Prepare a square baking dish by lining with parchment or by lightly greasing it.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Keep cooking, stirring, and let it get golden and foamy.
Turn off the heat and stir in the marshmallows. As soon as the marshmallows are melted, stir in bourbon.
Quickly fold in rice cereal until evenly coated. Pour mixture into prepared pan, pressing down with a spatula.
Sprinkle the top lightly with flaky sea salt. Let treats cool and set up for 30 minutes to an hour before cutting into squares.

Notes

Prepare the pan first, and have all of your ingredients ready at the stove. This recipe moves fast, and if you don't do things immediately, it could mess up the result.
Watch the butter carefully as it browns. It can go from perfectly browned to burned quickly. You want it golden, bubbly, and smelling a bit nutty.
Make sure you turn off the heat to stir in the marshmallows, bourbon, and rice cereal. If the marshmallows get too hot, they will harden as they cool, leaving you with rice krispie bricks instead of the pull-apart treats you crave.
Don't use table salt for the topping. It's not the same. If you can't find flake salt (I buy it on Amazon), you can use sea salt from a grinder on a coarse grind.
If you choose the brown rice cereal like I do, make sure it's actually crispy, not just puffed brown rice. A few that I know of are Nature's Path Organics, Barbara's, One Degree Organic, and Whole Foods Brand.
I like to use a greased spatula for all of my stirring and pressing to reduce sticking. You can also use buttered hands!
For extra tall rice krispie treats, use a loaf pan instead of a square pan.