The Softest and Most Flavorful Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats that’s Fun to make with Kids and great to Share amongst Family and Friends during the Easter Holiday. Plus one small ingredient to make these the softest treats lasting for days!

With this week being 90+ degrees in Phoenix, these quick and easy, no-bake Rice Krispies Treats for Easter came in perfect timing. Plus, I have a little secret ingredient that’ll make your next batch super soft for daaays. Because no one likes a dry and dense rice krispies treat… eww. Garbage.
But first, I want to quickly share something near and dear to my heart. And if you’re looking for the secret ingredient, keep scrolling down. You’ll find it 😉

Rice Krispies treats was my very first concoction cooked in the kitchen. And it wasn’t in my own kitchen but rather in my “home economics” class of fourth grade. Side bar: Do these classes still exist?
I remember stepping onto the plastic step stool (because I was cute and short), leaning over the pan while grabbing the wooden spoon and listening to the crackling sound that came from folding the cereal into the melted marshmallow. Through the spoon I could feel the crunch as the cereal mushed into the melty marshmallow. It felt so satisfying as if I was playing with play-doh but with food!
I was mesmerized by the buttery and sweet smell and watching the marshmallow stretch and ooze in different directions was captivating. As a kid, the thought of being able to create this “masterpiece” was magical. I was so proud of myself and the best reward out of it, was being able to EAT IT! This day goes down as one of the most cherished moments of my childhood kitchen experiences and probably the start of my love for baking sweets.

If you have kids, this is an easy recipe that’s great to get them involved. Not too messy and I’m sure they’d love to mix the cereal and sprinkle in the colorful M&M’s. Speaking of the candy, there are a few tips you should know to get the Ultimate Rice Krispies Treats that’ll leave them super soft and without melted candy everywhere.
Tips for the Ultimate Rice Krispies Treats:
- Brown that butter! Cannot say this enough. There’s butter and then there’s browned butter… big difference. Since you have to melt the butter in the pan, before adding the marshmallows, wait another minute or two for the butter to turn into a nice golden brown color. The timing for the brown color to appear is dependent on the heat and type of butter. Once browned, you’ll notice a pleasant scent of toasty nuttiness. It oftentimes gives a richer and a more intense flavor.
- Add sweetened condensed milk. Shocking, I know! A good 1/2 cup of this stuff will heighten the sweet flavor and provides softness to the treats. When melted marshmallows cool, they may remain slightly tacky but firm up a bit. Adding sweetened condensed milk is like adding a moisturizer to the marshmallows. It helps to lock in the moisture creating softer rice krispies treats.
- Patience is key. It may be tempting to throw in the chocolate candy as soon as the rice cereal is mixed into the melted marshmallow but wait. Wait just a few minutes for heat of the treats to cool down to warm and then quickly mix in the candy. If the candy is mixed in too early, the chocolate coating will begin to crack leaving the chocolate to ooze out and create melty streaks of chocolate throughout the treats. It will still taste the same, just may not have a clean finish. But sometimes, who the heck cares, right?! As long as it tastes good!

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Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats for Easter
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The Softest and Most Flavorful Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats that’s Fun to make with Kids and great to Share amongst Family and Friends during the Easter Holiday. Plus one small ingredient to make these the softest treats lasting for days!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (156 grams) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 oz (283 grams) mini marshmallows
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) pure vanilla extract
- 6 cups (158 grams) Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 cup (227 grams) M&M’s milk chocolate pastel candy, divided
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 inch (23×23 cm) pan with wax paper leaving extra hang over the sides for easy removal.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir butter and cook until golden brown in color and has a nutty aroma, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and salt over low to medium heat.
- Pour in marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Turn off heat. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour cereal into the melted marshmallow mixture and gently fold until all cereal is mixed in marshmallow. Wait at least 5 minutes to allow the mixture to cool.
- Once mixture is cooled to the touch, quickly mix in about 3/4 cup of M&M’s candy. Drop spoon the cereal mixture into the prepared pan and gently press down to create an even surface across the top. Sprinkle remaining candy across the top and gently push each piece into the treats to stick. Allow treats to fully cool before cutting into squares and serving. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brown butter, rice krispies treats, cereal
Credit of the secret ingredient goes to the Kitchn.
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