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Toasted Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispie Treats. These Rice Krispie treats are like no other. Made with salted butter, brown sugar, apple cider, and toasted marshmallows. They’re sweet, salty, buttery, extra gooey, a little toasty, and just a bit addicting. You’re going to love these! They’re fun to make, no matter your age. The perfect school bake sale treat that will win everyone over.
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I never thought I would be so excited to share a Rice Krispie Treat recipe. Honestly, I didn’t think the world needed another Rice Krispie Treat recipe beyond what comes on the back of the Rice Krispie cereal box.
My mom would use the recipe on the back of the box. Well, actually, she’d add an extra stick of butter because that’s just how my mom makes her krispie treats. She made the best desserts growing up.
But in the new cookbook (25% off today with code PREORDER25), I share a recipe that I adore. It’s for Caramel Rice Krispie Treats, and it’s so special. I can’t wait for you all to make them!
This recipe is a variation of those, and these are special, too. When I had the idea, I wondered why I’d never thought of it before.
TOASTED marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats! Yes, of course! Toasted marshmallows don’t even compare to untoasted. You have to toast them. When you toast marshmallows, they go from tasting like straight sugar to actually having a yummy flavor from the toasted, caramelized sugars.
So delicious! If you made my Toasted Marshmallow Cookie Bars from last week, then you know what’s up!
Alright, here are the details
Step 1: make the brown sugar caramel
You need a couple of sticks of salted butter, some dark brown sugar, and apple cider—not apple cider vinegar, just apple cider.
Mix this all together in the largest pot you have. Bring the mix to a boil and cook until it thickens up. About 5 minutes is usually all it takes!
Add some flaky sea salt if desired.
Step 2: mix in the marshmallows and Rice Krispies
Next, mix the mini marshmallows into the caramel. Stir the marshmallows until totally melted.
Then mix in the cereal.
Step 3: toast the marshmallows
I use the broiler to do this quickly. Arrange the marshmallows on a baking sheet, then broil until toasted.
My only very important note here is not to walk away from the oven while these toast. Everyone’s broilers cook differently, but a broiler will generally toast these up FAST. Watch them closely because they can go from white to black in seconds.
Once the marshmallows are toasted, mix them into the Rice Krispies promptly. Just a gentle stir is all you need to do here. They do not need to be fully mixed.
Step 4: press the treats into a pan
As a final step, press the Rice Krispie mix into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Let them set for at least 30 minutes, then cut them into bars!
They’ll be gooey and messier than most Rice Krispie treats, but that’s what makes them so good. Just embrace the sticky, sweet, delicious mess.
Great for back-to-school, game nights, and transitioning into cozy autumn baking days/nights!
Looking for easy party desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars
Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Retro-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Lastly, if you make these Toasted Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispie Treats, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Toasted Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bag (10-ounce) mini marshmallows
- 1 box (12 – ounce) Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 bag (12 -ounce) regular marshmallows
Instructions
- 1. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper. Preheat the broiler.2. Add the butter and brown sugar to a large pot set over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then add the cider. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is dark and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt. Turn the heat to low. Add the mini marshmallows and stir until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. Mix in the cereal.4. Arrange the regular marshmallows on a baking sheet. Broil 1-2 minutes, until toasted. Watch closely, the marshmallows will toast FAST. Mix the toasted marshmallows into the cereal. Immediately transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly and packing it in tightly. Sprinkle with flaky salt.5. Let set and cool for 30 minutes to an hour. Cut into bars and serve. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Can you make these without the apple cider? Can you just toast the marshmallows a bit and use them like regular melted marshmallows?
Hey Jacki,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
I did make them without the apple cider. They are very good. I’m not sure what the apple cider would add to it. They are definitely sweeter than regular rice, crispy treats, but it’s a really nice flavor.
Really want to try these but not sure of the measurements to use for Rice Krispies and Marshmellows. Can you transfer into cups for me?
Hi Wendy,
So sorry, I did not measure those ingredients in cups, I just used the measurements on the bags/boxes. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Made these yesterday and they are really delicious with the toasted marshmallows! I didn’t have apple cider available, so I used orange juice (pulp free) mixed with a little bourbon and I like the outcome. When they were first done, I could kind of understand Wilma feeling like the Rice Krispies tasting soggy, but as they cooled they were crispy again…hoping that was the same for her. Anyway, love your recipes Tieghan, thank you for sharing! I will make these again and again 😉
Thanks so much for your kind message, Peggy:) Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Have a great weekend! xT
These are outrageously delicious. Will be making them on repeat!
Hey Amanda,
Awesome! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Xx
The toasted marshmallows and cider caramel really level up Krispy treats—these are like candy. So good. I recommend using name brand rice krispies over generic. I used a generic box and they were a little more chewy than crispy.
Forgot to add stars!
Hey Kristin,
Happy Monday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for trying it! Have a great week! xT
Could you please tell me how many cups that is? Thank you so much!
Hi Michelle,
So sorry, which measurement do you need in cups? Please let me know how I can help:) xT
Just made these, and they are NOT terrible 😊. So fun to roast marshmallows in the oven, never did that before, and they came out perfectly. Added a Nutella layer, too. So delish!!
Hey Catherine,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
I made these for my friend’s birthday yesterday! They turned out really good!
Hey Christine,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great week:)
Thank you for the inspiration Tieghan! I cheated a bit and used a box of apple cider soft caramels melted with 1 stick of butter. I topped the squares with cinnamon sugar to be reminiscent of apple cider donuts. Yummy!
Hey Jackie,
Yum! That sounds delish! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and making it your own! Have a great week! xT
I don’t know what I did wrong but the they are gooey and have a good flavor but the Rice Krispies taste soggy?? Help!!
Hi Wilma,
Thanks for trying this recipe, so sorry to hear you had some issues. What do you mean they taste soggy? Was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know how I can help:) x
Making these for our upcoming block party….can’t wait
I hope you love the recipe, Jeannie!!
Forgot to rate it! 5 stars. The whole family is devouring them.
Thanks again, Sara:)
I woke up this morning and checked HBH like I do every morning for recipes and saw this. Immediately ran to the store for the ingredients. This is an absolutely delicious and different take on crispy treats! The whole thing is over the top in the best way. Just a quick pro tip (not that you need any) according to NYT cooking, America’s Test Kitchen and Sallys baking addiction you should never “pack tightly” your crispy treats. Just a light press in the pan for uniformity will result in fluffy soft treats. The act of packing them tightly will result in hard treats.
Keep up the amazing work! I use your recipes almost exclusively and have for over 6 years!
Thanks so much for your kind message, Sara! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! Happy Friday! xT
These look fantastic and I’ll definitely be trying them soon! I’ve used toasted marshmallows the last few times I’ve made rice krispie treats, and it’s a game changer!
Also, I think it’s funny (and kind of sad) that you know you have to actually specify “not apple cider vinegar, just apple cider itself”, in your write up! Why people would assume you mean something completely different than what you specifically wrote in your recipe (especially when vinegar itself would make no sense here) is beyond me, and must get rather frustrating for you!
Thanks so much, I hope you love these Rice Krispie treats! Happy Friday! xT
Thank you so much for specifying apple cider, NOT apple cider vinegar. When I read the recipe I thought, apple cider vinegar is a weird ingredient but she knows better than me! Making these today and they will be a LOT better than they would have, lol!
Lol I hope you love this recipe, Katie! Let me know how it turns out for you! xT