If you have a few cups of marshmallows and a few cups of cereal, then you have these small batch Rice Krispie treats! All you need is five ingredients and a few minutes for a perfectly buttery, sticky, late-night snack. And these bars have brown butter because why not take them over the top just a little?
Sometimes, late at night, I get a mad craving for a little treaty treat like these super chocolatey small batch brownies. But half the time 1. my pantry is sparse, 2. I have zero patience to preheat the oven, and 3. my husband is asleep which means no drive thru ice cream runs. 🙁
And so, in these most desperate of moments, I turn to my tried and true. A snack that got me through high school, college, and many a munchies. Rice Krispies treats.
This recipe is for those of you who have half a bag of cereal and some leftover marshmallows laying around. And while yes, most cereal treats are made with just three ingredients, this recipe has a little trick that I learned in pastry school to take it over the top. Like my small batch chocolate chip cookies, we're adding brown butter!
May I tell you a few more reasons you need to make this recipe ASAP?
- They're no-bake, no wait. True instant gratification.
- And the combo of brown butter + vanilla is *chef's kiss*.
- You don't need any special tools or ingredients. Easy.
A 5-ingredient wonder
So technically, you only need three things to make cereal treats. But I like to add a couple extra ingredients to make them even better - pure vanilla extract and a pinch of Kosher salt. It just adds extra flavor and a nice sweet-savory situation!
Other than that, you just need rice cereal (like Rice Krispies), marshmallows (I use mini but regular is fine too), and unsalted butter. Also, we're browning the butter because the nutty, caramelized flavor is next-level.
Marshmallow-to-cereal ratio
The ratio of marshmallows to cereal is important here. If you add too much cereal, the treats will be dry. But if you add too many marshmallows, they'll be overly gooey. And while in my regular recipe, I like more marshmallows than cereal, I found that a 1:1 ratio works better for small batch bars.
That being said, if you have just a little less marshmallows or cereal than needed, it'll probably be ok. You just need roughly 180 grams (3 ½ cups) of mini mallows and 90 grams (3 ½ cups) of puffed rice cereal.
Brown butter - if you feel like it
You don't have to brown the butter, but I promise, it's worth the extra 5 minutes. Brown butter adds a toffee-like, nutty flavor that makes these bars even better.
If you don't want to brown the butter, you can just melt it and leave it at that. All good!
Recipe instructions
Don't cook the marshmallows over high heat. You just want to cook them just until they're melted. If they overcook, your cereal treats will end up hard instead of chewy.
The secret trick
The key to melt-in-your-mouth bars is to press the cereal-marshmallow mixture gently into the pan. Don't cram it in as tight as possible, or the treats will come out hard and dense. You want to press just until the treats stick together!
If the mixture is a sticky, gooey mess, use a greased rubber spatula (or clean hands) to smooth the cereal mixture into the loaf pan.
Storing & freezing tips
- Store - place any leftovers in an airtight container. They'll last at room temperature for 1-2 days, but they will get harder over time.
- Freeze - line a freezer bag or container with parchment paper. Place the bars in-between the paper and freeze for up to 3 months.
No loaf pan? No problem.
I used a 3.5''x7.5'' loaf pan to make this recipe. But a 4.5''x8.5'' or 5''x9'' pan would work too. If you don't have a loaf pan, you can totally just use a regular baking pan (8''x8'', 9''x9'', etc.). Just press the mixture into half of the pan. Since the cereal mixture is super moldable, you should be able to keep it in half the pan without it toppling over.
Or, use a muffin pan and evenly divide the treats between 6 cups! Grease the cups with butter or use cupcake liners for easier removal.
Flavor variations
If you want to switch up the flavors, you can replace some of the puffed rice cereal with other add-ins. Try replacing 25 grams (about ½ cup) of the rice cereal with some of these ideas!
- Snacks - chopped pretzels or Oreos
- Candy - chocolate chips, mini M&Ms, malt balls
- Other ideas - flaked coconut, sprinkles, white chocolate
When it comes to small-batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. If you don't have a scale, here are all my tips on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking.
If you try this recipe, I would love if you left a star rating and review. I read every comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thanks so much for supporting Midnight Bake Club!
Easy Small Batch Rice Krispies Treats
Equipment
- Medium skillet
- loaf pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 42 grams unsalted butter (3 Tablespoons)
- 180 grams mini marshmallows (3 ½ cups)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 90 grams puffed rice cereal, like Rice Krispies (3 ½ cups)
- Flaky salt, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan with butter or baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper and set aside for later.
- Then, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Let it gently simmer, swirling the pan often, until the butter smells nutty and there are small brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the mini marshmallows to the brown butter. Stir the marshmallows constantly, just until they're melted and well-combined with the butter. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Remove the pan from the heat and add the puffed rice cereal. Stir until everything is well-combined.
- Using a greased rubber spatula, gently press the mixture evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Then, let the bars set at room temperature or in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Use the parchment paper to remove the treats from the pan. Slice into 6 bars and sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!