Crisped rice cereal
राइस सीरियलرائس سیریل
rāis sīriyal
Any brand.
Its job: The crunch.
Science-backed recipe
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished
Homemade Rice Crispy Treats: Soft, Gooey, Never Hard
Also called Marshmallow Crispy Squares · राइस क्रिस्पी ट्रीट्स · رائس کرسپی ٹریٹس
Brown butter, extra marshmallows and a gentle hand make thick, chewy squares that stay soft for days.
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished - Active
- 20 min
- Set
- 30 minutes
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 16 squares
Why this recipe works
- ✓Brown butterNutty depth in 3 minutes.
- ✓Extra gooeyMore marshmallow, some stirred in whole.
- ✓Stays softLow heat, no packing.
- ✓No ovenStovetop only.
What are rice crispy treats?
Rice crispy treats are crisped rice cereal bound with melted marshmallow and butter, an American bake-sale classic since the 1940s. This homemade version adds brown butter and salt.
Meet the ingredients
The main ingredients, with their English, Hindi and Urdu names.
Marshmallows
मार्शमैलोمارش میلو
mārshmailo
Mini marshmallows melt fastest.
Its job: The glue.
Butter
मक्खनمکھن
makkhan
Unsalted.
Its job: Flavor and softness.
The lab notes
The science behind every step
Restaurant cooks do these things by habit. Here’s what each step is actually doing to the food, so you can cook by understanding instead of guesswork.
Lab note01
Low heat keeps them soft
Melt the marshmallows over low heat, just until smooth.
Marshmallows are sugar, water and gelatin. Overheating drives off water and concentrates the sugar, which sets harder as it cools, so the treats turn tough.
Lab note02
Brown butter
Cook the butter until the milk solids turn golden brown.
The milk proteins and sugars in butter brown through the Maillard reaction, adding nutty, toffee-like flavor.
Lab note03
Don’t pack
Press the mixture gently into the pan.
Pressing hard squeezes out the air between the cereal pieces and makes dense, hard bars.
How to make it, at a glance
- Brown the butterMelt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until golden brown and nutty, 3–4 minutes.
- MeltLower the heat, add all but 2 cups of the marshmallows and the salt, and stir just until melted. Stir in the vanilla.
- MixOff the heat, fold in the cereal and the remaining marshmallows.
- PressSpread into a buttered 9×13-inch pan and press gently with a buttered spatula.
- SetCool 30 minutes, then cut into squares.
Exact amounts and timings are in the recipe card below.
Questions, answered
Why are my rice crispy treats hard?
The marshmallows were cooked too hot or long, or the mixture was packed too firmly.
Can I use stale marshmallows?
Fresh ones melt smoother; stale ones may need a splash of water.
About MedRise Food Science
Desi restaurant favorites, recreated at home and explained with food science: every recipe is tested in a home kitchen and comes with the why behind each step.
Recipe card
Homemade Rice Crispy Treats
Extra-gooey homemade rice crispy treats with brown butter and a pinch of salt. With the food science of why low heat keeps them soft instead of hard.
Prep10 minSet30 minutesCook10 minTotal50 minServes16 squares
Ingredients
Treats
Instructions
- Brown the butterMelt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until golden brown and nutty, 3–4 minutes.
- MeltLower the heat, add all but 2 cups of the marshmallows and the salt, and stir just until melted. Stir in the vanilla.
- MixOff the heat, fold in the cereal and the remaining marshmallows.
- PressSpread into a buttered 9×13-inch pan and press gently with a buttered spatula.
- SetCool 30 minutes, then cut into squares.
Notes
- Storage
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Equipment
- Large pot
- 9×13-inch pan
- Silicone spatula