Caramel Rice Krispies Treats

Stack of rice krispies treats filled with caramel on plate.

Caramel Rice Krispies Treats

We took the standard rice krispies treats (perfected with just the right ratio of marshmallow + cereal, of course) and added a thick, gooey layer of caramel to the middle. These are over the top in the best way possible.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings bars

Calories 301kcal

Author Karly Campbell

Ingredients

For the rice krispies:

6 tablespoons butter divided
8 cups mini marshmallows divided
12 cups rice krispies cereal divided

For the caramel:

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
11 ounces soft caramel candies unwrapped
4 tablespoons butter
kosher salt optional

Instructions

To make the rice krispies:

To make the first layer of rice krispies treats, add 3 tablespoons of butter and 4 cups of mini marshmallows to a large microwave safe bowl.
Microwave for 1 minute and then stir until smooth. If the marshmallows are not fully melted, microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth.
Stir 6 cups of cereal into the melted marshmallows to combine.
Press the mixture into a greased 9x13 dish. Don’t press too hard or you’ll compact the bars too much and they’ll be harder than they should be when eating.

To make the caramel sauce:

Add the sweetened condensed milk, caramel candies, and butter to a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the caramel has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Pour the caramel sauce over the layer of rice krispies treats in the pan. If desired, sprinkle with kosher salt.

To finish:

To make the top layer of rice krispies treats, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and 4 cups of marshmallows to a large microwave safe bowl.
Microwave for 1 minute and then stir until smooth. If the marshmallows are not fully melted, microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth.
Stir 6 cups of cereal into the melted marshmallows to combine.
Gently press the mixture down over the caramel using a piece of greased wax or parchment paper. Don’t press too hard or you’ll compact the bars too much and they’ll be harder than they should be when eating.
Let cool for 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

A 16 ounce bag of mini marshmallows is exactly 8 cups. You can also use full sized marshmallows, if you prefer.

I used a pinch or two of kosher salt on the caramel layer, just to balance out the flavor. You can skip this if you’re not a fan of salted caramel desserts.

This will fill a 9x13 pan pretty perfectly with the top of the rice krispies right at the top of the pan. Because they’re so thick, we cut them into smaller squares, making about 20 rice krispies treats per pan.

Nutrition