This bonus recipe has nothing to do with Thai food but it is one of the best things I make, so I have to share it with my biggest supporters. Brown butter protein rice Krispie treats…and before you say “are you serious?,” let me tell you why these are different and worth your time.
Whenever I have a container of these sitting at home, which is often, when people come over, I offer them a piece, and predictably, the next thing you know half the container is gone! They’re not too sweet, a little salty, extra milky from the protein powder, and extra nutty aroma from the brown butter and pumpkin seeds. They are highly addictive. People have a hard time having just one!
The protein powder was a happy accident. With a picky eating child, I wanted to find a way to sneak extra protein into every little thing he eats. What I did not expect was that the milkiness from the whey protein made these treats actually taste better! So whether or not you want to make these higher protein, I would recommend adding it, but if you don’t want to go buy a whole tub of protein for this, you can also omit. I have detailed notes about the right protein powder to use and what you can use instead in the recipe card!
They’re perfect for bringing to get togethers, especially if kids will be around!
Epic Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Krispie cereal see note 1
- ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds or sub other kinds of nuts or seeds
- ¼ cup hemp hearts optional, feel free to sub other small seeds like chia seeds or sesame seeds, see note 2
- 1 scoop unflavoured whey protein powder optional, see note 3
- ¾ teaspoon table salt or another fine grain salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 9.5 oz marshmallows mini ones dissolve more quickly but regular size ones are fine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Prepare a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper, or whatever containers you want.
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Combine the rice krispie cereal, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, protein powder, salt and mix well.6 cups Rice Krispie cereal, ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup hemp hearts, 1 scoop unflavoured whey protein powder, ¾ teaspoon table salt
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In a pot or a large wok, ideally nonstick, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once melted and the bubbling starts to subside, stir frequently until the milk solids at the bottom of the pan is dark brown. Do not walk away, it burns fast!½ cup unsalted butter
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Once the butter has browned, immediately add the marshmallows and quickly stir to mix and then turn the heat down to LOW. Add the vanilla and keep stirring until the marshmallows are mostly melted but still a little bit lumpy.9.5 oz marshmallows, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Remove the pan from the heat, add the cereal mixture and quickly toss with two spatula until the rice krispies are evenly coated in the marshmallow. (If using an electric stove, move the pan off the element during mixing).
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Transfer into the prepared pan and smooth out the rice krispies without compressing it in order to keep it light and airy. It will not fill a 9×13 pan completely, so you'll have space around the edges to use your hand/spatula to press the edges to straighten them (press through the parchment, don't touch the treats with your bare hands!) Allow to cool and then cut into pieces once cooled. Store in an airtight container, they last a couple of weeks at room temp.
Video
Notes
- If you’re not using Kellogg’s brand rice Krispie cereal, use the cup measure instead of the weight. I tried this with gluten free rice cereal to make a gluten free version, but because they are much heavier and denser, 180g did not provide enough volume for the amount of marshmallows in this recipe.
- I add hemp hearts for a little extra protein, fiber and omega 3. You will not taste them. Feel free to omit, or sub other seeds like chia seeds or sesame seeds.
- The whey protein powder gives a lovely milkiness to these treats (I use Nutrabolics hydrolyzed whey protein, but you can use other brands). Do not use flavoured protein powder because it will make it too sweet. If you don’t have it, you can try adding 3 tablespoons of milk powder and I think it should provide the same milky flavour! Do not add any more protein powder in the attempt to make these higher protein; I tried it, and it just makes it too dry as the protein powder absorbs moisture.
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