Coconut & Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats

My Coconut & Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats are crispy, nutty, salty-sweet perfection. These homemade cereal snacks are a far cry from the basic bars that used to grace your elementary school lunchbox; these gourmet rice krispie treats are all grown up!

Jump to:

• About This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• How To Make Coconut Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats
• Optional Variations
• Expert Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Bar Treats 
• Brown Butter Coconut Rice Crispy Treats

About This Recipe

If your childhood was anything like mine, you relished any opportunity to eat a freshly made rice krispie treat. Made with just the well known cereal, salted butter, and a bag of marshmallows, they were a simple delight. Soft and sticky, crispy and stretchy, they were among the best things that graced my unsophisticated palate.

Fast-forward a few decades, and now the OG treats are still delicious... and don’t get me wrong; they’re still tasty but they could be SO. MUCH. MORE. 

Enter these Coconut & Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats. My friends, THESE are everything I could possibly want out of my old cereal-based flame. Made with coconut dulce de leche, a homemade marshmallow fluff, toasted coconut flakes, and a not-so-little dark chocolate drizzle. They are amazing!

Granted, these brown butter rice krispie treats are a bit more work than their less-sophisticated counterparts. That said, they’re worth every extra second of work! As they say, the proof is in the pastry, so let’s get to it!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Canned Coconut Milk - Don’t try swapping in the refrigerated kind that comes in a carton; it won’t have the necessary amount of fat to turn into the caramelly goodness that is dulce de leche.
• Brown Sugar - Either light or dark will work here!
• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes - As rice crispy treats tend to be sweet by nature, I chose to fold in unsweetened coconut flakes into the marshmallow fluff rather than the sweetened variety. In addition, you can toast a handful of coconut flakes as pictured below adding to a great texture and slightly nutty flavor. Whether used as a main ingredient or a decadent topper, unsweetened coconut flakes are a favorite within a number of my favorite recipes.
• Rice Krispies Cereal - Feel free to use the white label store brand to save a few pennies!
• Coconut Extract - If you want to intensify the tropical coconutty flavor of these browned butter krispie treats, I encourage you to use coconut extract. If you can’t find it, vanilla extract is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
• Light Corn Syrup - If you only have dark corn syrup in the pantry, don’t fret. It will still work to make the marshmallow fluff, though it will have more of a caramelly, molasses flavor than if you used light.
• Brown Butter - This is the ingredient that gives these gourmet rice krispies treats their *chef’s kiss* je ne sais quois. Don’t feel intimidated; making it is much simpler than you think!
• Dark Chocolate - I’m a fan of chocolate with 60% or more cocoa, but you can easily substitute milk or semisweet chocolate if you prefer! Just be sure to use high-quality chocolate here for the best results.

Equipment

Since we’ll be making our own marshmallow fluff, there are a few pieces of specialty equipment we need for making these brown butter rice krispie treats:

• Saucepan - Opt for one with a nice, heavy bottom. This will ensure even cooking!
• Candy Thermometer - Making homemade marshmallow fluff requires a bit of science; you’ll need to hit a temp of 250F, which you won’t be able to gauge without a thermometer. If you don’t have a specific candy/fry thermometer with a handy hook for the pot, an instant-read thermometer will also work.
• Hand or Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment - Making marshmallows requires a heck of a lot of air being beaten into the sugar syrup. You’re definitely going to want some electrical assistance!
• 8x8 Pan or Frame - I like the thickness that an 8x8 pan gives these brown butter rice krispie treats, but you can easily swap in a 9x9 instead. There’s no baking involved, so you can press them into any shape you want!

How To Make Coconut Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Step 1: Make Coconut Dulce de Leche. Place coconut milk, brown sugar, and salt into a saucepan, whisking to combine and heat on medium until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Once the mixture has been reduced to 1 cup, you know that the dulce de leche is complete - this should take 30 minutes to an hour at a simmer.  Pour into a small container and allow to cool before using in the recipe, then store leftovers in the fridge. 

Step 2: Toast Coconut Flakes. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Add coconut flakes on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, and place in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes until flakes are lightly toasted and golden brown.

Step 3: Warm Krispies. Set oven to warm, or to 150 degrees. After greasing a large bowl with butter, pour in the rice krispy cereal and place in the oven. The cereal will begin to warm while you start on the marshmallow fluff making it easier to mix later in this process!

Step 4: Bloom Gelatin. In a small bowl, mix gelatin, 2 tablespoons of water, and coconut extract with a fork.

Step 5: Make Sugar Syrup. Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a pot. Turn on the stove to medium-high and heat until bubbling. Continue to cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 6: Make Marshmallow Fluff. Pour the hot syrup into the bowl of your stand mixer and cool until your thermometer reads 212 degrees. Add the gelatin mixture into the sugar syrup and mix with the whisk attachment on low speed to combine. Once homogenous, increase the speed to medium-high and continue whisking until the syrup is thick and glossy. This should take 5-8 minutes.

Step 7: Prep Pan. Grease your 8x8 pan while you wait for the marshmallow fluff to finish mixing.

Step 8: Make Treats. Add coconut flakes, coconut dulce de leche and softened brown butter to the marshmallow fluff and whisk to combine. Grab the warmed cereal from the oven and pour your coconut marshmallow fluff into the bowl with the cereal. Using a spatula sprayed with oil, fold the cereal into the marshmallow fluff gently until combined.

Step 9: Press Into Pan & Cool. Transfer the rice krispie treats mixture into your prepared pan and sprinkle the toasted coconut flakes on top, gently pressing to the top of the rice crispy treats. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest and ingredients to cool/firm for 1-2 hours.
Step 10: Decorate & Cut. Remove the rice crispy treat square from its mold and set on parchment paper. Take the melted chocolate and drizzle on top of the toasted coconut flakes. Then, cut into pieces using a serrated knife and enjoy! Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and store for 3-5 days.

Optional Variations

Turns out brown butter rice krispie treats pair beautifully with any number of flavors. Here are a few ideas so you can customize your batch to your liking:

• Drizzle with caramel or peanut butter.
• Add freeze-dried powders to add a fruity pop of flavor
• Swap dark chocolate for milk or white chocolate.
• Dip in chocolate instead of drizzling.
• Stir in nuts, mini chocolate chips, or toffee.
• Use Cocoa Krispies instead of regular Rice Krispies…
• Or use a different cereal altogether!

Expert Tips

• Blooming gelatin requires cold water. It might sound counterintuitive, but don’t be tempted to use boiling. Blooming is the process of rehydrating the gelatin so it can mix into liquid more evenly. If you try using hot water, the gelatin won’t be able to rehydrate the whole way through.
• Toasting coconut takes a watchful eye. If you’re bad at setting a timer when multitasking, you might do better to toast the coconut in a dry sauté pan.
• Melting chocolate is delicate business. I suggest using a double boiler for the safest, most reliable results.
• Warm your krispies for easier incorporation. You know how I always talk about letting your eggs come to room temperature before making cookie dough? Well, this is like that. Warming the cereal up helps to mix it evenly with the marshmallow fluff without it setting.
• Pay attention to the specific temperatures of your sugar syrup before moving onto the next task. Make sure to use a thermometer and babysit the syrup to ensure that you are hitting the right temperatures.
• Be extra gentle when you are mixing together the cereal and marshmallow fluff. The cereal is quite delicate and can easily be crushed!
• Make sure to grease your spatula! This ensures that your marshmallow fluff and rice crispy cereal does not get stuck, preventing you from incorporating everything well.
• To make sure that the rice crispy treats hold their shape, wait to cut into them for at least an hour. I know... it's hard to wait! But you won't regret it.
• Use a serrated knife. It’ll help you make neater cuts!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Bar Treats 

• Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
• Triple Chocolate Gourmet Brownies with Caramel
• Easter Brownies with Cadbury Mini Eggs

As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this recipe for my Coconut Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats, please share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!