Rice Crispy Treats just got a major upgrade thanks to the addition of brown butter, toasted coconut flakes, and coconut dulce de leche! Oh, and not to mention a not-so-little drizzle of dark chocolate on top because why not?
What is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is an absolute game-changer. Although the process of browning butter can cause some to feel nervous – never fear! The success of achieving brown butter is dependent on using your senses.
After cooking butter for a lengthy amount of time, milk solids begin to separate from the fat. These milk solids eventually fall to the bottom of the pan and are packed with flavor.
Brown butter is a fantastic addition or even replacement within a number of recipes. Whether you are hoping to add flavors to cookies, cakes, breads, madeleines – elevate the flavor with a bit of brown butter. Take a look at my step-by-step guide with visuals if perhaps this is the first time you'll be making brown butter!
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.
Coconut Dulce de Leche
Vegan, creamy, and packed with flavor. What more could you want? This recipe for coconut dulce de leche is so incredibly simple with only two steps... here's how it's made!
- Place all ingredients into a saucepan, whisking to combine all ingredients, and heating on medium until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and stir from time to time for at least an hour. Once the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, you know that the dulce de leche is complete. Pour into a small container and allow to cool before using in the recipe, then store leftovers in the fridge.
Chocolate Drizzle
To finish off your rice crispy treats, melt your dark chocolate and place in a piping back with a small tip. While still warm and fluid, drizzle the chocolate on top of the toasted coconut bits. I like to leave the rice crispy treats undisturbed so that the chocolate has a chance to harden!
Tips for making Rice Crispy Treats
- 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.
Cutting& Storing
After cutting into my fair share of rice crispy treats this past summer, I would highly recommend using a serrated knife! Light, airy and chewy rice crispy treats tend to get squished incredibly easily if they're not handled with care. Using a serrated knife to cut into your squares will prevent this from happening and allow for the perfect squares.
If each rice crispy treat is individually wrapped and kept at room temperature, they should last for five days!
Brown Butter Coconut Rice Crispy Treats
Equipment
- Bowls
- Spatula
- Saucepan
- Fork
- Hand or Stand Mixer with Whisk attachment
- 8x8 Pan or Frame
- Knife (serrated)
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
Coconut Dulce de Leche
- 1 13.5 oz Can Coconut Milk
- 150 g (¾ cup) Brown Sugar, packed
- Pinch Salt
Coconut Rice Crispy Treats
- 210 g (6 cups) Rice Krispies Cereal
- 2 teaspoon Unflavored Gelatin Powder
- 2 tablespoon Cool Water, for blooming gelatin
- 2 teaspoon Coconut Extract , or Vanilla Extract
- 60 g (¼ cup) Water, for sugar syrup
- 170 g (½ cup) Light Corn Syrup
- 200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 55 g (¼ cup )
Brown Butter , recipe linked here - 25 g (¼ cup ) Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 60 g (¼ cup ) Coconut Dulce de Leche
Garnish
- 25 g (¼ cup) Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 45 g (¼ cup) Dark Chocolate, melted
Instructions
Coconut Dulce de Leche
- Place all ingredients into a saucepan, whisking to combine and heat on medium until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and stir from time to time for at least an hour. Once the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, you know that the dulce de leche is complete.
- Once the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, you know that the dulce de leche is complete. Pour into a small container and allow to cool before using in recipe, then store leftovers in the fridge.
Toasted Coconut Flakes
- Preheat your overn to 350° F
- Add coconut flakes on a parchment paper lined baking tray, and place in the over for 5 - 8 minutes until flakes are lightly toasted and golden brown.
Coconut Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats
- 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!
- In a small bowl, mix gelatin, 2 tablespoon water, and coconut extract with a fork.
- Combine the sugar syrup water, corn syrup, sugar, and kosher 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.
- 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.
- Grease your 8x8 pan while you wait for the marshmallow fluff to finish mixing.
- 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.
- Transfer the 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.
- 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. Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and store for 3-5 days!
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