Rice Krispies Treats With Chocolate and Pretzels

By Genevieve Ko

Rice Krispies Treats With Chocolate and Pretzels
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
15 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(2,679)
Comments
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Marshmallow treats can skew saccharine, but this slightly more sophisticated version embraces the salty as much as it does the sugary. Sweet marshmallows and chocolate are balanced by plenty of salt: in the butter, on the pretzels and in the flaky sea salt finish. Butter-flavored pretzels (“butter snaps”) have a delicate crunch and a creamy note that work well in this recipe, but any small, thin pretzels are also good. You'll want to use chopped chocolate here instead of chips: They melt faster, so you end up with smeared chocolate bits instead of distinctive chunks.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 to 36 treats
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 6tablespoons salted butter (¾ stick)
  • 1(10-ounce) bag marshmallows
  • 3cups Rice Krispies, or other crisp rice cereal
  • 3cups butter-flavored or regular mini-pretzels, broken into ½- to 1-inch pieces
  • 3ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

296 calories; 27 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 116 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides, then coat with nonstick cooking spray.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir with a sturdy silicone spatula until smooth and melted, about 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from the heat, add the cereal and pretzels, and stir until evenly coated. Immediately scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Using the spatula, press the mixture to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Working quickly (you want the cereal mixture to still be quite warm so the chocolate will melt a bit and adhere to the the surface), sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top. Press the mixture with the chocolate into a flat, even layer in the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

  4. Step 4

    Cool to room temperature in the pan on a rack. Lift out of the pan using the foil and cut into squares. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,679 user ratings
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Comments

Wendy

An 8 oz package of Pepperidge Farm pretzel goldfish is roughly 3 cups, and no pretzel crushing is needed (or extra salt sprinkles). It saves a couple of minutes and the kids love the little fishies.

Mike

I made this with some modifications (some suggested below): -I added 1/2 cup of peanut butter to the marshmallow mixture; -I added 3/4 cup chopped salted peanuts to the cereal mixture; -in lieu of the chopped chocolate, I mixed 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips; I pressed half of the cereal mixture into a pan, sprinkled 2/3 of the chip mixture, pressed the remaining cereal mixture, then melted the remaining chip mixture and drizzled it over the top. So delicious.

Nellie Armstrong

Try browning the butter. I never like rice krispie treats til I tried them with browned butter. Raises treats to a new level.

Ellen

I followed the recipe as written, and while still warm, tried them and had someone else sample them. We both agreed they were way too sweet! I almost tossed the whole pan, but instead put them into the freezer for a couple of hours, then cut into squares. Somehow, the freezer fixed the problem! I took them to a post-hike gathering, and they've been requested ever since. I continue to always freeze them for awhile before cutting.

Philip

I used gluten-free pretzels. They’re harder and denser but worked well. Also, mini marshmallows melt easily into the butter.

Melissa

Based on the 100s of enthusiastic reviews, I was ready to love these. They are decent, but not great: the pretzels and dark chocolate are nice touches, but they were a little "ungooey"--aka dry-- which is not what you look for in a rice krispy treat. I served them to five friends I'd invited over for a bonfire. One person adored them and ate multiple pieces, the other guests ate one each and declined offers to take some home. Oh well.

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