Sea Salt & Browned Butter Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
Well, that’s a mouthful to say! I could call these Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats, but that wouldn’t do them justice. Because it’s the browned butter and sea salt that really makes these so tasty.
Last weekend I had some pumpkin puree, a fresh box of gluten-free rice krispie cereal and a hankering for rice krispie treats. Given my love for pumpkin anything and that moment’s craving, I thought I’d combine the two to create a pumpkin pie rice krispie treat.
As if that didn’t sound yummy enough, I thought I’d kick things up a notch with browned butter and sea salt! You could of course omit this step if you don’t feel like browning your butter or you’re not a fan of sea salt on your sweets. But I loved the final result. (Look at the yummy flecks of sea salt on top!)
I like a chewy and crisp rice krispie treat – when you can still taste the texture of the cereal and it’s not a big wet mess. I wouldn’t say these were “soggy” treats, and for the first day or so they retained the same texture as my Sea Salt & Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats. But after a few days they didn’t hold the chewy, fresh factor and in my opinion were a little bit more gooey. My friends loved them and had no complaints. (Except for my boyfriend who didn’t love the taste of the sea salt combined with the pumpkin.) I only used 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree, but the next time I make them I will reduce the amount of puree to 1/4 cup.
I bet these would still be equally delicious if you just used the pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg, too, because you would get the flavor from the spices and none of the extra moisture from the puree.
A day after I made these, I decided to add the melted chocolate drizzle on top, which really pulled the whole treat together and eliminated my boyfriend’s problem with the sea salt.
What you’ll need: butter, marshmallows, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, vanilla extract, coarse sea salt, Rice Krispies Cereal and melted chocolate.
Sea Salt & Browned Butter Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
Original Recipe by Lauren from Hugs ‘n Kitchen
Makes 24 squares (One 9″ x 13″ pan)
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 16-oz bag of marshmallows
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt + more for sprinkling on top, to taste
- 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- Melted chocolate, for drizzling on top
- Coat an 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray or butter.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. If possible, avoid using a non-stick pot because it makes it harder to see what color the butter is turning. Stir frequently, scraping up any brown bits from the sides and bottom of the pot. (Keep your eyes on the butter because it will burn quickly if you’re not careful!)
- As soon as the butter takes on an amber-brown color and smells nutty, turn off the heat and stir in your marshmallows and pumpkin puree. The heat from the melted butter should melt the marshmallows, but you can turn the heat on low if you need a bit more help to get the mixture melted and smooth.
- Add the salt, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and vanilla.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the marshmallow and pumpkin mixture to cool and thicken a bit. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes, but is a crucial step, because if you don’t let it cool down, it will just make your treats super soggy and wet.
- Once the marshmallow mixture has thickened a bit, stir in the cereal until it’s all combined.
- Spread into your prepared pan. I liked to spray a piece of waxed paper with Pam and use that to press the mixture firmly into the edges and corners of the pan.
- Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired, and let cool.
- Once the chocolate has firmed up, cut into squares or bars and enjoy.
- Drizzle melted chocolate on top, if desired.
Hugs, kisses & yummy dishes… xoxo
Lauren
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