A decadent version of the classic rice krispie treat – with brown butter, buttery caramel, chocolate, and pecans. It makes for a rich and upgraded version of the old school rice rice krispie treat with minimal extra effort.
Better than the box recipe rice krispies
There are a few obvious factors that make this recipe unique – the silky caramel, rich chocolate, and crunchy pecans – making it “turtle style”. But one other thing makes this recipe stand out – it uses BROWN BUTTER.
It’s true. This recipe is the same base rice krispie recipe as my Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats – just with the added decadent ingredients for my turtle lovers out there.
What’s brown butter?
Brown butter is simply just butter, melted down to a golden amber color with some browned flecks in it. By cooking butter, it provides a warm, nutty flavor that enhances any baked good. You can also use it in those savory cooking dishes too! It takes about 2 extra minutes and it’s oh so worth it!
How to make turtle rice krispie treats
Turtle rice krispie treats are 4 easy layers:
1. Brown butter rice krispie base (it’s a half recipe of my original plain recipe. Feel free to double this recipe for a 9×13 pan instead of 8×8)
2. Caramel (I suggest using a high quality store bought caramel or your favorite homemade caramel that you would use for homemade caramel squares. I’ve used my salted caramel sauce which is easy and VERY delicious, but because it is a thinner consistency, it does make the bars a bit messier in comparison to a thick set caramel. Either one is delicious and technically works – just a heads up on the consistency difference.)
3. Chocolate (My favorite is semi sweet because it’s the perfect balance for me in a recipe like this – rich but not too much. If you love milk or dark chocolate, use those instead!)
4. Chopped pecans (You can leave these out on some or all if you have some anti-nut people in the group!)
More favorite fall recipes:
Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Caramel Apple Pecan Sticky Buns
Best Ever Carrot Cake
Sourdough Pumpkin Loaf
Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Turtle Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 5 oz (4 1/2 cups) Rice Krispies cereal
- 6 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 10 oz mini marshmallows
- 1 cup caramel store bought or homemade
- 1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Prepare a 8x8" pan by lining it with parchment paper. Alternatively you can also grease it with butter. Set aside.
- In a large pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Stirring occasionally, let it become a golden brown color with a few brown specks throughout. This is "browning" butter and it creates such a nice, warm subtle flavor.
- Add 10 oz (1 bag) of mini marshmallows, stirring until it melts in with the butter. Add vanilla and salt. Stir again.
- Turn down the heat and add the cereal and fold to get the cereal evenly coated with the butter-marshmallow mixture. Add remaining mini marshmallows and fold again until marshmallows just begin to melt. Remove from heat and press into your prepared pan. Tip: I love using the wrapper from my butter to press it into the pan, or a silicone spatula is helpful as well.
- Melt the caramel in the microwave or stovetop so it's spreadable. Spread an even layer on top of the rice krispies. Set aside to cool. You can also pop it in the freezer for a few minutes for it to set faster.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, stirring often in shifts to not overheat and seize the chocolate. When the chocolate is almost all the way melted, remove and stir until completely melted. Wait a couple minutes for it to cool, so the chocolate isn't extremely hot as you spread it on the caramel.
- Once it's cooled down but still spreadable, pour and spread on top of the caramel layer. Top with chopped pecans. Let the chocolate set and harden before cutting into it. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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