Brown Butter Reese’s Puffs Cereal Crunch Bars
If you think classic Rice Krispies Treats are the ultimate nostalgic snack, get ready for a serious upgrade. We’re taking those chewy, pan-baked bars, swapping out plain puffed rice for the bold, peanut-butter-and-chocolate crunch of General Mills’ Reese’s Puffs Cereal, and loading them up with every peanut butter lover’s dream additions.
The secret weapon here? Browning the butter. That simple step elevates these from a quick childhood treat into a rich, bakery-level dessert!
Why Brown Butter Changes Everything
Browning your butter takes just a few extra minutes, but the payoff is huge. As the milk solids in the butter toast and caramelize at the bottom of your pot, they release a deep, nutty, warm aroma.
When mixed into sticky melted marshmallows, vanilla, and salt, the brown butter adds a rich, almost toffee-like flavor depth that cuts through the sweet sugar rush and complements the iconic roasted peanut and chocolate flavors of General Mills’ Reese’s Puffs perfectly.
Baker’s Tips for Success
- Store Proper: Keep any leftover bars stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they even last that long!).
- Gently Does It: When pressing the mixture into your 9×13 pan, lightly coat your hands or a spatula with butter or nonstick spray so it doesn’t stick, and use a light touch to keep the texture soft and gooey.
- Double Down on Textures: Leaving that extra 6 ounces of marshmallows un-melted right at the end gives you delightful gooey pockets of marshmallow in every single bite.
Brown Butter Reese’s Puffs Cereal Crunch Bars
Created by Sue Mun
Makes 12 Crunch Bars
Ingredients:
For the Brown Butter Marshmallow:
- 2 sticks (227g) unsalted butter
- 16 oz mini marshmallows
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the add ins:
- 7-8 cups Reeses puffs cereal, plus extra for garnish
- 6 oz mini marshmallows, plus extra for garnish
- 3/4 cup peanut butter chips, plus extra for garnish
- 3/4 cup Reese’s pieces chocolates, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup mini peanut butter cups for garnish
Instructions:
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stirring occasionally, melt down the butter and bring the butter to a rolling boil. Once it boils, you will notice the butter foaming up and the milk solids will start to brown at the bottom. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Once browned, turn the temperature down to low and add in 16 ounces of mini marshmallows and stir until the marshmallows have completely melted.
- Turn off the heat and add in the vanilla and salt. Then add in the Reeses puff cereal and mix until well combined
- Then add in the other 6 oz mini marshmallows, the peanut butter chocolate chips, and the Reeses pieces chocolates. At this point, dont overmix or else the chocolate will melt too much in the pot.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish and gently press the cereal down into the pan. Top with more marshmallows and chocolates as decoration. Also top it with some mini peanut butter cups to make it more fancy.
- Let cool at room temperature before cutting and serving. Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
