Browned butter, chocolate, honey roasted peanuts, and peanut butter are attention getting ingredients. And like the movie "Little Women", I learned you definitely need another version of rice krispie treats in your life. More specifically you want these Brown Butter Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats. I can't tell you if they are the absolute best rice krispie treat ever because almost no other rice krispie treat compares to them. They are either in a league of their own or completely redefine the concept of a rice krispie treat. Am really glad I gave all but two of them away as they are addictively dangerous.
Your friends and family will not be able to stop talking about them.
Even without the optional addition of a cup of miniature marshmallows, there is a great marshmallow to rice krispie cereal ratio to these treats. Meaning they have the kind of marshmallow texture many of us love in a rice krispie treat. The browned butter and coarsely chopped honey roasted peanuts add a depth of complex, irresistible flavor to these treats making them incredibly scrumptious. The rich nuttiness of the browned butter compliments the honey roasted peanuts perfectly. It is definitely one of the game changing ingredients in these treats.
The best way to press the rice krispie treat mixture into the pan is to lightly coat your hands with softened butter and simply press down. Because a chocolate peanut butter ganache layer will be spread over the top of the treats, you want the surface to be as even as possible.
Melted semi-sweet chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and a little bit of kosher salt makes for a luscious ganache.
And a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt kicks the flavor of these Brown Butter Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats up a notch.
Using a 9" x 9" pan makes sixteen eye-popping large treats. Each one big enough to share or slice. Granted this size rice krispie treat isn't for everyone. You can always opt to make them in .a 7.5" x 13" or 9" x 13" pan. Larger pans will slightly reduce the amount of that dreamy chocolate peanut butter ganache on each piece.
The next time you need to bring a dessert to a gathering, bring these Brown Butter Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats. They will be talking about them for weeks. But remember to keep one behind for you to enjoy.
Without the ganache, the treats themselves may be the only way you want to eat them ever again. The combination of flavors of the browned butter and honey roasted peanuts makes them one of the best versions of the classic rice krispie treat to ever be created. A convincing case could be made to put these treats in both the dessert and breakfast categories. Just saying.
Brown Butter Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats
Makes 16 generous sized treats
Ingredients
Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats
1 cup (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 (10 ounce bags/560 g) regular-size marshmallows
6 cups (204 g) crisp rice cereal
2 cups (300 g) honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Optional: 1 cup miniature marshmallows
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
10 ounces (280 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (260 g) creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Flaky Sea Salt for finishing
Directions
Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats
1. Line a 9" x 9" baking pan with parchment paper. Alternately use a 7" x 13" or a 9" x 13" baking pan. Set aside. (See notes)
2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. It will start to bubble and crackle. Whisking occasionally carefully watch the butter as soon as the bubbling subsides. After about 4-5 minutes the butter will be fully browned (it will have a beautiful golden brown color and there will be little brown bits on the bottom of the pan).
3. Immediately add the marshmallows and salt. Stir using a wooden spoon until the marshmallows have melted. Remove from heat.
4. Add in the crispy rice cereal and the coarsely chopped honey roasted peanuts. Mix well. At this point you can also add in a large handful of miniature marshmallows if using.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. With your hands lightly covered in butter, press the treats down into the pan, creating a smooth, even top. Let cool to room temperature (approximately 45-60 minutes).
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl set over (but not touching) boiling water.
2. Add the salt and stir the melted chocolate until smooth.
3. Whisk in creamy peanut butter in 4-5 large dollops at a time until the ganache is smooth.
4. Pour the ganache over the top of the treats. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Let cool until firmed up.
5. Cut into 16 pieces.
6. The Brown Butter Honey Roasted Peanut Rice Krispie Treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. But they probably won't last that long.
Notes: (1) The recipe was inspired from Joanne Chang's new cookbook "Pastry Love: A Baker's Journal of Favorite Recipe", (2) The inspiration recipe called for the use of 9" x 13" pan, however, I am not a big fan of 'thinner' rice krispy treats. My favorite pan to use is a 9" x 9" one. But if I wanted more than 16 generous sized treats I would use either a 7.5" x 13" or a 9" x 13" pan. (3) Using a small food processor to chop up the nuts is much easier than chopping them with a knife.