I’ve spent more time then I care to admit on TikTok this year, and as someone who’s been around since the dawn of food blogs, it’s kind of interesting to me how TikTokers demo and share recipes. There’s no space or time to give lengthy explanations of ingredients or explain a method, which is fine as a passive viewer just scrolling by… until it comes time for me to actually want to make a TikTok recipe.

My number one pet peeve is: where are the measurements? Sometimes they’re in the caption so you can take a screenshot. Sometimes they’re just in the voiceover, so you need to scribble them down. Sometimes if it’s a geriatric millennial such as myself, they’ll direct you to their blog. Sometimes you must subscribe to a Substack newsletter to get a recipe, where you’re asked to upgrade to become a paid subscriber to unlock all content. And sometimes, the measurements are nowhere to be found. And this is why I have a love/hate relationship with cooking and baking TikTok.

Lucky for me, when I saw this TikToker making Next Level Rice Krispie Squares, I knew Deb had a similar recipe for Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats in her first cookbook. I just followed her measurements, with a few small additions and extra steps to toast the Rice Krispies and the marshmallows and I was in business.

I gave these to Kristine for her birthday treat, with one square missing for quality control purposes, of course!

Next Level Rice Krispie Squares

Source: based off this recipe from Smitten Kitchen with a few modifications inspired by various TikToks

Ingredients

  • 6 cups Rice Krispies
  • 10oz regular-size marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • pinch salt

+ 1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

+ flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

  1. Line a 8″x”8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. First, toast the Rice Krispies. Preheat oven to 350 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the Rice Krispies on the baking sheet, spread out into an even layer and toast in the oven for 5-7 mins or until golden brown. Set aside.
  3. Next, broil the marshmallows. Switch the oven to broil, and move a rack to the top of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and spray it with non stick spray. Add the marshmallows and slide under the broiler. DO NOT WALK AWAY! Watch the marshmallows until they become a deep golden brown, then remove from the oven, gently turn them over with tongs, and broil the other side too. Set aside.
  4. Time to brown the butter. Add the butter to saucepan, set over medium heat, and melt. It will keep cooking, bubbling and foaming, and eventually turn brown and smell nutty and amazing. Pour into a big, microwave safe bowl, scraping every little bit of brown butter goodness.
  5. Add the marshmallows to the hot butter, and stir until melted and smooth (stick it in the microwave for a minute or so if it needs a little help). Stir in the vanilla and salt, then add the Rice Krispies and stir until evenly coated. Add the mini marshmallows if you’re using them.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and gently spread into an even layer and sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt. Let set at room temp until cool and then cut into squares.