Cocoa Krispies Treats

Cocoa Krispies Treats

Rice Krispies treats are a classic dessert for a reason. They’ve got everything: crunch, chew, buttery sweetness and just the right amount of salt. You’ll get extra credit for browning the butter first. What happens if you also stir some cocoa powder into the browned butter before mixing in the rest of the ingredients? The classic transforms into something deeply chocolatey, gooey and even a bit sophisticated. These treats are reminiscent in flavor to hot chocolate, thanks to the cocoa and marshmallows, but you can enjoy them any time of year. For some campfire vibes, stir in about ½ cup broken pieces of graham cracker with the crisp rice cereal.

Yield: 9 servings

½ cup/113 grams salted butter, plus more for greasing

½ cup/56 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 1 teaspoon fine salt

1 (12-ounce/340-gram) bag marshmallows 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 cups/180 grams Rice Krispies, or other crisp rice cereal

Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. 

In a large pot, melt the ½ cup butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring often with a rubber spatula, until the milk solids on the bottom of the pan turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cocoa powder and salt until incorporated. 

Add the marshmallows and stir until they are about 80 percent melted. Some lumps are OK. Remove the pot from the heat, add the vanilla and cereal and stir the mixture until all the cereal is coated.

Transfer to the prepared pan. Use the spatula to gently spread the mixture out evenly but avoid packing it down. Let cool completely.

Remove from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 9 even squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.