Best Rice Crispy Squares

So in the past I’ve had the odd hankering for rice crispy squares. It’s something about the nostalgia and my childhood, but about once a year I think, “Yea, I should make those!” I’ve made them and used cookie cutters for Valentine’s Day for my son’s dayhome treat and when I picked him up that day, the caregiver told me,”What did you do different to your rice crispy squares? They are the best I’ve ever had!”

So over the years I’ve started hacking the typical recipe. A bag of jet puff marshmallows, 6 cups Rice Krispies, 3tbs of butter is the standard. First of all I changed the brand of marshmallows, I use no name brand from superstore, but I realized they have less artificial vanilla flavour and are a little less sweet. The other big, but small change is that I add salt. Rice crispy squares and very sweet on sweet, but with a little added salt it balances beautifully. I add a bit more butter(of course), and a little less puffed rice cereal. Altogether I think it really makes an old favourite that much better!

Please note, I decided to mix up my usual and try the “Brown Rice” variety of Rice Krispies when I photographed this recipe. It was still very good, but not as good as the regular kind in my opinion. If you use the regular kind yours will look much lighter than the squares in my photograph.

Rice Crispy Squares

• 1 10oz or 400g bag of large marshmallows
• 4 1/2 tbs of butter
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 cups of puffed rice cereal

In a large saucepan add the marshmallows and butter. Start on low heat. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch pan. As soon as the pan heats up begin stirring constantly. As it starts to melt add the vanilla and salt. Keep storing as the marshmallows melt, and just before the last 1-2 marshmallows are completely melted remove from heat- if it over cooks the squares will be hard instead of soft. Add the rice cereal and mix throughly. Transfer to a buttered 9×13 inch pan d use wet fingertips to press into place (this avoids it sticking to you). Cool and Enjoy right away or store in a sealed container for 1-3 days.

Jess