Should my caramel be firm or soft?

You'll want soft caramel for these bars. To achieve this, avoid boiling the caramel excessively. I'd recommend just keeping the caramel over low heat and heating it just enough to get it incorporated and slightly thickened.

Flaky salt? What's that?

Get yourself some Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (affiliate link) - just so good!

Can I store these at room temperature?

You can, but please try them in the fridge. They stay cold, crispy, buttery, and are still deliciously soft and chewy.

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Bars Recipe

Description

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Bars! Perfectly chewy, crispy, caramelly, buttery, soft, and exactly as over-the-top as you need them to be.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
10-ounce package miniature marshmallows (16 ounces for extra gooey!)
12-ounce box of Rice Krispies or crispy rice cereal (about 11–12 cups)

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Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add sugar and whipping cream; stir to incorporate. It will take a minute, but as it heats, you’ll start to see a smooth, creamy caramel mixture form. Heat over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until you have a slightly thickened caramel sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Taste and adjust for more salt if you want.
Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.
Stir in the cereal. Press mixture into a 9×13 pan. You might have a little bit of extra that doesn’t fit in the pan – perfect for a little snack, if you ask me.
Cool slightly, cut into squares, and enjoy! You can eat these at room temperature, but I also love them in the refrigerator! They stay excellently tight, compact, and yet still soft and chewy as they thaw. For some reason that cold, crispy, buttery texture is just really enjoyable.

Notes

You don’t want to boil the caramel mixture excessively, otherwise you’ll end up with firm caramel instead of soft caramel once the bars cool. I’d recommend just keeping the caramel over low heat and heating it just enough to get it incorporated and slightly thickened.

Personally I don’t like to store these at room temperature for more than a few hours because of the cream in the caramel sauce. You can let them hang out on the counter for a bit before you serve, but then I usually pop the leftovers into the fridge for some cold, crunchy magic.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: rice krispie bars, salted caramel rice krispie bar, dessert bar