Before you panic: these are made with brown rice krispies.
Brown rice krispie treats — a small bit of January justification, right? Using brown rice cereal feels like choosing a whole grain option, so allow yourself a little leeway. These treats are playful, nostalgic, and just the thing for a cozy weekend snack.
It’s that familiar first week of January tug-of-war: I want to share lighter, healthy meals, but I also need fun snack ideas for award-show night. I love watching the Golden Globes, and I love the red carpet even more — so I made champagne caramel krispie treats to celebrate.
We adore rice krispie treats at home — my partner and I consider ourselves slight rice krispie treat aficionados. Our kid Max hasn’t caught on yet, which always surprises me. How can anyone resist warm, vanilla-scented marshmallow and crisp cereal?
If you’ve got leftover champagne from New Year’s Day and don’t want to waste it, this is a perfect use. The champagne becomes part of a brown sugar caramel that gets swirled into the marshmallow mixture, lending a light, celebratory note. You can skip drizzling extra caramel on top, but for the full effect, I recommend it.
The champagne caramel is something I’ve made before — it’s rich, buttery, and brings a special twist to ordinary treats. Swirled into the marshmallow base, it brightens the flavor without overpowering the classic rice krispie texture. The recipe makes extra caramel, so you can save the remainder for ice cream, popcorn, or another batch of treats.
On a decorating note: I recently bought rainbow champagne flutes that look amazing but hide the drink inside, which is less than ideal for photos. Still, they’re fun, and I plan to use them for rosé this summer. For now, they add a bit of whimsy to the snack table.
Sorry for offering sugar on January 5th, but if you want more snack options for awards night, try something with spice or citrus to balance these sweets. Pairing a nibbly savory snack or a citrusy treat will help keep the spread interesting.
Champagne Caramel Krispie Treats
Yield:
16 squares
1 hr
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Ingredients
champagne caramel
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup champagne
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
krispie treats
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
- 1/3 cup champagne caramel
- 6 to 7 cups brown crisp rice cereal
- 6 to 8 large marshmallows (for creating marshmallow pockets)
Instructions
champagne caramel
- Combine all caramel ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk to combine, then cook and stir until the mixture bubbles and smooths, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature; it will thicken as it cools. Store any extra caramel in the refrigerator.
krispie treats
- Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. (A 9×13 will work; squares will be thinner.)
- In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add mini marshmallows and stir until melted and creamy. Stir in 1/3 cup of the champagne caramel until combined.
- Turn off the heat and fold in the brown rice krispies until evenly mixed. Add the large marshmallows and fold gently for a few minutes to create marshmallow pockets. Press the mixture into the prepared dish, smoothing the top with parchment so it doesn’t stick. Let set about an hour, then slice into squares. Optionally drizzle extra caramel or sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
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Marshmallow pockets should always be a thing.