Salted Caramel Rice Krispies Treats with Dark Chocolate
A few weeks ago, I whipped up a batch of my favorite homemade salted caramel sauce for the turtle cheesecake that I made for my mom’s birthday. The remainder of the jar has been sitting in the fridge, drizzled over a few random bowls of ice cream. That’s all well and good, but I felt like it was meant for a greater purpose. I’ve been wanting to play around with a new version of Rice Krispies treats for awhile now, and the lingering jar of salted caramel sauce was all the inspiration I needed. Since I usually find plain ol’ caramel to be a little too sweet for my taste buds (even with salt cutting the sweetness) to eat straight-up, I topped the treats with a layer of bittersweet chocolate and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt for good measure.
There’s not much that makes me feel more like a kid than biting into a Rice Krispies treat. The originals with just marshmallow are totally nostalgic, but coming up with different flavor profiles is so much fun. Variations like Snickers, rocky road, Chubby Hubby and peanut butter cup are just a few of what I’ve played around with in the past.
I fell in love with the combination of salted caramel and dark chocolate after making an impulse purchase at L.L. Bean sometime last year. They had little bags of chocolate-covered salted caramels near their checkout area, and while I was waiting, I couldn’t resist buying them. I nearly ate every single one on the way home! The dark chocolate is a wonderful balance to the sweet caramel and an extra sprinkle of sea salt is the perfect finishing touch.
What are some of your favorite Rice Krispies treat flavors?!
One year ago: Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” Chocolate Chip Cookie
Two years ago: Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats
Three years ago: Cheese, Olive and Ham Bread
Four years ago: Black Bean Mushroom Burgers
Salted Caramel Rice Krispies Treats with Dark Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 ounce (283.5 g) bag marshmallows
- ½ cup (113 g) salted caramel sauce
- 7 cups (196 g) Rice Krispies cereal
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- Melt the butter, marshmallows and salted caramel sauce together in a large pot over low heat.
- Add the Rice Krispies and stir together until evenly moistened. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and, using oiled hands, press the mixture into an even layer. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely smooth and melted. Pour over the Rice Krispies mixture and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Sprinkle fleur de sel over top. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature, or in the refrigerator. (If it’s particularly warm in your kitchen, the chocolate topping may melt.)
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I love your site- wonderful recipes and fresh ideas! I will look forward to following your blog! I love to cook, too- I’m always trying something new! Thank you
I made these for Valentines Day yesterday since I had leftover caramel sauce, and my husband LOVES rice crispy treats:) They were delish! But I pressed the marshmallow-rice crispy mixture way to hard into the dish. I won’t make that mistake again. They tasted fine, but they were very dense because of that.
Made these yesterday. Wow! (And I mean that in a very good way!) Thank you for sharing and happy holidays.
I made these but used coconut oil instead of butter, and sprinkled some unsweetened shredded coconut on top. Delish!!
Can you be more specific regarding the dark chocolate you used on the salted caramel rice krispies treats? I very much want to make these to bring to a friend for dessert. Thanks!
I probably used Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chocolate here. I hope that helps!
Couldn’t resist this recipe. I a lifelong lover of of crispy treats. My recipe is usually just peanut butter and chocolate, so these were definitely worth a try. Silly me, thought i could improvise, tried to halve and use carmel sauce for ice cream. They are ok, but i am sure the true homemade caramel sauce is so much better. There were weak on the caramel taste and stayed pretty soft . Good enough tho, I will definitel follow the recipe to a T next time! Thanks much
Amazing. Now my evil plan of owning my husband will be complete tonight :) Thanks for sharing.
I have made treats with Cheerios and caramel before and loved them. Not many things are more comforting than cereal treats!
I made some caramel sauce yesterday, then made these. YUUUMMM! SO delicious! I used 1/3 milk chocolate because I’m not a huge fan of the dark and they turned out perfectly (I also used a bit of Karo syrup in the chocolate so it wouldn’t be quite so hard when it cooled.) The sea salt on top is absolutely the best idea ever. My six kids inhaled them. Thanks for the recipe!
I just made these but used dulce de leche since I had a jar in the pantry that needed to be used (although I am certain the salted caramel sauce would’ve been fantastic…just didn’t have the time to make that!). Excellent recipe and different. Thanks for sharing!!
My son and the whole golf team from JMU are making a detour to my house this weekend for a home cooked meal on their way to their next tournament. These would make an excellent treat to pack up for them for later on their road trip. Short of traveling across town for fleur de sel, could I sub either sea salt (I have fine) or coarse kosher salt? Thanks!
Hi Coleen, I would not use kosher salt. You could use the sea salt, but do so sparingly; a little goes a very long way.
Okay and I am a dork! I now see the Salted Caramel sauce recipe! One of these days I will learn to read! : )
These were delicious! I made them tonight. They were quick and easy, although I had to do a little improvising as I could not find Salted carmel sauce or Fleur de Sel at the regular Grocery store and couldn’t wait to find them. I had a hankering. Even my husband loved them and he is not a big sweets fan like I am!
yummy variation of krispies!
Yum!!! You always have the yummiest recipes!!! My taste buds love you but my hips are expanding!!! :-) xx
I love salted caramel, these look fab!
The world cannot have enough RKT recipes. But, yours, with salted caramel and dark chocolate probably cannot be beat by any other. Thanks for sharing, Michelle! Pinned!!
this is not your ordinary rice krispie treat…I LOVE IT!!
Wow! Love the idea of caramel rice krispies :)
I am drooling just over the thought of how amazing these must taste. The salted caramel-dark chocolate combo is to die for!
I haven’t played around with new flavors for rice krispies treats. These look amazing. I especially like the chocolate layer on top.
This recipe reminds me to to go make rice krispie treats right now! Thank you!
I want to dig into the whole batch of these! Really great!
I have a box of rice krispies just waiting to be made into delicious treats – yours look AMAZING! Will have to try this recipe!
What a great twist on rice krispie bars! I’m sure the contrast of salty and sweet must be incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever had any flavors of rice krispie treats other than the standard variety. I definitely need to remedy that!
Ugh dying over these. With Rice Krispies, I really think I could polish off a whole pan on my own. They’re one of my favorite comfort desserts.
these look great, i want to figure out a way to get bacon in there….maybe sprinkle that on top instead of salt? i know it might ick people out, but it’s sort of a challenge I have been given. Bacon and rice krispy treats…all thoughts welcome!
These treats sound like a great way to use up caramel sauce! These look absolutely delicious.
Oh man! Now I totally have to make these! They just look too good.
Wow!! Those look absolutely delish!! Rice crisps + chocolate = a dangerously delightful combination!! :)
Love the dark chocolate and salted caramel combination!
These look delicious! Chocolate and caramel is my favorite combo…add some sea salt and it’s pure heaven! Think I’ll try these today….
What a great way to make Rice Krispy Treats even better!
I have not tried the chocolate covered salted caramels from L.L. Bean, but I am addicted to Sanders dark chocolate sea salt caramels. Sanders has a website, but I get a big (and cheap) container from Costco. I have never tasted anything like them; they are so good that when I went to Costco a few times and they were unavailable, I wrote to them to get them back. They came back, and I am on my second 36 oz. container!
What a great twist on a classic!! Love, love, love dark chocolate!
Funny I have yet to make crispy treat in my house but the combo here is too delicious not to try, I love that these are you mum’s faves!
Ohhhh, yum! I have been on a caramel kick and these Rice Krispie Treats are perfect!!!
These sound splendid!!
:D I JUST wrote about your salted caramel sauce! (In Latvian) The directions you gave were super, and super helpful. Thank you!
trust me, you aren’t the only one that can’t resist those Chocolate Covered Salted Caramels from L.L.Bean. I work there and can’t even stop myself from purchasing a bag every once in a while and devouring the entire thing – neither can my store manager. Haha.
Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
My mum would LOVE these! She has a weakness for salted dark chocolate ;)
I love RKTreats of any kind. AND salted caramel. I actually have 3 posts in my drafts that use salted caramel (unplanned) and this just dawned on me earlier today. And that I need more posts that don’t use salted caramel :) I would love to dig into your RKTs!