Salted Brown Butter Tahini Crispies: The Rice Krispies Treats Glow-Up

There are desserts you make when you’re feeling inspired, and then there are desserts you make when you’ve already put on your pajamas but still want to feel like you’ve got your life together. These are firmly in the latter camp — but in the most flattering way.

It’s the classic rice crispy treat, all grown up. Browned butter adds a toasty, caramelized depth, tahini brings subtle nuttiness and a creamy backbone, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes everything feel intentional. They’re still chewy and marshmallow-y, but now they’re the kind of thing you could set out at a dinner party without anyone suspecting you made them in under 15 minutes.

The beauty here is in the pantry magic. Marshmallows, rice cereal, and tahini aren’t exactly exotic — they just haven’t been in the same room before. Once they are, it’s instant chemistry. The brown butter gives you that warm, bakery smell, and the tahini smooths everything into an earthy sweetness that balances the sugar like a pro.

Serve them casually: slightly uneven squares on a ceramic plate, a little crumble in the corner, and maybe a scattering of pistachios if you want to show off. They’re unfussy, they’re chic, and they’re proof that “low effort” doesn’t have to mean “low vibe.”

Because some days, fancy-feeling food for fried people is exactly the win you need.

Salted Brown Butter Tahini Crispies

This is what happens when childhood nostalgia runs into a chic pantry makeover. We’re talking golden brown butter swirled with nutty tahini, binding together puffy rice cereal in a soft, salty-sweet embrace. They look casual, they taste fancy, and they’re made with the kind of low-effort ingredients you could find at a corner store.

Servings 12 squares

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 6 cups crisp rice cereal
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup tahini stirred well
• 1 10 oz bag mini marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more for topping

Instructions

• Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy removal.
• In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter until golden and nutty, about 4–5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, stir in tahini, then add marshmallows. Stir until smooth and fully melted.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and sea salt.
• Immediately fold in cereal until evenly coated.
• Press mixture gently into the prepared pan — don’t compact too hard if you want a soft bite.
• Sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt. Let set 30 minutes before slicing into squares.

Notes

• Tahini separates in the jar — stir before measuring or you’ll get too much oil.
• Toasted sesame seeds or crushed pistachios add crunch and visual appeal.
• For toddler-friendly, skip the extra salt sprinkle and cut into mini squares.
• Store in an airtight container up to 3 days, though they rarely last 24 hours.