I’ve made a lot of sweets in my day, but these might be one of my all-time favorites. And as most major scientific breakthroughs, it happened by mistake. Ever try to half a recipe and calculate incorrectly and then double certain ingredients to try to fix it, but accidentally mess up again, only to wind up with the most delicious accident of all time?

:: Slowly raises hand ::

Honestly, it’s what I get for trying to do any kind of basic math (or anything at all) before coffee or before 7am or in this case, both. I woke up with an urge to make something fun, and before I knew it, all of these ingredients were out and I was spraying and lining a brownie pan in anticipation.

These Rice Krispie Treats are my new go to recipe for any and every occasion. Birthdays, graduations, Tuesdays, you name it! They are tall, decadent, perfectly chewy squares of sweet and salty heaven. And you know what else? They are SO easy to make!

If these Birthday Cake RKTs were in high school, they would be crowned Homecoming Queen and likely adorn the superlative of Most Likely to Succeed.

Let me tell you about how quickly these disappeared in my house.

Actually, I won’t tell you, because that’s distracting you from making your grocery list for the ingredients. And honestly, it’s a little embarrassing telling the story about how I stacked 3 or 4 of these in my hand behind my back and hid them from my 19-mo old daughter, taking bites while I distracted her with crayons and Sesame Street. No, you’re mean.

I won’t keep you any longer.

Go forth and conquer.

Birthday Cake Rice Krispies Treats

Ingredients:

6 cups Frosted Rice Krispies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp clear vanilla extract (dark works too, and will give you a richer flavor)
16 oz (1 bag) marshmallows
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Directions:

Line an 8x8” brownie pan with parchment paper and very lightly coat with cooking spray.
In a heavy bottomed pan over low heat, melt butter. Turn heat to medium-high, brown the butter until it has a rich brown color and a deep, nutty aroma.
Turn heat to low and add big marshmallows. Stirring with a heat proof spatula until mixture is melted and homogenous.
Turn off heat and add vanilla and salt and stir until fully incorporated.
Add in Rice Krispies until marshmallow mixture is spread throughout all cereal.
Fold in mini marshmallows and sprinkles until just evenly dispersed and quickly pour RKTs into the pan.
Using another sheet of lightly sprayed parchment paper, lightly press RKTs into the pan until evenly spread.
Sprinkle salt over the top and immediately move to the fridge to cool.
Let cool completely in fridge, about 30-60 minutes. Cut and serve!
Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or store in freezer for up to 2 months.