Bacon and Salted Caramel Crispy Rice Cereal Treats

America’s Test Kitchen

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  bacon, thin slices
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 (10 ounce) packages large marshmallows
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 sea salt
• 10  cups  crisp rice cereal
• 1⁄4 cup  caramel sauce (store-bought)

Directions

1. Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate, let sit until cool enough to handle, then crumble.
2. Spray rubber spatula and 13 by 9-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add marshmallows, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often with prepared spatula, until marshmallows are just melted, about 3 minutes (some marshmallows may not be fully melted; this is the desired melting point). Off heat, stir in cereal and two-thirds of bacon until fully combined.
3. Transfer cereal mixture to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining one-third of bacon over cereal mixture. Using your damp hands (or a strip of plastic wrap to cover), press cereal mixture into even layer. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 1 hour to set. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen treats, then turn out onto cutting board. Flip treats right side up and cut into 12 equal-size bars.