Espresso Cookie Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Can we talk about the 90s for a second?

I’ve been rewatching some of my favorite 90s shows on Netflix recently, and it’s been pretty awesome.

Let’s bring back chunky heels, please? I don’t even care how un-graceful they look, those things were bitchin’. Easy to walk in, but you’ve still got an awesome extra three or four inches of height – what’s not to love? Except on sandals. That’s never cute. Big, chunky Mary Janes, though… Who’s in?

High-waisted jeans, on the other hand… I heard they’re on their way back in, y’all, and I just can’t get excited about it. I know some people are stoked about this, but jeans up to my ribcage don’t do me any favors. Maybe it’s because I’m petite (i.e. short), maybe it’s because I have a short-ish torso – I don’t know what it is, but high waists are not my friends. Can we all just agree to make the mid-rise universal, and move on?

I’m gonna go ahead and add bare midriffs to the list of no-thank-yous, while I’m at it. Un;ess you’re at the beach or a nightclub or the gym. I have a theory that bare midriffs came in because shirts were all short, since waistlines were all high, and as the waistlines dropped, it took a while for shirt hemlines to catch up. Now that they have, let’s keep it that way.

Let’s get flare leg jeans back, though, because seriously, those chunky MJs are perf with ’em.

OH. Also CK One, flannels, and basically every outfit from Clueless.

I really don’t think that’s too much to ask.

None of this has anything to do with the best crispy treats in all of history, so just make them and enjoy. 😉

I decided that as delicious as these are with cookie butter added, mixing cookies in never hurts. Seriously, cookies only help. Ever.

I chopped the cookies coarsely, because I wanted them to add lots of crunch and cookieness.

I also stirred them into the cereal before adding it all to the melty marshmallow goodness, so that I could be sure the cookies were even;y distributed.

Okay, so these are ooey gooey amazingness. I added extra marshmallows to the mix because the cookie butter can cause the mixture to be a smidgen on the dry side.

I think my very favorite thing about this recipe is the espresso. It adds this lovely darkness, a slight bitterness, to the sweet and spicy marshmallow-y cinnamon deliciousness of the treats. These are crisp and crunchy, thanks to the cookies, but still chewy and wonderful, like you expect from crispy treats. I’ve made them three times this week. I wish I could say I was exaggerating, but I’m not, and I don’t regret a single batch. Not one.

Go make them…you won’t regret it either!

Enjoy!

For more coffee-laced goodness, swing by and check out my friend Tina’s Coffee House Cupcakes. Because coffee in cupcakes is always right. Always.

Espresso Cookie Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Makes one 9×13-inch pan

Ingredients

10 to 12 speculoos cookies, chopped coarsely
6 cups crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
1/4 cup butter (unsalted or salted are both delicious)
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
12 ounces marshmallows
1/2 cup cookie butter (crunchy or smooth, such as Biscoff)

Lightly coat a 9×13-inch pan in cooking spray or melted butter; set aside.

In a large bowl, combined the chopped cookies and cereal; set aside.

Combine the butter and espresso in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted. Add the cookie butter and stir until just combine (the mixture can still be streaky). Stir in the cereal mixture until it is evenly coated with the melted marshmallows. Once combined, press the mixture into the prepared pan(s). Allow to cool completely before serving.

Recipe by Darla