Bacon Adds A Savory Crunch To Sweet Rice Krispies Treats

Rice Krispies treats have been beloved since  Kellogg's put the recipe on the back of their cereal box in 1941. The classic crunch of rice cereal combined with melted marshmallows and butter is an irresistible combination. They're sweet and crunchy, sticky and gooey, and they can be dressed up in dozens of ways. Add sweetened condensed milk to your Rice Krispies treats and a little extra butter to keep them creamer. If you add bacon to the mix, however, you'll create a savory, sweet, and salty treat on a different level.

Bacon enhances the already crispy texture of Rice Krispies treats. It adds smoky, salty notes to the milky blend of marshmallows and cereal, creating a bar that tastes like a breakfast platter with lingering French toast flavors. Often, a little maple syrup is added alongside bacon in Rice Krispies treats, complimenting the sweetness of the marshmallows. Combined with salted butter, bacon helps balance the added sweetness and makes Rice Krispies treats even more irresistible. The combination is perfect for a sweet morning snack but is a unique take on a classic dessert sure to get some attention at parties.

There's a science behind why bacon tastes great in Rice Krispies treats, and much of it has to do with fat, salt, and sugar ratios. Humans have craved fat, salt, and sugar since the hunter-gatherer days when food was scarce and difficult to get. Satisfying each of these individual cravings kept humans motivated to continue searching for nutrient-dense food. The food scene has changed drastically since then, but those cravings for fat, salt, and sugar continue to be strong.

Bacon can have a high fat-to-meat ratio at around 60% and 40%, respectively. Pork is naturally high in salt, which is increased when bacon is cured in either a salt pack or a salt brine, and many bacon brands also cure their bacon with sugar. Rice Krispies treats are already high in fat, salt, and sugar from salted butter and marshmallows, making the combination craveable. The bliss behind the perfect crunch of a Rice Krispies treat can also be explained by science. Studies have shown crunchy food is preferred when people are stressed, which is why a crunchy texture is part of many comfort foods, like homemade microwave potato chips or crunchy movie popcorn.

Bacon Rice Krispies treats are also irresistible because of the Maillard reaction, which happens when sugars are heated with amino acids, producing unique and distinct flavors, colors, and textures. In this case, bacon and marshmallows provide a base for the smoky, toasty, malty flavor produced by the Maillard reaction.

Bacon Rice Krispies treats can be made by sprinkling oven-baked candied bacon on top of homemade Rice Krispies treats – which may change how you make BLTs –  or by mixing cooked bacon into the treats before forming. Add some pure maple syrup to make maple bacon Rice Krispies treats, or put a homemade twist on the treats by making your own marshmallows (with three ingredients) and adding browned butter to the mix.

Bacon Rice Krispies treats are beautiful as they are, but it's easy to elevate the presentation even further. Make the treats a centerpiece in a breakfast bar with a nearby fondue-style pot of chocolate for dipping, or top each treat in chocolate before serving for a delicious flare. Drizzle them with salted caramel for an autumn-inspired take on the treat. Add peanut butter or Nutella hazelnut spread to your bacon-infused treats, or smother them in marshmallow fluff to take them over the top. Bacon waffle cone Rice Krispies treats are another way to make your treats an extravagant combination of smoky, sweet, salty, crunchy, gooey, unmatched goodness. Add crushed waffle cones to maple syrup, bacon, marshmallows, salted butter, and maple syrup. Serve with a salted caramel drizzle to create an eye-catching, memorable dessert.