Photo: Lauren Kaissen

Let’s be honest. I love a good Thanksgiving dinner, but turkey and grandma’s stuffing don’t cut it when it comes to satisfying my real holiday craving — dessert. These Rice Krispies treats are a delicious, easy-to-make confection — perfect for those who want something a little more unique than the traditional pumpkin pie.

The special ingredient that makes these bars a step above the rest is the addition of Speculoos Cookie Butter. My friends and I have hailed this delectable spread as heaven in a jar. The ideal marriage between creamy peanut butter, spicy gingerbread and the addictiveness of crack, cookie butter, is the perfect ingredient to make these fall treats Thanksgiving dinner-worthy.

Ingredients:

For crust:

2 ½ cups ginger cookies, crushed

6 tablespoons of butter

½ teaspoon of brown sugar, firmly packed

For Krispies:

½ stick butter

½ 10 oz. marshmallow bag (if you like your Rice Krispies treats chewy, use the entire bag)

¾ cup Speculoos Cookie Butter (available at Trader Joe’s)

3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

For crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter an 8-by-10-inch baking pan. Be liberal — these treats like to stick.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar and cookie crumbs until well mixed.

4. Press mixture firmly into baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until crust is set.

5. Let cool 5-10 minutes before adding Rice Krispies mixture.

For Krispies:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.

2. Stir in marshmallows until melted.

3. Add cookie butter and stir until mixture is creamy.

4. Add Rice Krispies one cup at a time, stirring until the cereal is completely coated with cookie butter.

5. Pour into pan on top of crust.

6. Chill 2-3 hours, though overnight is ideal.

Once they are set, use a sharp knife to cut the treats into around 20 2-inch bars. Then, serve and watch them disappear. These little confections are crunchy and chewy with the right amount of gingerbread spice — the perfect finale to any Thanksgiving dinner or fall party.