Scotcheroos are sweet no-bake bars made with rice krispies cereal and peanut butter topped with rich butterscotch and chocolate. They're made with just six ingredients and are perfect for bake sales and potlucks!
Scotcheroos are a crowd pleasing, easy to make dessert. These bars include favorite flavors like peanut butter, butterscotch, and chocolate.
Not only are they easy to make, but you'll only need six ingredients! They're ready in less than 30 minutes, so they're perfect for last minute parties.
Serve scotcheroos at your next family party, holiday dessert table, or neighborhood barbecue. They'll be the first to go!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Rice krispies cereal - Necessary for the base of the recipe. Rice krispies could be substituted with Special K cereal or corn flakes for a slightly different flavor and texture.
- Corn syrup - Adds sweetness and holds the bars together. I've seen other recipes substitute corn syrup with golden syrup or honey, but I haven't tested this myself. If you give this a try, let us know how it turns out in the comments below.
- Granulated sugar - Adds sweetness and holds the bars together. Could be substituted with brown sugar for a caramelized flavor.
- Peanut butter - Adds that classic peanut butter flavor to the base. Could be substituted with other nut and seed butters like almond butter or sunflower seed butter for a different flavor.
- Baking chips - I use a combination of butterscotch chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips for the topping. Feel free to use your favorite baking chips, like peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips.
Tips and tricks
- Use parchment paper - Line your 9x13 pan with parchment paper for easy removal and slicing.
- Watch the corn syrup mixture closely - Don't allow the corn syrup mixture to boil too long - this causes the bars to turn out very hard once cooled. Immediately upon boiling, remove it from the heat and continue with the recipe as written.
- Work quickly - Once the sugar mixture comes off the heat, add your peanut butter and stir to incorporate. Then, immediately add the rice krispies, stirring to coat. Press into the prepared pan while still warm. If allowed to sit for too long, the mixture will get hard and difficult to manipulate.
- Don't cut cold bars - Allow your cooled bars to sit at room temperature before slicing. Very cold bars are much more difficult to slice.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my scotcheroos hard? If the corn syrup mixture is boiled for too long, it causes the cereal base to get very hard when cooled. To prevent this, keep a close eye on your corn syrup mixture and don't walk away. As soon as it begins to boil, remove from the heat and continue with the recipe. Scotcheroos may also get hard if they're refrigerated. Allow cold bars to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before slicing and eating.
How long do scotcheroos keep? Scotcheroos will keep for about 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature and dry out over time.
Can this be frozen? Yes, scotcheroo bars can be frozen for 2 to 3 months, tightly wrapped and stored in a freezer safe container. To thaw, place on the counter top for 1 to 2 hours.
Can I make these ahead? These bars are best served within about a day of preparing. The cereal base dries out fairly quickly, just like a rice krispies treat. If you're planning on serving them at a party or event, wait to slice them until before serving to help keep them moist and chewy.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Scotcheroos
Ingredients
- 1 cup (312 g) light corn syrup
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (270 g) peanut butter
- 6 cups (160 g) rice krispies cereal
- 5 ounces (142 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5 ounces (142 g) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or grease bottom and sides and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add corn syrup and granulated sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Once mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately and stir in peanut butter. Then add rice krispies cereal and stir until evenly coated.
- Press mixture evenly into prepared 9x13 pan.
- In a microwave safe dish, warm chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in 30 second increments, stirring until melted.
- Pour chocolate mixture over bars and spread with a knife to the edges. Refrigerate bars for 15 minutes, or until chocolate coating has solidified.
- Remove from refrigerator, slice into bars, and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Scotcheroos will keep for 3-4 days stored in a sealed container at room temperature.
- Optionally, melt chips in a double boiler over low heat on the stove top instead of the microwave.
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