Scotcheroos
on Jan 07, 2022, Updated Jan 18, 2025
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These classic no-bake bar cookies are crispy with rice cereal bound together with a sweet peanut buttery mixture and topped with a combination of melted chocolate and butterscotch chips.
It’s the layers that make this no-bake bar cookie so special! Peanutty rice krispie-filled bar cookies with a generous layer of melted butterscotch and chocolate on top. Very toothsome, very delicious, very satisfying, and very portable. Also, it’s stupidly easy to make!
There are those of us who love a good bar cookie for its thick, chewy texture, and those of us who love bar cookies because we don’t have the patience to make individual drop or cut-out cookies. Or perhaps we like bar cookies for both reasons, depending on the day. And a no-bake bar cookie that doesn’t require turning on the oven? Yet another point in these homemade Scotcheroos’ favor.
Serve these delicious treats with…hmm, so many choices! Maybe for the holidays, a delicious glass of Homemade (Eggless!) Egg Nog, for a sophisticated moment (kind of) a French 75, or on a winter night, a Hot Toddy.
Table of Contents
Scotcheroos: These classic no-bake bar cookies are crispy with rice cereal, bound together with a sweet peanut buttery mixture, and topped with a combination of melted chocolate and butterscotch chips.
What Are Scotcheroos (or Scotcharoos!)?
The spelling with the “e” is more common, but you’ll also see it often spelled Scotcharoos. Think of these as a cousin to Rice Krispie treats. Only instead of marshmallows the cereal is bound together by a mixture of sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter. Then, a combination of chocolate and butterscotch chips is melted and spread over the top. You can quickly see the appeal of these dessert bars, yes? And if you make sure to pick a gluten-free rice cereal and gluten-free chips, then this is a gluten-free dessert.
And to reiterate: no bake. You do have to heat the peanut butter mixture and melt the morsels; you can do that in a microwave in a glass bowl in short 20-second or so bursts, stirring after each burst, until the morsels are all melted and smooth. You can alternatively melt them on the stovetop (see the directions in the recipe for creating a makeshift double boiler).
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar – Mixed with corn syrup, it creates the perfect sweetness and consistency.
- Light corn syrup – Provides the perfect amount of moisture and sweetness that will keep your scotcheroos from getting too hard.
- Peanut butter – You can use either smooth or chunky peanut butter in this recipe, and they will be great. Obviously, there will be little bits of peanut crunch if you use crunchy peanut butter, and with smooth, the only crunch will be from the cereal.
- Crispy rice cereal – You can use any brand (though we all know Rice Krispies!).
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels – For the signature chocolatey caramel-y topping.
Scotcharoos With Corn Syrup
I rarely use corn syrup in recipes except when it’s really necessary. This recipe basically tweaks the one that appeared on the back of the Rice Krispie box for years. While I have seen other scotcharoo recipes that skip the corn syrup in place of more sugar or other sweeteners to get that authentic scotachroo taste and texture, you have to lean into the corn syrup here.
How to Make Peanut Butter Scotcheroos
- Make the peanut butter mixture: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup. Heat over medium heat just until small bubbles form. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, followed by the cereal, and then press the mixture into the greased prepared pan.
- Melt the morsels: Melt the butterscotch and semi-sweet chips either in the microwave or double boiler.
- Assemble and enjoy: Spread the hot melted chocolate mixture over the top of the cereal mixture. Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares, and enjoy.
Tips
Once the peanut butter has been added to the hot sugar mixture, immediately stir in the cereal and quickly press the mixture into the prepared pan as it will firm up quickly. Use wax paper or parchment to cover the mixture as you press down to even it out, if you have it, as the mixture will be hot.
FAQs
The reason Scotcheroos can become hard is because the sugar mixture was boiled too long. As soon as you see the tiniest bubbles around the edges of the pan and the sugar has dissolved into the corn syrup, remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. You don’t want to allow the sugar molecules to crystalize, which means they will firm up like caramel when the bars cool.
Popular in the Midwest, where these no-bake bar cookies originated, they likely got their name from their butterscotch topping.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to a week. Allow to come to room temperature before eating so they aren’t too hard.
What to Serve With Scotcheroos
More Bar Cookie Recipes
- Butterscotch Brownies (aka Blondies)
- One Pot Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares
- Best One-Pot Fudgy Brownies
- Salted Caramel Brownies
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Scotcheroos
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
- 6 cups crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 cup butterscotch morsels
Instructions
- Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan, or spray with nonstick cooking spray
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup. Heat over medium heat just until small bubbles form around the inner edges of the pan. Remove from the heat, add the peanut butter, and stir until well combined. Immediately stir in the cereal and press the mixture into the prepared pan (use wax paper or parchment if you have it, as the mixture will be hot).
- You can melt the morsels in a microwave or a double boiler. If you don’t have one, you can make a double boiler by nestling a metal or heatproof glass bowl over a pot with a bit of water in the bottom – place the chocolate and butterscotch morsels in the bowl, bring the water in the pot to a boil over high heat, and stir the chips frequently until they melt. If you want to melt it in the microwave, do it in a glass bowl in short 20-second or so bursts, stirring after each burst, until the morsels are melted and smooth.
- Spread the hot melted chocolate mixture over the top of the cereal mixture. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour (you might want to put them in the fridge if the kitchen is warm), then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to a week.
