Scotcheroos

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Scotcheroos are Rice Krispies cereal bars with a creamy peanut butter flavor and topped with a smooth butterscotch and semi sweet chocolate topping.

A NO BAKE DESSERT RECIPE

You have to love a classic, no bake dessert like these Scotcheroos. They’re fairly quick to make and I don’t know many people who don’t absolutely love them! They have the perfect texture combining that sweet and satisfying crunch from the crispy rice cereal with a rich, gooey mixture of creamy peanut butter, all topped with a decadent layer of melted chocolate and sweet butterscotch chips. Perfect for potlucks and holiday parties, and a great homemade gift to give as well!

A serving utensil holding a Scotcheroo above the pan of the rest of them.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why are my Scotcheroos so compact?

If you press to hard down on the cereal they will get all crushed and we want to keep the bars more airy so they are easy to eat. They will still taste great but just take it easy pressing down too hard on them when placing the mixture into the baking dish.

Do I have to use both the light brown sugar and the white sugar?

I prefer to use them both for the flavor contrast, but you can totally change things up. All white sugar can be used instead of half white and half light brown sugar. I like the light brown sugar addition since it brings a slight caramel flavor to these bars and I really think that sets this recipe apart from others. The molasses in the light brown sugar also makes these a bit more gooey.

Can I use a different chocolate option?

If you aren’t a fan of semi-sweet chocolate chips, you could use milk or dark chocolate in its place. I really like the semi-sweet chips because it helps balance out the overall sweetness factor. Sometimes milk chocolate can make it a bit too sweet but use what you prefer. If you want to sub out the butterscotch chips, check out the ingredient section below for more options.

What’s the difference between Scotcheroos and Oh Henry Bars?

While some people may think these are interchangeable names for desserts, these are actually two different things. They have slightly different flavor profiles and usually slightly different textures.
Typically, traditional Scotcheroos are made with some kind of crispy rice cereal, like Rice Krispies cereal. They usually have a lighter yet crispy texture and are made with sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter to hold them together. They’re then topped with a chocolate and butterscotch chip mixture (hence the name – Scotcheroos – because of the butterscotch in them). While, Oh Henry Bars are usually made with an oat and sugar mixture that gives them a chewier texture and they tend to be more dense than Scotcheroos. Usually Oh Henry Bars are made with butter, white sugar, and corn syrup to create a caramel flavor and they’re toped with melted chocolate and occasionally peanut butter.

How long do these last?

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can keep them longer by freezing them for up to 3 months.

A small pile of Scotcheroos and the top one has a bite missing.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

Rice Krispies cereal – it doesn’t have to be the name brand cereal, you can certainly use the store brand option to make these a bit more affordable.
light corn syrup – corn syrup is NOT the same as high fructose corn syrup. I get this question all the time because people think they are the same. They are not. They are two different products. It’s just cornstarch and glucose.
peanut butter – I have not made this with natural peanut butter that needs to be stirred. Sometimes the natural peanut butter or other nut butters don’t always works as a substitute.
packed light brown sugar– if you don’t have brown sugar, you can use all white sugar if needed, but in the FAQ section above, I explained why I like using both types of sugar in this recipe.
granulated sugar
salt – I know it seems weird to add salt but it helps to offset the overall sweetness just a tad. You don’t taste it as salty at all.
vanilla extract
butterscotch chips– these chips bring the traditional butterscotch flavor that you expect with Scotcheroos. But, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t enjoy the butterscotch flavor, just use peanut butter chips. Since we already have peanut butter in the mixture, those baking chips would just enhance the peanut butter flavor.
semi-sweet chocolate chips– check out the frequently asked questions to see why I think these are the preferable chocolate chips to use. But if you want to try something else, I give a few ideas there too.

Rice Krispie cereal, butterscotch chips, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, semi sweet chocolate chips, light corn syrup, and salt.

HOW TO MAKE SCOTCHEROOS

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Add the corn syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt to a medium-sized sauce pot.

A bowl with cereal and a pan with corn syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt.

Place the pot over medium-low heat and stir constantly until fully melted. Take off the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract.

A pot with melted corn syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt and another pot with that sauce and vanilla extract.

Moving quickly, pour the mixture into the bowl with the cereal and stir well with a wooden spoon until the cereal is coated.

Mixture being added to cereal and the coated cereal being mixed together.

Gently press the mixture into the prepared baking dish; do not press down too hard, or the end result will be too condensed. Add the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips to a medium-sized sauce pot.

A pan with the coated cereal mixture and a pot with butterscotch and chocolate chips.

Place over medium-low heat, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn until it is completely smooth. Pour the mixture over top of the cereal and smooth it out.