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These Scotcheroos are a quick, easy, no-bake cereal bar that are loaded with peanut butter and topped with chocolate and butterscotch! Thick, chewy, crispy…all the good things you want in a cereal bar!
It’s no surprise to anyone that’s been following our recipes for long that I have a major thing for cereal bars. No bake treats are just always a hit in my house, partially because they always turn out delicious and partially because they’re always so easy to make!
Ever heard of a Scotcheroo? They’re similar to rice krispies treats, but they don’t have marshmallow. It’s just rice krispies, corn syrup, sugar, peanut butter, chocolate and, of course, butterscotch chips.
Simple, easy, and best of all? Delicious.
Our Scotcheroos recipe is a go to when I want a RKT and I’m out of marshmallows. It’s nice to have a backup method for cereal bars and this way turns out absolutely divine.
Expert Tip:
A quick and favorite tip of mine for any kind of bar type dessert (brownies, no-bake bars, etc.) is to line your pan with either parchment paper or wax paper and leave a bit hanging over the edges. When your ready to cut, just lift the whole thing out of the pan. It makes it much easier to cut and you don’t smoosh up the sides trying to dig things out with a fork.
Works perfect for our recipe for scotcheroos!
Ingredient Notes:
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Rice Krispies – Any crisp rice cereal will work for this Scotcheroo recipe!
Light Corn Syrup & Sugar – There aren’t any marshmallows in this recipe like there are in Rice Krispies Treats. So we’ll make a goo out of sugar and corn syrup.
Peanut Butter – I would recommend using creamy peanut butter and not the chunky kind. Any brand works, but we’d use a no-stir processed peanut butter here, like Jif or Skippy.
Vanilla Extract – A must in any dessert!
Chocolate Chips – We’re using semisweet chocolate chips but milk or dark chocolate will work, if that’s what you prefer.
Butterscotch Chips – These will get mixed in with the chocolate chips to add the creamy, caramel like flavor to the Scotcheroos!
What We Love About This Recipe:
- These no bake Scotcheroos are easy to prepare and the kids will enjoy helping!
- The butterscotch flavor with the peanut butter is a good combo and is a nice change from the usual Rice Krispies Treat recipe.
How to Make Scotcheroos:
Syrup: To get started you’ll prepare the sticky sweet syrup binding. Add the sugar and corn syrup to a sauce pan and stir frequently over medium heat until it has reached a rolling boil. When the sugar and syrup are boiling you can remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
Cereal: Add the crispy rice cereal to a large bowl and then pour on the peanut butter and syrup mixture! Stir it up until all of the cereal is well coated. Spread the cereal mix into a parchment or wax paper lined 9×13 pan.
Melt: Now for the chocolate and butterscotch! Melt the chips together in a double boiler, or carefully in the microwave. Stir them together and then spread the chocolate and butterscotch mix over the top of the cereal.
Refrigerate: This is an easy no bake recipe so no need to fire up the oven! You will have to resist eating these for about 3 hours though while they set in the fridge.
When the Scotcheroos have set you can cut them into squares and serve!
FAQs:
You can keep these stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days!
These cereal bars will freeze well for up to a few months if you cut them into individual squares and wrap them in plastic and aluminum foil.
No-Bake Scotcheroos
Ingredients
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups crisp rice cereal
- 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment or wax paper.
- Add sugar and corn syrup to a sauce pan and stir over medium heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
- In a large bowl, add six cups of crispy rice cereal. Pour on the peanut butter mixture and stir until all the cereal pieces are coated. Press into the prepared pan.
- In a double boiler (or the microwave) melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together until smooth. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the top of the bars and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Cut into squares.
Maureen says
I have a baby fridge in my room at the old farts residence. Halved the recipe and the others on my floor raved with me. Gonna ask the kitchen to make lots!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad these were such a hit! Thank you!
Bonnie says
Any thoughts on a less sugary and less corn syrupy version?
Karly says
You might try halving both and doubling the peanut butter. Not sure that will work, but that’s how I would approach it if I wanted to experiment. 🙂
Julia says
Do you have to use butterscotch chips because im allergic
please get back to me ASAP
Karly says
@Julia,
You could try using peanut butter chips in place of them. 🙂
Julia says
@Karly,
Julia says
I am also allergic to peanut butter too!!! 😛
Sarah says
We made cookies this weekend, and I used this recipe. OMG, they are so good! Everyone love them, they were incredibly easy to make & they are super delicious. I have a feeling this recipe will be popping back up throughout the year, not just for next years Christmas cookies…
Ashley says
Yummy! I made these last year. At first I wasn’t sure if I liked them but then they got really addictive!
Phoebe says
Why haven’t I seen this recipe before? What kind of cave am I living in? These are gluten free too.
rachel-asouthernfairytale says
Karly, first off.. YUM
SECOND: WHY aren’t you contributing more of your awesome recipes and gorgeous pics to Blissful Food????
Barbara says
I like these! Easy and delicious. Can’t wait to try them on the kids.
Phoebe says
I haven’t had these since I was a kid! I had completely forgotten about them. Thanks for reminding me 🙂
Anna says
I cannot make them immediately, since I used up my ingredients making them last week. And I made the mistake of leaving the room after serving a slice to my extended family, and I came back to a half-empty pan. 🙂
Lisle says
Hey! These work with cornflakes, too. Just in case, y’know, you have one cereal but not the other and you don’t want to run to the store. Yummy!!
grace says
i’m not kidding when i tell you that i can put away a whole batch of these in one day. granted, i don’t feel like doing a jig afterwards, but they’re so delicious going down. it’s a happy marriage of flavors and textures, that’s for darn sure.
Carla Wells says
My mother in law makes these and we love them! Except, I’m not a butterscotch fan (please don’t kill me!), so she uses peanut butter chips in place of the butterscotch chips in the topping. 🙂
VeggieGirl says
Scrumptious! And thank you for the parchment/wax paper tip.