These scotcharoos are a decadent no-bake dessert that’s quick to assemble in 20 minutes. With rich peanut butter, chocolate, and butterscotch flavors, I guarantee they’ll disappear in minutes with any crowd.
Have you ever heard of scotcharoos? If not, you’re in for a treat! They’re originally from the Midwest and are a simple no-bake sweet made with crispy rice cereal, peanut butter, butterscotch, and chocolate.
Mine are a little different from the classic because I reduced the sugar amount, so they aren’t quite as sweet. I personally love them with my afternoon tea.
Anytime I want a decadent sweet with minimal effort, these bars are the first recipe I turn to! With only 7 pantry ingredients, there’s never a reason to not whip up dessert for any occasion. They’ve become a family favorite for picnics, school events, and holidays. It’s not a party without Scotcharoos!
If you love a dessert bar, try my lemon raspberry cheesecake bars and caramel almond brownies.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this scotcharoos recipe
- No-bake dessert recipe. Forget turning on the oven; just a medium saucepan and a couple of bowls are all you need to make these rich and decadent, crispy chocolate butterscotch bars.
- A favorite with kids and adults. There’s so much to love about the combination of peanut butter, rice cereal, butterscotch, and chocolate. My kids love these as a treat.
- Easy to serve to a crowd. If you need to entertain a large group, these are easy to slice, package, and hand out at any gathering.
Key Ingredient Notes
For the cereal base:
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cereal.
- Light corn syrup – Adds additional sweetness but also makes the scotcharoos chewy in texture.
- Salted creamy peanut butter – Be sure to use regular creamy peanut butter and not natural. If you don’t have salted, just add an extra pinch of salt to the recipe.
- Pure vanilla extract – Use high quality vanilla and not imitation for the best flavor.
- Crisp rice cereal – My favorite brand is Rice Krispies, they give the scotcharoos their signature crunch.
For the chocolate topping:
- Butterscotch chocolate chips – A caramel-like flavor for topping. Chips are easiest for consistent melting.
- Dark chocolate chips – Rich cocoa flavor. You can also use milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips if desired.
How to make scotcharoos
Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.
Step 1: Heat the mixture
- Combine the granulated sugar and light corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir constantly until the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges. Do not allow it to come to a full boil, as boiling can result in hard bars instead of chewy ones.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
Step 2: Add the rice cereal
- Add the crisp rice cereal and gently fold until evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer using lightly greased hands or the back of a spatula. Press firmly enough to hold together, but avoid compacting too tightly.
Step 3: Make the Topping
- Melt the butterscotch and dark chocolate chips separately in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth.
- Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the cereal layer.
- Drop the melted butterscotch in large dollops and gently swirl it with the tip of a knife or an offset spatula to create a marbled effect.
- Allow the bars to set at room temperature for about 1 hour before lifting from the pan and slicing into squares.
Expert Tips
- Avoid overheating the corn syrup and sugar, or your scotcharoos won’t be chewy. Heating the sugar and corn syrup only until the bubbling begins is critical for a soft, chewy texture. Overheating will create a firmer, brittle result.
- For clean slices, allow the chocolate to set but avoid refrigeration, which can cause cracking.
- Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt before the chocolate sets for elevated flavor. I’ve also stirred chopped roasted peanuts into the cereal base for extra nuttiness.
- Always stir the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips in between each microwave interval to prevent the chips from seizing; this makes for a creamy consistency.
- Pre-measuring the ingredients before beginning to cook. This recipe comes together quickly! So I highly recommend to pre-measure all ingredients to make the assembly stress free.
Storage
Store any leftover scotcharoos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These unfortunately don’t freeze well, as it will affect their texture once they thaw.
They are the perfect treat to make in advance, I even assemble them the day before a party and keep them sealed with plastic wrap for freshness.
FAQs
They have a base of crispy rice cereal, corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. The bars are topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch swirl.
You can, I can’t promise the base texture will be as chewy as using corn syrup.
It may be the brand of peanut butter that you used, be sure it’s a regular creamy peanut butter and not natural.
More Delicious Dessert Bars
Scotcharoos
Ingredients
For the Cereal Base:
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (320 g) light corn syrup
- 1 ¼ cups (320 g) salted creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 cups (150 g) crispy rice cereal
For the Topping:
- ¾ cup (130 g) butterscotch chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170 g) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar and light corn syrup.
- Stir constantly until the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges. Do not allow it to come to a full boil, as boiling can result in hard bars instead of chewy ones.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Add the crisp rice cereal and gently fold until evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer using lightly greased hands or the back of a spatula. Press firmly enough to hold together but avoid compacting too tightly.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butterscotch and dark chocolate chips separately in 20-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth.
- Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the cereal layer.
- Drop the melted butterscotch in large dollops and gently swirl it with the tip of a knife or an offset spatula to create a marbled effect.
- Allow the bars to set at room temperature for about 1 hour before lifting from the pan and slicing into squares.
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Tips & Notes
– Heating the sugar and corn syrup only until bubbling begins is critical for a soft, chewy texture. Overheating will create a firmer, brittle result.
– For clean slices, allow the chocolate to set but avoid refrigeration, which can cause cracking.
– Optional additions include a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the chocolate before it sets, or chopped roasted peanuts folded into the cereal base. Storage:
– Store any leftover scotcharoos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
– These unfortunately don’t freeze well, as it will affect their texture once they thaw.
– They are the perfect treat to make in advance. Assemble them the day before a party and keep them sealed with plastic wrap for freshness.
Nutrition
