By: Jill Mills Posted: Apr 9, 2024

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This easy Scotcharoos recipe is a tasty twist on rice krispie treats with creamy peanut butter, butterscotch, and rich chocolate on top.

Best Scotcharoos Recipe

These Scotcharoo bars are a simple but delicious recipe for a crowd-pleasing treat. I’m a huge fan of butterscotch and the peanut butter and chocolate pair with it so well. It’s a little salty but sweet. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips to reduce the sweetness so it’s not overpowering. The corn syrup also adds sweetness but it is used in this case as the glue that holds the rice cereal together. This is similar to melted marshmallows in a classic rice krispie treat recipe.

Try Butterscotch Bread Pudding or Butterscotch Brownies for similar flavors!

Why You’ll Love These Scotcharoos

Easy to make: Preparation for this recipe only takes 15 minutes — and it’s incredibly simple.
No baking required: There is no oven needed to make these tasty Scotcharoo bars.
Ready in 20 minutes: These Scotcharoos only take 20 minutes from start to finish!

What You’ll Need To Make Scotcharoos

With only 6 ingredients you will have a crowd favorite treat that you will be asked to bring to every potluck!

Sugar: I use basic white granulated sugar for this recipe.
Corn syrup: The combination of light corn syrup and sugar mimics the stickiness of melted marshmallows, which helps the bars hold together.
Peanut butter: The addition of the peanut butter adds creaminess and flavor to this treat.
Rice cereal: Any brand of rice cereal will work fine.
Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips for balance but milk and dark chocolate also taste great.
Butterscotch chips: Butterscotch is the star ingredient and is what gives these Scotcharoos their name.

How to Make Scotcharoos

This is such a quick recipe to put together that it’s hard to believe that they taste so good! Below you will find easy-to-follow instructions for the best scotcharoos recipe.

Boil sugar and corn syrup. Pour corn syrup and sugar into a large pot over medium heat. Stir frequently and remove from heat once it comes to a boil.
Add peanut butter. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth and thoroughly incorporated.

peanut butter melted in pan with corn syrup and sugar

Coat the Krispie cereal. Add the rice krispies cereal to the warm peanut butter mixture and gently stir until all of the cereal is evenly coated.
Add to a baking dish. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and press down evenly

butterscotch and chocolate chips in bowl

Melt chocolate and butterscotch. Place both of the chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals until smooth, stirring in between each one.
Spread over cereal. Spread the chocolate over the cereal bars in an even layer.

pouring chocolate over rice krispie mixture

Cool and set. Allow the Scotcharoos to cool and the chocolate to set completely.
Serve. Slice and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Refrigerate. Place the Scotcharoos in the refrigerator to cool and set for less time.
Use crunchy peanut butter. Try crunchy peanut butter for some added texture to the bars.
Try parchment. Instead of greasing with butter or non-stick spray, line the baking dish with parchment. This will also make it easier to lift and cut the Scotcharoos into bars.

Storage Directions

Place these scotcharoos into an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 1 week. You may also keep them in the refrigerator.

More No-Bake Desserts to Try

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Scotcharoos

This easy Scotcharoos recipe is a tasty twist on rice krispie treats with creamy peanut butter, butterscotch, and rich chocolate on top.

Servings: 24 bars

Prep: 15

Cook: 5

Total: 20

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Ingredients

Instructions

In a dutch oven or large pot, combine the granulated sugar and light corn syrup over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the creamy peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Add the crispy rice cereal to the peanut butter mixture. Stir until the cereal is evenly coated.
Press the mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 inch pan, using a spatula to ensure an even layer
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the semisweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together in the microwave, heating in 30-second intervals and stirring in between until smooth.
Spread the melted chocolate and butterscotch mixture over the top of the cereal layer, covering it completely.
Allow the scotcharoos to cool and the chocolate topping to set before cutting them into bars for serving. Enjoy!

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Notes

For a twist, consider using crunchy peanut butter for added texture in the bars.
You can refrigerate the scotcharoos to speed up the setting of the chocolate topping.
These bars are great for parties, potlucks, and as a sweet treat for any occasion.
To store, place the scotcharoos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you need to stack them, place parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking

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