This is a no bake treat that we have been making FOR YEARS!! In fact, we can’t remember when this Scotcheroos recipe wasn’t a classic dessert staple in our home.
We’ve always loved Rice Krispies, so it’s no wonder we love the addition of chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch! Plus, they are SO easy to make. Just 20 minutes from start to finish with simple steps! These are actually a treat that OUR KIDS make all of the time because they’re so easy.
We love them for sharing with friends (at activities or after school), and they are perfect for potlucks and parties.
We know these will be a family favorite for you, too!! For similar favorites, try our Chocolate Caramel, Browned Butter, and Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats.
Why we think you’ll love our version most:
- Extra chocolatey + delicious. Compared to other recipes, our chocolate + cereal ratio is better balanced with a little more frosting than most.
- Beyond simple. They’re so easy, our kids make them all the time!
- Quick party treat. From start to finish, these are made in 20 minutes, and because everyone loves them, they’re great for parties, get-togethers, and holidays.
Scotcheroos Ingredients
- Rice Krispies cereal (6 cups)– Light, crispy base that gives the classic Scotcheroo crunch. To keep this recipe gluten-free, be sure to check the package labels.
- Sugar (1 cup)- Sweetens the syrup so the bars set chewy, not hard.
- Creamy peanut butter (1 cup)- Adds nutty richness and helps bind the cereal. We prefer creamy, but crunchy can be used for more texture.
- Light corn syrup (1 cup)- Keeps the texture soft and chewy instead of brittle.
- Chocolate chips (1½ cups)- Melt for a smooth, chocolaty topping. We like milk chocolate chips, but you can use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Butterscotch chips (1½ cups)- Blend with chocolate for the signature butterscotch finish.
- optional topping – Add sea salt flakes, festive sprinkles, or crushed candies to the top of the chocolaty layer.
How to Make Scotcheroos
PREP. Pour Rice Krispies into a large bowl and set aside.
COMBINE. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup to a boil. Stir constantly.
- As soon as the mixture starts to boil, pour it over the cereal and mix well. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish (or a parchment paper lined baking dish light sprayed with cooking spray) and gently press down with a spatula to spread evenly into the pan.
- Don’t overheat the sugar/corn syrup mixture. Remove the mixture just as it is beginning to boil; otherwise, overheating will end up creating a dry and rock-hard treat.
CHOCOLATE. In a small pot, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over pressed Rice Krispies and let set for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Warm the sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup just until it reaches a boil, then remove from heat so the bars stay chewy.
- Grease your spatula or use parchment to press the cereal mixture into the pan without sticking.
- Sometimes we like to dress these up this scotcheroos recipe and add a pretty pattern for the top. Assemble them as directed. After pouring the topping over the rice Krispies, use a toothpick to swirl through the chocolate (we like to do little spirals) that stay once the chocolate butterscotch topping sets up.
- Instead of using a saucepan on the stove, we often microwave the butterscotch and milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals and stir in between each interval. Be very careful not to overheat.
Best Scotcheroos Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1½ cups chocolate chips
- 1½ cups butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Pour Rice Krispies into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup to a boil, stirring constantly.
- As soon as the mixture starts to boil, pour it over the cereal and mix well. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and gently press down with a spatula to spread evenly into the pan.
- In a small pot, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over pressed Rice Krispies and let set for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Instead of using a saucepan on the stove, microwave the butterscotch and milk chocolate chips. Heat in 30-second intervals and stir in between each interval. Be very careful not to overheat.
- Assemble as directed. Melt a separate bowl of butterscotch chips and drizzle over the top. Use a toothpick to drag the butterscotch drizzle through the chocolate, creating a pretty pattern.
- Not all boxes of Rice Krispies are gluten-free, so double-check the box.
- To keep the rice kripie base chewy, do not overcook the peanut butter and sugar mixture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
After melting the chocolate and butterscotch chips together, melt a separate bowl of butterscotch chips. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the treat, then drizzle the plain butterscotch over the chocolate. Finally, use a toothpick to drag the butterscotch drizzle through the chocolate, creating a pretty pattern.
Make this scotcheroos recipe 1-2 days ahead of time, cover it, and store it at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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This recipe was originally published July 2020.
These are the best!
I always add the butterscotch morsels to the peanut butter and melt that down.
I want the nestle’s semisweet chocolate to be pure chocolate.
Either way these are so yummy forever !!! But won’t last long because we eat them fast!!
This is a terrible recipe. Your dish will come out dry and crunchy. You never want to bring this mixture “to a boil” and the sauce to cereal Ration is bad which also makes it crunchy instead of soft. The video was entirely unhelpful as were the instructions. Super frustrated that I followed this and wasted time and money.
I made these today for my family – excellent and easy – and a big hit with the kiddos!
I saw the comment below about the video not playing. I noticed that if I opened up the recipe using Chrome, the videos would not pull up. But when I opened up the recipe using Edge, the video popped up and played just fine. I am most certainly not a computer expert, but I wonder if some of these links work better with some browsers vs others. Just thought I would share this observation.
Anyways – THANK YOU for the recipe!
These are awesome bars. I personally would reduce the amount of butterscotch & chocolate chips to 1C. each but my family is a firm NO! They love them just as the recipe calls for.
These so remind me of my grandma!! She always had these for all occasions!! She has been my inspiration in baking as she was the best!! Thank you for bringing back the nostalgia for grandma’s baking!!
MY FAVORITE I SEEN THIS DONE WITH PEANUT BUTTER
Oh I’m glad you enjoyed the scotcheroos!
Made these today with my 5 year and he loved them. So easy and so good. Definitely will be making again.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! How fun to bake with your son too!
I can’t use peanut butter what else can I use. Thank you
You know, I haven’t made it with anything other than peanut butter before. You could probably experiment with other nut butters… maybe cashew butter or almond butter. You could try cookie butter perhaps? Another option is to try another kind of Rice Krispie treat. You can’t go wrong with the classic! We also have a chocolate and caramel version. You’ll have to let us know what you end up using and how it turns out.
I have a recipe like this . The only difference is you use special k cereal instead . Glad you reminded of them , think I’ll make some for my niece they’re her favorite.
Could not get the video to play, said there was one….only a ton of adds videos. Off to another site to watch. I realize it’s a simple recipe but I’m old and like a video
Hi John! Totally get liking to watch videos… I do too. If the video doesn’t pop up for you when you click on “Jump to Video”, you can scroll down just a bit into the post and under the heading “An All Time Favorite”, the video will be there. There may be a 30 second add first, but the video will soon be playing. 🙂