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If you live in the Midwest, chances are you’ve had a “scotcheroo” a time or two….and if you haven’t, ohhhhh let me tell you – you’re in for a real treat with this easy dessert!! Rich chocolate and butterscotch covers the creamy, crispy, peanut-buttery base layer in this no bake dessert! These are truly the best ever scotcheroos!!
Scotcheroos are the Cadillac of Rice Krispie bars. I used to love Rice Krispie treats (still do), but I’d say I make scotcheroos 10x more often. Have you ever brought something to a potluck thinking “this is gonna be a hit!” and been completely wrong? Or put lots of time and effort into a cake or pie and brought it to an event just to have one or two pieces taken?
You will never, EVER have that issue with scotcheroos…….they are a potluck staple here in Iowa and are loved by all ages. (They’re also a quick, easy, and no bake treat!)
However, I’ll admit there are okay scotcheroos and then there are flippin’ awesome scotcheroos. And I’ve made both….I’ve tinkered around with the recipe a bit and had a couple flops and some great successes. However, I never kept track of what I was changing. I’d just make a change and hope for the best. I decided the best way to figure this out for once and for all was to do a little experiment…ehh large experiment! 😊
Recipe Myths
MYTH #1: Following the original recipe (boiling the corn syrup/sugar) will result in a hard scotcheroos
MYTH #2: Using name brand peanut butter will improve the taste and texture of the scotcheroo
MYTH #3: Adding butter to the sugar and corn syrup mixture will improve taste and texture of the scotcheroo
The Experiment
After a little searching, I found a few different variables in Scotcheroo recipes floating around the internet. I had a “control,” which is the recipe that both Karo syrup and Rice Krispies has on their websites. Then the variations were all in the base layer – I tested cooking methods, peanut butter brands, and amounts of corn syrup and peanut butter.
One afternoon I mixed up each of the seven variations. I used a scale to weigh ingredients to make sure they were as precise as possible. I then cut each test batch into small squares and brought them into work for coworkers to blind taste.
CONTROL RECIPE: (Scroll to the bottom for my FAVORITE recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
Directions
Grease a 9 x 13” pan with cooking spray and set aside. Over medium heat, cook the corn syrup and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter. Add the cereal and stir until combined. Pour the cereal mixture into prepared pan and press into place. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips; stir; spread over base layer. Cool and cut into bars.
Experiment Variations
EXPERIMENT VARIATIONS
A – Control recipe, no boil
B – Control recipe, boil
C – Control recipe + ½ c extra corn syrup
D – Control recipe, but with Skippy peanut butter instead of cheap brand
E – Control recipe + ½ c extra peanut butter
F – Control recipe + ¼ c butter in sugar/corn syrup mixture
G – Control recipe + 1/3 c extra peanut butter + 1/3 c extra corn syrup
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, I did not bring the sugar/corn syrup mixture to a boil (as I had tested and noticed a negative affect when boiled) an used the That’s Smart brand of peanut butter
| Change | Results | |
| A | Control recipe, no boil | These were good; had decent texture but were slightly firm |
| B | Control recipe, boil | Although the recipe says to bring the sugar/corn syrup mixture to a boil, this was by far the worst of all the experiments. The base layer was simply too hard and crunchy |
| C | Control recipe + ½ c extra corn syrup | These were the second favorite of the bunch. The texture was chewy and soft, but was lacking a little bit of peanut butter flavor |
| D | Control recipe, used Skippy brand peanut butter | Using Skippy peanut butter (rather than the That’s Smart brand) changed the flavor (not bad, just different) and made them slightly more crumbly |
| E | Control recipe + ½ c extra peanut butter | Slightly less dense, and a bit less “gooey” than a couple other top favorites |
| F | Control recipe + ¼ c butter in sugar/syrup mixture | Different flavor; nobody really enjoyed this one |
| G | Control recipe + 1/3 c extra peanut butter + 1/3 c extra corn syrup | This was by far the favorite! It was soft, chewy, and had excellent peanut butter flavor. YUM! |
VIDEO: How to Make the Best Ever Scotcheroos
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are best served at room temperature. Cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap until ready to enjoy.
Yes, these cereal bars can be frozen in a freezer bag or in an airtight container. If you can’t fit them in a single layer, be sure to place a piece of parchment paper between layers so they don’t stick together.
Yes! Many people call these Special K Bars because they grew up using Special K cereal instead of Rice Krispies. I like them either way!
I tested this once (awhile back) and had good luck using almond butter in the peanut butter mixture (which is great for people with peanut allergies!).
I don’t recommend it because natural peanut butter would give a different texture that might not hold the krispy treats together well.
Sure. I love the butterscotch flavor (for me, it’s part of classic scotcheroos) but you could use additional chocolate chips or replace it with peanut butter chips.
Yes. I don’t think there would be any problem with that – it’ll change the flavor a bit, but not necessarily in a bad way!
I’ve never tried it, but I think it’ll work okay. I’d advise against “extra crunchy” peanut butter as it won’t have as much moisture.
Other No Bake Treats
- Loaded Scotcheroos – Take the scotcheroos to the next level with some fun add-ins!
- No Bake Cookie Bars
- Scotcheroo Bites – Very similar, but in cute little bite-sized morsels!
- No Bake Peanut Butter Treats
- No Bake Scores Bars
So, what’s the Best Ever recipe?!! I took the learnings from my experiment and added a little vanilla to boost the flavor. Once I tried it, I knew this was THE ONE. The BEST scotcheroo recipe in all the land!
Best Ever Scotcheroos
Equipment
- 1 9×13" pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Krispies
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Coat a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the sugar and corn syrup and combine.1 cup sugar, 1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
- Turn the stovetop on low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. DO NOT let the mixture boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat. (If you see any bubbles begin to form, remove it immediately from the stovetop)
- Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.1 1/3 cups peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in the Rice Krispies, being careful not to crush them, but making sure they're well-combined.6 cups Rice Krispies
- Pour into the prepared pan and pat into place.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and butterscotch chips.1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips
- Cook on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Spread over the Rice Krispie mixture and let cool before cutting into bars…..if you can wait! 🙂
Video
Notes
- Do NOT boil the sugar/corn syrup mixture.
- Don’t skimp on the corn syrup or the peanut butter. That’s part of what makes this recipe SO good!
- Melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips at low heat to prevent them from seizing up (aka burning the chocolate). Melting low and slow will ensure shiny chocolate (vs dull-looking, grainy chocolate).
Nutrition
They are delicious!
Glad I chose this recipe.
I made these for a work thing. They were a big hit. No leftovers. Quick and easy recipe. I feel like this is foolproof (since I’d never made them before and “bars” really aren’t my forte!) Thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear!! ~Kelsey
Good recipe. Wish I would have doubled the chocolate and butterscotch chips- 1 cup of each was a pretty thin layer in a 9×13.
I always do 11 ounces of both the chocolate chip and butterscotch chips! It’s a thicker layer that way!
I always do 11 ounces of both the chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips. It’s a much thicker layer that way!
Both my husband (a very picky eater) and I loved these.
So happy to hear, Eileen! ~Kelsey
I just made your Best Ever Scotcheroos!! They are absolutely divine. I will be making all of your recipes!!! Thank You!!
🙂 So happy to hear, Julia! ~Kelsey
best eva thx, made these for my bff zoe
Love it!! Hope she enjoyed them! 🙂
I’m so glad I found your version and tips for this recipe. I made the original recipe for Thanksgiving but I must have cooked the syrup mixture too long because when I tried to cut them they were so hard that the steak knife broke into 3 pieces!! I can’t wait to try your recipe. I love Scotcharoos!
Yes, I hope you’ll give these a try and never have to deal with broken steak knives again! 🙂 ~Kelsey
Honestly, these were terrible. Never have I had to throw scotcheroos away but I did this time. The extra corn syrup and peanut butter did not help the recipe at all. What a waste of money!
Hi Chanda – I’m sorry you felt that way! This recipe is loved by SO many!! 🙂 ~Kelsey
May I freeze these?
Yes! I do this often! 🙂 ~Kelsey
Looks delish! From Nebraska so I’ve had more than my fair share of scotcharoos! And just wanted to say LOVE that you include the measurements in each step. Will be trying this recipe today!
Hi Nikki! How’d they turn out for you?! THey’re our favorite! ~Kelsey
We love this recipe! Mixing the Rice Krispies into the sugar/corn syrup/vanilla/peanut butter mixture is a real workout. The first time we made this recipe, we did not mix it adequately enough which resulted in some of the bars being crumbly. Our second attempt was perfect so I would encourage people to make absolutely sure you mix it well.
The best yet!
EXcellent! I used to use br sugar & boil Having trouble melting the chips with my new microwave drying out.
Hi Cindy – If you have the option to change the level of power on the microwave, I’d try decreasing it to 50% and heating the chocolate chips in short intervals, stirring after each, until smooth! Hope that helps! ~Kelsey
I’ve had these before but never tried to make them. This was easy and other than my topping taking forever to set up, they are perfect. The base is the right mix of soft and firm. I will definitely be making these again.
I make these with the original rice crispy treats recipe using butter and marshmallows &
Peanut butter, perfect😉👍🏻.
Plus sprinkle salt crystals
Spareingly on top of icing🤗
THE BEST!!!! It’s a great dessert dish for any occasion! This is my standby dish! Never fails!!!
Thank You for sharing this recipe with everyone!!!!
Can I leave out or lessen the sugar?
Hi Steve – I’ve never tried this with less sugar. I wouldn’t suggest that as it would likely affect how the bars set up. ~Kelsey