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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!!
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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! |
Conclusions
MYTH #1: Following the original recipe (boiling the corn syrup/sugar) will result in a scotcheroo that is too firm……….TRUE!! DO NOT boil the corn syrup and sugar!!! This was the factor that seemed to have the largest impact on the end product. It’s so important to cook the syrup mixture on low just until the sugar has dissolved. If you see a bubble or two starting to form, pull off the burner immediately so it doesn’t start boiling.
MYTH #2: Using name brand peanut butter will improve the taste and texture of the Scotcheroo……….FALSE!! The peanut butter brand doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on the finished product.
MYTH #3: Adding butter to the corn syrup/sugar mixture will improve taste and texture of the Scotcheroo…………FALSE!! The butter took away from the peanut butter flavor and didn’t have a large affect on the texture.
VIDEO: How to Make the Best Ever Scotcheroos
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!
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 ever.
Here you have it……the BEST EVER SCOTCHEROOS!
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.
- 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
- Stir in the Rice Krispies, being careful not to crush them, but making sure they're well-combined
- Pour into the prepared pan and pat into place
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and 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
Nutrition
Could I replace the peanut butter with almond butter?
Yes. I have tried it with almond butter. It’s going to (of course) have a different flavor and the texture is a little different, but it’s a good alternative if needed! ~Kelsey
Made these in Jr High Home Ec class and have been making them ever since. My husband loves them!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I tried it after you made it on Hello Iowa so it’s been a while ago but I’ve made it multiple times since then. I thought my recipe was good but this is even better. I threw my recipe away. I love that you experimented to make it the “best ever”. I agree 100%!
Literally the BEST scotcheroos. I took them to school for the teacher lounge/a birthday and everyone raved about them. Way to go Kelsey, you did it again and created an amazing recipe. Print, save and add this recipe to your recipe book — you will not be disappointed. 🙂
You’re too sweet Katie!!! So glad these scotcheroos continue to be a hit!! ~Kelsey
First time making these and obsessed!
I added skor bits after I poured the chocolate/butterscotch
Used natural peanut butter too. Thought the non natural one would be too sweet
Can’t wait to share these!
This is the very best recipe! I’ve been been making different ones trying to get the holy grail and I soooo appreciate your testing out the best recipes for yourself and us!
The added corn syrup and peanut butter and not boiling the mixture was the perfect texture I was seeking and the flavor is *chefs kiss*
I always do a 2-3 cup of butterscotch chips and the rest semi sweet chocolate.
Thank you for the perfect recipe! I will be subscribing to see your other recipes ❤️
Best recipe thank you for all of the notes and all of the studies that you did with all the recipes and it’s awesome with the extra corn syrup and extra peanut butter. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, so that’s why I’m taking the time to tell you thank you.!!❤️
I’m so glad you found the notes to be helpful. Thanks for sharing!!! ~Kelsey
The ingredient ratio of the base is amazing! Thank you!
For the top layer, 2 cups of chips total wasn’t enough to give a decent layer to look like the picture. It was more rough, showing the shape of the cereal. I added another layer.
Hi Kelsey!
Have you ever tried freezing the squares? If so, do they keep their texture?
Yes!! I do this often. Make sure they’re well-wrapped and snug in a freezer bag and they are great thawed out!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! These were absolutely the best scotcheroos I was ever able to make thanks to your recipe, so thank you for doing the work! I actually heated my sugar and corn syrup in my microwave and one minute intervals stirring after each minute and I think it took about 5 minutes to get everything combined. Mine had always came out too hard before and that was the biggest problem. Your recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi, I’m not sure if you’ll see this but I’ll ask anyway. I’ve been making regular Scotcheroos for decades using the original recipe, like your control version. I plan to try your new favorite version, but I have a question. Have you ever tried using Lyle’s Golden Syrup in place of corn syrup? It’s a cane sugar syrup from
England and wonder if it would work. I tried date syrup and it was a disaster; the bars crumbled and there’s nothing worse than a wasted batch!
Hi Jolene – I’ve never tried Lyle’s Golden Syrup, so I’m not much help. If you do give it a try, let me know how it works in case anyone else has the same question! 🙂 ~Kelsey
I’ve made these with Lyle’s Golden Syrup and it works just fine.
Why am I the only one that this didn’t work for? First time making them…had a bit of trouble melting my chocolate, but got it back. The chocolate completely seeped through the pan as I started pouring it. Any suggestions?
Can you explain what you mean when you say it seeped through the pan?
This is one if the WORST written articles ever! CONFUSING AF! All you needed to do is put the BEST RECIPE online! You had to go thru all this unnecessary rigamarole and crap to say nothing! It’s an extremely simple recipe! But a FOOL will ALWAYS make the SIMPLE HARD! FOOL!
Perhaps you didn’t see the “jump to recipe” button at the very top of the blog post? 🙂
I can’t get the recipe to print out.
Hmm I’ve never had that issue. It looks like it’s working on my end… Sorry, I’m not much help with that! 🙂