Looking for a tried-and-true scotcheroo recipe? You’re in the right place! This is my perfected recipe that includes an easy swirled chocolate/butterscotch topping!
This is one of my go-to desserts to make for a crowd. Plus they’re easy to make gluten-free!
If you’ve never heard of scotcheroos before, you are in for a real treat! (Pun intended.) These no-bake bars are like next-level rice crispy treats. They’re made with everything good in the world: peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch chips, and crispy rice cereal.
The result is a chewy, crispy, slightly salty dessert with amazing butterscotch flavor. These scotcheroos really will knock your socks off!
Trust me when I say this WILL be the first dessert to go at your next potluck, BBQ, bake sale or family party. The combination of textures and flavors is hard to stay away from.
In fact, I always make sure I have somewhere to take these when I make scotcheroos — otherwise, I’ll eat them all myself!
Since you don’t need an oven to make these scotcheroos, this is a perfect dessert to make in the summer.
To make these classic scotcheroos, simply mix up corn syrup, white sugar, peanut butter, and a few ingredients over the stove. Then you mix it all together with crispy rice cereal and top it with melted chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips.
Scotcheroos are easy, they’re delicious…now let’s get baking!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Chewy and crispy
- Sweet and salty
- Perfect for parties
- Easy no bake dessert
For more favorite no-bake peanut butter recipes, try these easy peanut butter bars, peanut butter rice krispies balls, no-bake peanut butter oatmeal bars and gluten-free no bake cookies.
You also might like these gluten-free peanut butter blossoms, flourless peanut butter cookies and classic peanut butter cookies made gluten-free!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Scotcheroos Base:
Here’s what you’ll need to make the base for these dessert bars:
- Crispy rice cereal: There are several other brands that make certified gluten free crispy rice cereal. Be sure there is no malt flavor listed in the ingredients so the cereal is gluten-free. Rice Krispies in the blue box are NOT gluten-free.
- Sugar: Domino fine granulated sugar is my favorite, but any sugar will work.
- Corn syrup: Be sure to use light corn syrup for these bars.
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) work best for this recipe, but natural peanut butter will also work.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter for all of my gluten-free baking. It adds more depth of flavor!
- Salt: I like to use fine sea salt to enhance the flavor and balance the sweetness of these peanut butter bars.
- Vanilla: Real vanilla extract is always best!
For the Scotcheroos Topping:
Here’s what you’ll need for the chocolate butterscotch topping:
- Butterscotch chips: Not all brands of butterscotch chips are gluten-free. Be sure to look for a gluten-free label if you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
- Chocolate chips: Any chocolate chips will work for this recipe. I like to use Guittard or Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips. You also might like this gluten-free brownie recipe!
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) work best for this recipe, but natural peanut butter will also work. Check out this article on is peanut butter gluten-free?
Gluten-Free Crispy Rice Cereal
There are several other brands that make certified gluten-free crispy rice cereal. Be sure there is no malt flavor listed in the ingredients so the cereal is gluten-free. Rice Krispies in the blue box are NOT gluten-free.
Here are some brands of gluten-free crispy rice cereal:
- Malt O Meal (top choice)
- Wegmans (top choice)
- Erewhon (top choice)
- Aldi (top choice)
- Nature’s Path (I don’t recommend this one as much. I don’t like the texture!)
- Barbara’s
- Back To Nature
- One Degree
For more recipes using crispy rice cereal, try these krispies treats with oreos, christmas rice krispies treats and rice krispies treats made gluten-free.
How to Make Scotcheroos
Make the Bars
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- Pour the crispy rice cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and butter.
- Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Then remove the sugar mixture from the heat as soon as it starts bubbling. Stir the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt into the corn syrup mixture.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the crispy rice cereal and quickly stir to combine.
- Transfer the coated crispy rice to the prepared baking pan and press it into a smooth, even layer.
Make the Topping
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup of the butterscotch chips, and 1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth and melted. Set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the remaining ½ cup butterscotch chips and ½ tablespoon peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth and melted.
- Spread melted chocolate/butterscotch evenly over the scotcheroos cereal mixture. Dollop the melted butterscotch chip mixture over the chocolate and then drag a butter knife through the chocolate/butterscotch to create swirls.
- Let the scotcheroos sit for 1 hour before slicing. (You can also place them in the fridge to speed this up!) Slice and enjoy!
Can you freeze scotcheroos?
Yes! Scotcheroos freeze great. Once the scotcheroos are fully cool, cut them into sqaures then place them in a resealable freezer bag. Close the bag (squeeze out all the air!) and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
TO STORE: Store scotcheroos at room temperature in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap for up to five days.
FAQs
Scotcheroos get their name from the butterscotch chips used in the topping. Many people say the recipe was first posted on a box of Rice Krispies in the 1960s, but it’s unclear if the recipe was titled “scotcheroos.”
Scotcheroos were first popularized in the 1960s. According to rumor, the recipe was printed on a box of Rice Krispie treats — and the rest is history. Today, the dessert is often associated with Midwest states like Iowa and Illinois, but people enjoy them all over the U.S.
Scotcheroos are also called peanut butter rice krispie treats. Since peanut butter and crispy rice are two of the main ingredients in these bars, the name makes sense! However, at some point, the bars got the nickname “scotcheroos” thanks to the butterscotch topping.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Not all brands of butterscotch chips are gluten-free. Be sure to look for a gluten-free label if you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
- There are several other brands that make certified gluten free crispy rice cereal. Be sure there is no malt flavor listed in the ingredients so the cereal is gluten-free. Rice Krispies in the blue box are NOT gluten-free.
- Make sure to let the scotcheroos sit for 1 hour before slicing. (You can also place them in the fridge to speed this up!)
- For easy cutting, line the baking pan with parchment paper before pressing the scotcheroos into the pan. Then lift the parchment paper out and cut the bars on a cutting board before transferring to a serving platter.
MORE EASY RECIPES
I hope you love this easy dessert recipe as much as we do! If you try these scotcheroos, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Scotcheroos (Made Gluten-Free!)
Ingredients
For the Scotcheroos:
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal see note for gluten-free
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (235 ml) light corn syrup
- ¼ cup (57 g) salted butter
- 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Topping:
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cup (255 g) butterscotch chips, divided
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- Pour the crispy rice cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup and butter. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat as soon as it starts bubbling. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the crispy rice cereal and quickly stir to combine.
- Transfer the coated crispy rice to the prepared baking pan and press it into a smooth, even layer.
Make the Topping:
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine the semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup of the butterscotch chips, and 1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth and melted. Set aside.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, add the remaining ½ cup butterscotch chips and ½ tablespoon peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth and melted.
- Spread melted chocolate/butterscotch evenly over the scotcheroos. Dollop the melted butterscotch chip mixture over the chocolate and then drag a butter knife through the chocolate/butterscotch to create swirls.
- Let the bars sit for 1 hour before slicing. (You can also place them in the fridge to speed this up!) Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Malt O Meal (top choice)
- Wegmans (top choice)
- Erewhon (top choice)
- Aldi (top choice)
- Nature’s Path (I don’t recommend this one as much. I don’t like the texture!)
- Barbara’s
- Back To Nature
- One Degree
My kids loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Scotcheroos are one of my favorite indulgent treats. I loved how you swirled the peanut butter on top – they came out so pretty! I will always do that from now on, I love the way it looks.
I’ve made these before, but I love your method of swirling the topping. They turn out so pretty, and are fun to serve! Of course everyone gobbled them up. 🙂