Best Ever Scotcheroos (2024)

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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 thisno 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!)

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However, I’ll admit there are okay scotcheroos and thenthere are flippin’ awesome scotcheroos.And I’ve made both….I’ve tinkered around with the recipe a bit and had acouple flops and some great successes.However, I never kept track of what I was changing. I’d just make a change and hope for thebest. I decided the best way to figurethis out for once and for all was to do a little experiment…ehh largeexperiment! 😊

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

Should they be served at room temperature?

Yes, they are best served at room temperature. Cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap until ready to enjoy.

Can you freeze scotcheroos?

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.

Can you use different cereal?

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!

Can you use almond butter?

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!).

Can you use natural peanut butter?

I don’t recommend it because natural peanut butter would give a different texture that might not hold the krispy treats together well.

Can you replace the butterscotch chips with something else?

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.

Can you use brown sugar in place of regular sugar?

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!

Can you use crunchy peanut butter?

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 Peanut Butter Treats

No Bake Cookie Bars

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 ever.

Here you have it……the BEST EVER SCOTCHEROOS!

5 from 24 votes

Best Ever Scotcheroos

Author: Kelsey

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

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

“Dance Around the Kitchen” is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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kelsey

Could I replace the peanut butter with almond butter?
Reply
1. 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
  Reply
Made these in Jr High Home Ec class and have been making them ever since. My husband loves them!
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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%!
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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. 🙂
Reply
1. You’re too sweet Katie!!! So glad these scotcheroos continue to be a hit!! ~Kelsey
  Reply
  See Also
  Scotcheroos for Skeptics
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!
Reply
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 ❤️
Reply
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.!!❤️
Reply
1. I’m so glad you found the notes to be helpful. Thanks for sharing!!! ~Kelsey
  Reply
Hi Kelsey!
Have you ever tried freezing the squares? If so, do they keep their texture?
Reply
1. Yes!! I do this often. Make sure they’re well-wrapped and snug in a freezer bag and they are great thawed out!
  Reply