Serves a Crowd

Scotcheroos (Rice Krispies With Peanut Butter, Butterscotch & Chocolate)

by:
October 19, 2021
4
7 Ratings
Scotcheroos (Rice Krispies With Peanut Butter, Butterscotch & Chocolate)
Photo by Posie Harwood
  • Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Makes one 9- by 13-inch pan
Author Notes

I already love breakfast cereal, and this recipe from the Rice Krispie box just increases my enthusiasm. Regular Rice Krispies treats are good, but add peanut butter, butterscotch chips, and a chocolate topping, and you'll have something even better.

The people who market breakfast cereal are smart people. They must have realized that confining your product to one meal a day wouldn't do the trick, so they got us hooked on Rice Krispie treats and Chex Mix. They are probably responsible, in some nefarious way, for cereal milk ice cream. Amanda Sims is even putting Rice Krispies on her chickpeas! I think there's a board room of people somewhere masterminding it all: the Ministry of Cereal.

Instead of fighting it, I'm just giving in. And with these rich and—dare I say—wanton, extravagant bars, surrender never tasted so good.

Scotcheroos are another invention of the Ministry of Cereal (or, in this case, just the Kellogg's recipe testers). The base is a pseudo-Rice Krispie treat. Instead of marshmallows, you heat corn syrup, sugar, and creamy peanut butter into a smooth sauce. Once the cereal is coated in this mixture, it gets topped with a melted mix of semisweet chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Sophisticated it is not, but this dessert is a serious crowdpleaser. It's just the thing to bring out at your Labor Day party. Put it on a plate next to the pool to feed a horde of hungry kids. Eat it with your fingers, a beer in the other hand, as you sit around a fire pit with your friends.

Note: The ingredient list is simple, but make sure to prep all the ingredients in advance because you have to move quickly so that you can mix it all together before anything cools. Word of advice: Use the generic ingredients. It will taste just as good as the fancy stuff. —Posie (Harwood) Brien

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Scotcheroos (Rice Krispies With Peanut Butter, Butterscotch & Chocolate)
Ingredients
  • Cooking spray or butter, for the pan
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
  1. Line a 13x9-inch pan with parchment and lightly grease the parchment.
  2. In a small saucepan, stir the corn syrup and sugar to form a grainy paste. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves and large bubbles form across the surface. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter.
  3. Place the Rice Krispies in a large bowl and pour the peanut butter mixture over top. Stir to coat evenly. Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared pan.
  4. Wet your hands and press the cereal mixture evenly and firmly into the pan.
  5. In a medium heatproof bowl, microwave the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips in 30-second increments until melted and smooth. Stir between each 30-second increments (it usually takes a total of about 1½ minutes).
  6. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cereal. Use a spatula to smooth the chocolate layer.
  7. Let the bars cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up. Slice and eat!
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16 Reviews

GALE S.
GALE S. August 2, 2021
A great, simple recipe that took me back to my youth. Yeah, they are sweet, but the salted natural peanut butter helps cut the sweetness. I appreciate that it doesn’t call for marshmallows so I can substitute Lyles Golden Syrup or honey.
 
sheilaryan
sheilaryan January 12, 2018
Used natural, unsalted PB, added 1/4 tsp of sea salt, guittard butterscotch chips, which do not contain hydrogenated oils or anything untoward in terms of ingredients and doubled the chips. Incredible.
 
Amy K.
Amy K. April 22, 2017
Indeed on the sweeter side, but delicious. Simple and easy to make.
 
Carolyn V.
Carolyn V. August 13, 2016
I loved the idea of these but they were way too sweet for me (and all but the youngest in my family). If you like super sweet desserts go for it!
 
Susie F.
Susie F. January 17, 2016
Could you use Almond butter instead? My grandson does not like peanut butter.
 
Posie (.
Posie (. January 17, 2016
Absolutely!
 
Scott B.
Scott B. November 21, 2015
Man, I commented earlier - my Mom used to make these all the time when I was young so it really hit the nostalgia meter. But when I made them as an adult, I just couldn't get past the 'butterscotch' chips. It's all I smelled and it was too artificial tasting.
 
weyams
weyams September 22, 2015
I made these for our family last weekend. They are way too sweet and way too good and chewy! I used 1/2 honey and 1/2 corn syrup and they turned out great. Both invert sugars. May try all honey next time. They're gone!
 
Angela
Angela September 13, 2015
These turned out so hard I feared I would break my teeth.
 
AnnP
AnnP October 19, 2015
Barely bring the sugar mix to a boil. If cooked too long, the result is hard as rock krisies
 
Freda M.
Freda M. October 22, 2017
This also happened to me while making regular Rice Krispie Treats. I later found out, after making another batch, that I had pressed too firmly on the Rice Krispies when I put them in the 13x9 dish. Oops!
 
donna
donna September 13, 2015
I mold characters & other pieces out of RKT for wedding cakes & special occasions cakes that I do, I always use the marshmallow, would these firm as well due to the corn syrup?
 
Posie (.
Posie (. September 13, 2015
Yes just as well!
 
jcfm83
jcfm83 September 13, 2015
I have chunky peanut butter. Any reason that wouldn't work?
 
Posie (.
Posie (. September 13, 2015
Sure try it! It might not bind quite as well but I think it'll still be delicious.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx September 5, 2015
Yum!