Scotcharoos Recipe

Stack of scotcharoos with a bite taken out of the one on the top.

5 from 5 votes

This scotcharoos recipe features a soft and chewy peanut butter crispy rice cereal base that gets smothered with a smooth and creamy chocolate butterscotch topping.

Prep Time15

Cooling Time1

Total Time1 15

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

SCOTCHAROO BASE

▢ 5 cups (135g) crisp rice cereal¹
▢ 1 cup (240mL) light corn syrup
▢ 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
▢ 1 and ½ cups (384g) creamy peanut butter not natural

TOPPING

▢ 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
▢ 1 cup (170g) butterscotch chips

Instructions

SCOTCHAROO BASE

Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Pour the cereal into a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine the corn syrup and granulated sugar in a large saucepan. Without stirring the mixture, heat over medium-low heat until the edges just start to bubble² then immediately remove from heat.
Add the peanut butter to the warm sugar mixture, then stir until mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the cereal, then stir with a large spatula until everything is well-coated. Once the peanut butter and sugar mixture cools down a bit, I like to use my hands to gently combine everything, but you will need to work quickly as the cereal will start to set as it cools.
Gently³ press the mixture into the prepared pan, then set aside to cool while you prepare the topping.

TOPPING

In a medium size saucepan, combine with chocolate and butterscotch chips. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly to combine and mix the chips. Alternately, you can melt chips in the microwave.
When mixture is smooth, spread evenly over the cereal mixture. Let stand until firm, about 1 hour.
When scotcharoos are set, cut into desired size bars (I like 4 rows on the short side, 6 rows on the long side). Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Bars are best on day 1-3 and will start to harden a bit after this. Storing them properly will help, and you can always microwave before enjoying, about 6-8 seconds on HIGH.

Notes

Crisp rice cereal: if you want to keep these gluten free, pick a brand that does not contain malt syrup. Kellogg's Rice Krispies contain malt syrup which makes them not gluten free.
Cooking mixture: it is imperative that you stop cooking the corn syrup and sugar mixture as soon as you see bubbles. Cooking past this point will make your scotcharoos hard and crunchy.
Press mixture into pan: just like Rice Krispies Treats, it's important not to pack the cereal into the pan, as this will make them hard and crunchy. If your hands are sticking too much, spray them lightly with cooking spray or coat with a little bit of butter.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.