Scotcheroos are a quick and easy no bake dessert that needs just six ingredients and ten minutes to make!  These are made with Special K cereal loaded with peanut butter and butterscotch flavor, and are a definite crowd pleaser. 

These simple bars are perfect as a snack or dessert and great to add alongside Easy Lemon BarsPerfect Chocolate Chip Cookies and Oreo Truffles on any cookie plate!

Homemade Scotcheroos stacked on a board

A Perfect Last Minute Dessert

Ah, Scotcheroos. We go way back. One of my sisters introduced these babies to our family after she got the recipe from some friend in college. They instantly became a family favorite. Why? Just smell them! Plus, they only require 6 ingredients and take just 10 minutes to whip up. All of the ingredients are shelf stable so I try to always have those things in my pantry for if I ever need a last minute quick dessert for something that isn’t Rice Krispie Treats.

Besides being super easy to make, these Scotcheroos taste divine! There are other Scotcheroo recipes out there without corn syrup (or with marshmallows) but I’ve never had one quite as good as this. They always come out soft/easy to bite and who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate. Homemade Scotcheroos stacked on a board

Next Level Scotcheroos

But what takes these to the next level is the butterscotch chips. Yep! That’s not only chocolate on top. It’s a two to one mix of butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. The flavor is divine but also the texture. The butterscotch chips make the chocolate so smooth and buttery.

I definitely ate my fair share of these when I was young. I’d make them for sleepovers, camp each summer, treats for after games… Everyone loves them and eats them right up. In fact, at girls camp one year, my friends got into the Scotcheroos while I was away for a minute and after we had eaten them all the next day they told me they had accidentally dropped them on the floor but didn’t tell me because they knew I’d throw them away and they still wanted to eat them. I’m a germaphobe, but to others, they are good enough to eat off a cabin floor.Homemade Scotcheroos stacked on a board

Why are My Scotcheroos Hard?

The culprit for hard Scotcheroos is usually overboiling the sugar mixture. Also scotcheroos right out of the fridge/freezer will be hard as well so be sure to let them come to room temp!

Festive Scotcheroo Alternative

What are you waiting for?! Go grab these 6 ingredients and make these sinfully good treats. You won’t regret it! If you’re wanting to make these for someone you really love, follow my recipe to make them using Rice Krispies and shape them into hearts (and if you don’t have Special K on hand, these can be made with cornflakes too).

Can you Freeze Scotcheroos?

Yes, you can easily freeze scotcheroos! Cool completely and cut into squares. Place the squares in a single layer in a freezer bag or container and seal well. They’ll keep in the freezer for a few months (although they never last that long around here)!

More Easy Bar Recipes

Homemade Scotcheroos stacked on a board
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Scotcheroos

Scotcheroos are a quick and easy no bake dessert that needs just six ingredients and ten minutes to make! These are made with Special K cereal loaded with peanut butter and butterscotch flavor, and are a definite crowd pleaser. 
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 24
Author Melanie

Ingredients  

For the Base:

  • 6 cups Special K cereal
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light Karo syrup
  • 1 ⅓ cups creamy peanut butter

For the Topping:

  • 1 ½ cups butterscotch chips
  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and set aside.
  • In the bottom of a large pot, heat sugar and Karo syrup over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Cook just until sugar dissolves or until it starts to barely bubble. Remove from heat, stir in the peanut butter until it melts and the mixture is smooth. Add in the cereal and fold gently until all cereal is evenly coated. Spread into the pan and gently press flat.
  • Place the butterscotch and chocolate chips together in a bowl and melt in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between each until smooth. Pour over the cereal and spread to the edges. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
4.91 from 21 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 262 | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3.3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American

More easy desserts to make:

Spiced Pecan Triple Chocolate Bark

Blueberry Pie Bars

Double Chocolate Brownies

Scotcheroos with writing
Scotcheroos with title

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Comments

  1. I made this today and WOW! These bars are delicious. I ate 3! I never eat like that. I will definitely make this again. I read some of the comments and all i can advise is that you CAN make these as you want. I lowered the sugar to 1 cup and added some brown sugar cinnamon, and honey5 stars

    1. Store at room temperature in an air tight container (or plastic wrap) for about 5 days. Enjoy Tennille!

  2. Bern making Scotcheroos for over 50yrs.  I never used Special K, I use Rice Krispies.  Will have to try with special k. ! Yes