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 Bars, Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies and Oreo Truffles on any cookie plate!
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.
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.
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
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Death by Chocolate Magic Cookie Bars
- Easy Rocky Road
- S’mores Bars
- Oatmeal Carmelitas
Scotcheroos
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.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
More easy desserts to make:
What can I use instead of Karo syrup as we can’t get it here in Ireland.
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Valerie.
I think it’s just corn syrup.
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 honey
I’m with you MsMay! I can’t stop at just one.
Gotta add 1/2 stick butter so they don’t get hard!
Just made them for the 1st time!! They look delicious. How should I store them? In fridge?
Store at room temperature in an air tight container (or plastic wrap) for about 5 days. Enjoy Tennille!
i havnt made it but damn she look fine
Delish Poppi!
Easy recipe. I substituted Chex cereal for special K. Came out great!
Bern making Scotcheroos for over 50yrs. I never used Special K, I use Rice Krispies. Will have to try with special k. ! Yes
My Mother rests her soul made these when I was a kid.