Scotcheroos Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats [+ Video]

This scotcheroos peanut butter rice krispies treats recipe is seriously such an addicting treat and it only takes a couple of ingredients to make it!

Classic Scotcheroos Recipe

I don’t know what it is about these peanut butter rice krispies bars with butterscotch and chocolate melted on top (aka Scotcheroos), but I cannot stop eating them if there is a pan in our house. I don’t remember having them growing up, or who taught me to make them as an adult, but I do know that I can’t resist them no matter how old I get.

Are scotcheroos messy? Yes. 

Does it matter? No.

And it shouldn’t, because sometimes a dessert is all about the whole experience — getting sticky, smearing chocolate across your upper lip, and licking your fingers clean. Kids are awesome at enjoying dessert. They can really get into it and enjoy every little bite, whereas we tend to be so clean and delicate that we are far to worried about avoiding the mess rather than enjoying the flavor.

It’s not just that though, adults want something they can pop in their mouth while finally enjoying a little quiet time without the kids!

Scotcheroos Ingredients

Just like regular rice krispies treats, this scotcheroos recipe uses minimal ingredients and requires no baking. To make these peanut butter rice krispies, you’ll need granulated sugar, light corn syrup, creamy peanut butter, Rice Krispies, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.  

Because Cade doesn’t love butterscotch I use milk chocolate chips or white and semi-sweet chocolate for the topping — and I like to really slather it on in case you couldn’t tell. You can play around with the chocolate topping, but definitely make the peanut butter rice krispies base as instructed in the recipe card because it’s just that good! 

How to Make Scotcheroos 

These homemade scotcheroos come together in under 10 minutes, and this recipe makes a big pan. Here’s how to make scotcheroos quickly: 

1. Heat the sugar and corn syrup on the stove until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Stir in the peanut butter and rice krispies. 
3. Press the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch pan. 
4. Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips, then spread over the scotcheroos base. 
5. Let the bars cool completely before slicing and serving. 

Can I Freeze Scotcheroos? 

Yes, these peanut butter rice krispies bars actually freeze quite well! Place your scotcheroos in a single layer inside a resealable freezer bag if you need to keep them fresh for longer than two days. Once the treats are inside the bag, squeeze out all excess air and place in the freezer for up to six weeks.

Are Scotcheroos Gluten-Free?

I’m baffled that a cereal made from rice contains gluten, but it does. Yep, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies contain malt flavoring, which is derived from a barley grain. Barley is not gluten-free and therefore Kellogg’s Rice Krispies are not gluten-free.

Do I Have to Use Rice Krispies?

No, not if you don’t want to! I’ve also seen scotcheroos made with Chex, cornflakes, and Special K cereal before. Any crunchy, neutral tasting rice- or corn-based cereal should work in these bars. 

Is There a Corn Syrup Substitute I Can Use? 

I’ve only ever made this scotcheroos recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure if there’s a corn syrup substitute you can use. However, a few UK readers have reported success using golden syrup and glucose syrup in place of the corn syrup. Hope that helps! 

Tips for Making Scotcheroos 

I prefer making scotcheroos with Jif peanut butter, but if you’d rather use an all-natural creamy peanut butter that should work too. Just make sure to give the natural peanut butter a really good stir before adding it to the rice krispies mixture, as natural peanut butters tend to separate more easily. 

If you love sweet and salty treats, sprinkle some coarse sea salt over the melted chocolate layer before it hardens. The sweet peanut butter base combined with the rice chocolate butterscotch topping and the flaky sea salt is an unbeatable combo! 

Lastly, you’ll need to work fairly quickly once you’ve stirred the rice krispies cereal into the peanut butter and corn syrup mixture. Scotcheroos set up pretty quickly, so you should have your baking dish and ingredients all prepped and ready to go before you begin making this recipe. 

More Dessert Bars:

• Snickers Caramel Brownies
• Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats
• Mom’s Famous Caramel Brownies
• Lemon Raspberry Bars
• Brookie Bars
• Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
• Classic Lemon Bars
• Ritz Reese’s S’more Bars
• Peach Oatmeal Bars
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake Oreo Brownies
• Peanut Butter Caramel Brownies
• Twix Caramelita
• Raspberry Lemon Bars

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