Scotcheroos
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on June 22, 2021
Time
1 hour, plus 2 hours cooling
Yield
Makes 16 bars
Ingredients
Before You Begin
An equal weight of Rice Krispies cereal can be substituted for the Special K Original cereal and creamy peanut butter can be substituted for the chunky peanut butter, if desired. This recipe can easily be doubled and made in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
Instructions
- Lightly grease 8-inch square baking pan. Make parchment paper sling by folding 2 long sheets of parchment so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of parchment in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra parchment hanging over edges of pan. Push parchment into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing parchment flush to pan. Grease parchment.
- Bring sugar, corn syrup, and butter to boil in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently with heat-resistant spatula. Off heat, stir in peanut butter until combined.
- Gently stir in cereal until fully coated with sugar mixture. Transfer cereal mixture to prepared pan and press firmly into even layer with spatula. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Microwave chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in bowl at 50 percent power, whisking occasionally, until melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Using offset spatula, spread chocolate mixture evenly over cereal mixture. Sprinkle with salt, if using. Refrigerate bars until chocolate is firm, about 1hour.
- Using parchment overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Let bars sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Cut into 16 pieces (3 cuts by 3 cuts). Serve. (Bars can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Time
1 hour, plus 2 hours coolingYield
Makes 16 barsIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Scotcheroos are chewy, no-bake bars made with simple pantry items: cereal, chocolate, butterscotch, and peanut butter. The recipe first appeared on the side of the Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal box in the 1960s, and it has remained popular ever since, especially in the Midwest, popping up at church potlucks, birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and even in regional gas stations. The name “Scotcheroos” traditionally refers to bars made with Rice Krispies, but depending on the cereal or ingredients called for in a given recipe, other names might be used, including Special K bars, OhHenry! bars, K bars, and peanut butter crispy bars. This version gets its crunch from Special K cereal and chunky peanut butter. A combination of butter and corn syrup kept the bars chewy and a little gooey, and the corn syrup also ensured that the bars were soft (and stayed that way once cooled). The topping of bittersweet chocolate and butterscotch balanced the bars' sweetness, providing just enough rich butterscotch flavor without being overwhelming. An optional sprinkle of crunchy flake salt made the flavors pop.
Before You Begin
An equal weight of Rice Krispies cereal can be substituted for the Special K Original cereal and creamy peanut butter can be substituted for the chunky peanut butter, if desired. This recipe can easily be doubled and made in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
Instructions
- Lightly grease 8-inch square baking pan. Make parchment paper sling by folding 2 long sheets of parchment so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of parchment in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra parchment hanging over edges of pan. Push parchment into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing parchment flush to pan. Grease parchment.
- Bring sugar, corn syrup, and butter to boil in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently with heat-resistant spatula. Off heat, stir in peanut butter until combined.
- Gently stir in cereal until fully coated with sugar mixture. Transfer cereal mixture to prepared pan and press firmly into even layer with spatula. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Microwave chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in bowl at 50 percent power, whisking occasionally, until melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Using offset spatula, spread chocolate mixture evenly over cereal mixture. Sprinkle with salt, if using. Refrigerate bars until chocolate is firm, about 1hour.
- Using parchment overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Let bars sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Cut into 16 pieces (3 cuts by 3 cuts). Serve. (Bars can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
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