Scotcheroos
Quick Bite
Scotcheroos are chewy peanut butter cereal bars topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch. They are no-bake, potluck-famous, and dangerously easy to keep “evening up” with a knife.
History
Scotcheroos are a Midwestern dessert-bar favorite, and Iowa has adopted them with particular enthusiasm. The recipe is usually traced to Rice Krispies cereal boxes from the 1960s, when cereal companies promoted easy sweets made from pantry staples.
The classic formula is simple: puffed rice cereal held together with peanut butter, sugar, and corn syrup, then topped with a melted chocolate-and-butterscotch layer. It is not a Rice Krispies Treat because marshmallows are not the traditional binder.
The bars became popular because they were fast, inexpensive, and perfect for feeding groups. They traveled well to bake sales, church basements, family reunions, school events, and every potluck table that needed “just one more dessert.”
In Iowa, Scotcheroos have become one of those treats that feels homemade even when someone else made them. They are sweet, chewy, crisp, peanut-buttery, and just fancy enough to cut into squares and call dessert.
Fun Facts
- The “scotch” in Scotcheroos comes from butterscotch, not Scotland.
- They are usually no-bake, which makes them a hot-weather dessert hero.
- Cutting them cleanly is easier if you let the topping set but not get rock-hard.
Where to Try
Known for bakery-made Scotcheroo-style bars, sometimes listed under names like PB Scotchies.
A small-batch Scotcheroo bar business focused entirely on gourmet Scotcheroo-style treats.
Scotcheroos are classic home-baked-community-table food, so the best ones may come from a school fundraiser, church basement, or local market.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Grease a 9x13-inch pan.
- Set up the cereal: Place the cereal in a large mixing bowl.
- Start the syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup over medium heat.
- Heat gently: Heat just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Do not boil hard.
- Add peanut butter: Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
- Coat the cereal: Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal and stir quickly until coated.
- Press into pan: Press gently into the prepared pan. Do not pack it down too hard.
- Melt topping: Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together in the microwave or over a double boiler.
- Top: Spread the melted topping over the bars.
- Set and cut: Let set, then cut into squares.
