Original Scotcheroos Recipe: Grandma’s No-Bake Dessert Bars

This classic Scotcheroos recipe (Grandma’s original) comes together in minutes with peanut butter, chocolate, and butterscotch. These no-bake dessert bars yield 24 squares — ideal for potlucks, picnics, and gatherings.

I grew up watching my Grandma Bernice make Scotcheroos from her old yellow “Tried and True” cookbook. I recently pulled that same recipe card from my cupboard to make a batch, and the nostalgia was immediate. Funny enough, Grandma never quite remembered the name “Scotcheroos,” so to our family they were always “skiparoos.”

This simple no-bake bar is a longtime favorite for good reason: a chewy peanut butter and cereal base topped with a glossy layer of chocolate and butterscotch. The combination is sweet, satisfying, and fast to prepare.

Ingredients needed for this easy Scotcheroos recipe

This recipe uses a handful of pantry staples: sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, Rice Krispies cereal, semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and a little butter to improve the topping’s texture.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Rice Krispies (or similar puffed rice cereal)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Coarse sea salt, optional

Yield and time

Yield: 24 bars. Prep time: about 5 minutes. Cook time: about 10 minutes. Additional chilling time: about 20 minutes. Total time: approximately 35 minutes.

Step-by-step instructions for these no-bake dessert bars

1. Combine sugar and corn syrup. In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
2. Add peanut butter. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
3. Mix with cereal. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the Rice Krispies and stir quickly and thoroughly. The mixture will be thick and will begin to set as it cools, so work fast.
4. Press into pan. Transfer the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper and press evenly. Wetting your hands with hot water before pressing helps the mixture smooth out without sticking to your fingers.
5. Melt the topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and 1 tablespoon butter. Microwave in short intervals (about 30–45 seconds), stirring between each interval until the mixture is fully melted and glossy.
6. Top and chill. Spread the melted chocolate-and-butterscotch topping evenly over the pressed bars. If desired, finish with a light sprinkle of coarse sea salt for a sweet-and-salty contrast. Chill until the topping is firm.
7. Slice and serve. Remove from the pan using the parchment and cut into 24 squares. Store at room temperature for a soft, chewy texture or refrigerate if you prefer them firmer.

Tips for successful Scotcheroos

• Grandma often used a jelly roll pan (about 15½ x 12½ inches) for a thinner, larger yield; feel free to adjust the pan size if you prefer thinner bars or more pieces.
• Wet your hands with hot water when pressing the cereal mixture into the pan to keep it from sticking and to get a smooth, even surface.
• The classic recipe doesn’t call for butter in the topping, but adding a tablespoon helps the melted chocolate and butterscotch become glossier and easier to spread.
• Keep bars at room temperature for a soft, chewy bite. Refrigeration will firm them up if you prefer a firmer texture.
• Work quickly once the peanut butter mixture is combined with the cereal, as it sets up rapidly when cooling.

Nutrition information (per serving)

Yield: 24 servings. Serving size: 1 bar.

• Calories: 463
• Total Fat: 12g (Saturated Fat: 5g; Unsaturated Fat: 7g)
• Cholesterol: 1mg
• Sodium: 398mg
• Carbohydrates: 85g (Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 37g)
• Protein: 7g

Recipe variations and ideas

You can customize Scotcheroos by swapping some of the chocolate chips for white chocolate, adding chopped nuts to the cereal base, or using different cereal blends if Rice Krispies are not available. For a more pronounced butterscotch flavor, increase the butterscotch chips slightly and reduce the chocolate by the same amount.

More cookie bar and cookie ideas

• Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
• Christmas cookie recipes and inspiration
• Apple cookies with vanilla icing
• Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
• Soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal
• Old-fashioned rolled sugar cookies
• Caramel chocolate crispy rice bars
• Date balls — a quick no-bake snack made in the food processor

© Rita Joy