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scotcheroos without corn syrup

Scotcheroos Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 40 reviews
  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
  • Yield: 20 squares
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Mixing
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Made from just 8 ingredients, these no-bake scotcheroos cereal bars are chewy, crispy, and downright irresistible. Most traditional recipes call for corn syrup, but I use honey instead.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup (340g) honey
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 cups (180g) crispy rice cereal
  • 6 ounces (170g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped*
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) butterscotch morsels
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) coconut oil or butter
  • optional: sea salt for topping

Instructions

  1. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. No need to grease the parchment. Set aside.
  2. Combine honey and granulated sugar in a medium or large saucepan over medium heat. (Larger size because we’ll add the crispy rice cereal in the next step.) Stirring occasionally, bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 1 minute without stirring. Do not bring to a rapid boil—that’s too hot. After 1 minute of simmering, remove from heat.
  3. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until combined, then stir in the crispy rice cereal until it’s all completely coated.
  4. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Using a silicone spatula, gently spread mixture to fit the pan. Very gently press the mixture down into the pan. Do not pack it down with force, just lightly press down so it’s secure in the pan.
  5. Combine chopped chocolate, butterscotch morsels, and coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until it’s melted together. Mixture will be thick. Spread evenly over bars. A small offset spatula is helpful for this. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt, if desired.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. Lift the scotcheroos as a whole out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares.
  7. Cover and store leftover squares at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

  1. Freezing Instructions: Freeze squares in layers between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan or Metal Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Large Saucepan/Pot | Silicone Spatula | Small Offset Spatula
  3. Chocolate: Use 6 ounces/170g of real chocolate (that’s 1 and 1/2 of the 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle). I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. You can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate. Candy melts or almond bark work too. Do not use chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency; this isn’t a good idea, especially paired with butterscotch morsels, which aren’t made to melt either!
  4. Butterscotch Morsels: If you don’t have access to butterscotch morsels, you can use peanut butter chips instead. Or melt 8 ounces of chocolate with 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter (skip the coconut oil) and spread on top.
  5. Adapted from Kellogg’s