Have you made scotcharoos but they turned out like rocks? Overcooking will cause these wonderful chocolate and peanut butter rice krispie treats to become a rock-hard candy. Not necessarily a good thing, especially if you value your dental work! 🙂 Perfect Scotcharoos is a recipe I received from a co-worker’s wife several years ago, and the recipe we use in all classroom labs and our student-run small business. They turn out perfectly chewy. Every. Single. Time. I hope you’ll give these Perfect Scotcharoos a try. All it takes is a few minutes and your microwave!
Perfect Scotcharoos Recipe…
For years, I’ve made scotcharoos…sometimes they turned out great, other times they were so crispy I worried about breaking off a tooth! After talking to a few other cooks, I determined the reason was overcooking. However, I still couldn’t figure out just how long I needed to boil the corn syrup mixture to make the scotcharoos perfect. Our former special education teacher’s wife made the absolute best scotcharoos…they were chewy and delicious each time I tried them! Finally, I asked for the recipe. (I figured the Foods teacher needed the recipe for the Perfect Scotcharoos!) Let me tell you, I was shocked to find out these little bars were made in the microwave!!! So, no more overcooking! Yay!!! I think it also helps that Perfect Scotcharoos have the absolute thickest layer of fudgy goodness blanketing their peanut buttery goodness! Not only do these scotcharoos turn out perfectly each time, but they are fast and very, very easy. The perfect homemade treat, even for the newest of culinary super-stars!
The Process…
First, spray a 9×13 baking pan and set aside. This is my most used baking tool! I have at least six, yet my Pyrex are my favorite…food doesn’t stick, I can cut with any type of knife, I can bake, refrigerate, freeze…these are the perfect pans! Get one (or six)! 🙂
A large Pyrex bowl is also perfect for microwave cooking. My favorite is part of a set. Again, these bowls are extremely versatile. Microwave in them, toss a salad and serve, refrigerate leftovers…LOVE THEM!!! Between the 9×13 pan and a large bowl, you can create many, many recipes!
The first step is to cook the sugars together in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. It should look like the picture above. Next, stir in the peanut butter and microwave for another 30 seconds. That’s it! Fold the rice krispies into the mixture and make sure each piece is coated. No one wants to bite into a scotcharoo with dry rice krispies! Evenly press the cereal mixture into the greased pan, and that’s it.
Finally, it’s time for my favorite part…the chocolate topping! Mix together the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and melt in the microwave for one minute, stirring after thirty seconds. Keep melting and stirring until mixture is smooth and melted.
Spread the melted topping on the bars and either allow to set up at room temperature or refrigerate for a short amount of time. Slice and enjoy!
These easy Perfect Scotcharoos are my family’s go-to snack. We LOVE them! However, they are dangerous…so I would recommend only making them if you have friends coming to visit. I can easily eat a whole pan, and that it definitely not good for the waistline!
Let me know what you think about Perfect Scotcharoos. If you are looking for other easy snack recipes, you might like my Large Batch Snack Mix, Gluten-Free No Bake Cookies, or Rich and Easy Brownies. For all other recipes, please visit my Recipe page.
Perfect Scotcharoos: Chewy Every Time!
Notes
Do not overcook sugar mixture. Also, be sure to stir cereal and peanut butter mixture together well. Chunky or smooth peanut butter both work very well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter (smooth will work, too)
- 6 cups rice krispie cereal
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I prefer bittersweet chocolate)
- 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
- In a very large glass bowl, combine corn syrup and granulated sugar. Mix well. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir.
- Add peanut butter to sugar mixture and stir well. Microwave for 30 additional seconds.
- Add rice krispie cereal to peanut butte rand sugar mixture. Stir very well, being sure to coat all the cereal evenly.
- Using a rubber scraper, press cereal mixture into greased baking pan. Make sure to level.
- In a small glass bowl, mix together chocolate and butterscotch chips. Microwave for one minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Microwave for another 30 seconds and stir until chips are completely melted and smooth. (Add additional time, if needed, for melting.)
- Spread over cereal bars. Allow to set up at room temperature or refrigerate for a few minutes until the chocolate has set.
- Cut into bars and serve.
If you’d like to see what products I used to create my Perfect Scotcharoos, please see below. Please know, these contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on any sales, at no extra cost to you. The income I earn helps to pay for maintaining my blog. Thank you so much for your support!
