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Swirled Chocolate Butterscotch Bars. You don’t need to be a professional baker to make these deliciously EASY homemade treats. These bars require no oven, very little prep time, almost no effort, and use just seven pantry staple ingredients. But the very best part…they’re fun to make and are so DELICIOUS. These bars will make the perfect homemade Halloween “candy bar”, but will be equally great for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Trust me, you’ll be making batch after batch of these easy bars.
After a whole lot of requests for these bars, today we finally have chocolate butterscotch bars! I mentioned to you guys last Friday that I’d been waffling back and forth on whether or not to share these bars here on HBH. I just wasn’t sure how everyone felt about butterscotch. It’s not a flavor I bake with much, and to be honest, my self-doubt was really taking over last week. It happens to us all, right?
Thankfully I have you guys to help talk me out of the crazy mind games I play with myself. Since so many of you kindly encouraged me to make a sweet butterscotch recipe, I decided to stop second-guessing. I am finally sharing the recipe I’ve been braining storming for weeks.
And you know something, I’m so glad I did!! These cute little bars are not only easy to make, they are delicious. So. Very. Delicious.
Here’s the story.
Originally I had pictured these to be much more of a spooky homemade Halloween style “candy bar”. But after testing out the recipe I decided, while these are great for Halloween, they’ll be equally awesome for Thanksgiving, and even Christmas too.
So I switched up the picture I had in my head and I made these instead.
The recipe is somewhat inspired by my mom’s Special K-Bars (my second recipe ever posted on the blog!). K Bars (as we call them) are really just an old school recipe for chocolate peanut butter bars. Mom’s made these bars for every family party I remember. And at the very least, once a week when my brothers and I were kids. We all loved her bars…we still do. So these bars are somewhat inspired by her recipe, but with my own little twists.
They’re fun and easy, and every chewy bite is roll your eyes back good.
Making these bars is easy, here are the steps.
As mentioned, these bars are made using seven pantry staple ingredients. Honey, peanut butter, butterscotch chips, vanilla, a little coconut oil, and of course, plenty of sweet chocolate.
Oh, and flaky sea salt too…if you desire.
To make the bar base…simply melt together the honey, peanut butter, and half of the butterscotch chips until smooth and creamy. I prefer to do this on the stovetop, low and slow. Butterscotch chips can burn easily, so using a low heat here is key.
Once everything is melted, stir in the corn flakes and dump the mixture out onto a baking pan.
Now add a very thick, even layer of melted chocolate (you can use dark, semi-sweet, or milk – use your favorite!). Next, take melted butterscotch and dollop it right over the chocolate. Then grab a knife and gently swirl the butterscotch through the chocolate. The design looks tricky, but it’s actually the easiest to do and always comes out looking so pretty
Chill. Top with sea salt (if desired). Cut the bars. And done. So simple and easy, right?
Once I had these made and cut, I knew they were going to be great. I could tell from the texture of the cereal base and the thick, thick layer of chocolate that these would be a new favorite.
The peanut butter combined with the sweet butterscotch is really the perfect pairing. The melted butterscotch creates the chewiest, sweet bars that leave you wanting just one more bite. As Asher said, “these are so addicting”.
Both Asher and my mom have decided these are actually better than the original recipe. Yes, they are similar, but it’s the butterscotch that really changes the game and makes these bars oh so extra special. YUM.
So, what would these bars be great for?
Well, aside from a deliciously quick treat to enjoy on an October Tuesday…pretty much everything!
As I said, I am excited to make these for Halloween. The word on the street is that Asher is having her own family Halloween party…since trick-or-treating is canceled this year. All Halloween parties need dangerously delicious treats, so I will be bringing these!
And then? Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, these are great for both! I’ll be setting them out for my family to snack on after Thanksgiving dinner. And I’m already planning to wrap these up in my usual holiday cookie box. The options for these sweet treats are endless.
Whatever route you go, these bars will be loved and devoured. Making a double batch is highly recommended…and testing them out tonight…also highly recommended.
Looking for other quick Halloween desserts? Here are a few ideas:Â
Monster Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies
Lastly, if you make these Swirled Chocolate Butterscotch Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Swirled Chocolate Butterscotch Bars
Servings: 20 bars
Calories Per Serving: 448 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups butterscotch chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups corn flakes cereal
- 4 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate (use closer to 5 for a THICK layer)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.2. In a large pot over low heat, melt together the honey, peanut butter, and 3/4 cup butterscotch chips until melted smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla, then stir in the corn flakes, tossing to combine. Spread the mix out into the prepared pan. 3. Melt the chocolate and 1 tablespoon coconut oil together in the microwave until melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the bars, spreading in an even layer. 4. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butterscotch chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil together in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spoon small teaspoon size dollops of butterscotch onto the chocolate. Using a wooden skewer or the tip of a knife, gently swirl the butterscotch in a circular motion through the chocolate. 5. Transfer the bars to the fridge and chill 1 hour, until set. Top with salt, if desired. Let the bars sit at room temp 15-20 minutes before cutting, then cut into bars. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.Â
Hi, do you think these would freeze well? I sure think so but the cereal makes me wonder.. this is year #3 of making christmas cookie boxes for family and somehow every year someone new gets added. Started with 3, now at 8. All that to say I have a lot of work to do and am wanting to start a month in advance with freezer friendly doughs/recipes.
Hi Sarah! Yes, that should work just fine 🙂 xTieghan
I made these just as the recipe says, and they were crazy amazing!! So addictive!! Tieghan, you have a true gift….and we are all so lucky you share so much with all of us!
Thank you!
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
I LOVE buterscotch but my daughter has a peanut allergy. Do you think almond butter would be an appropriate substitute? Would you recommended a different nut butter?
Hi there! Yes, that should work just fine! 🙂 xTieghan
Could you substitute “rice” cereal?
Hi Meg! I haven’t tried the recipe with that, but it should work just fine! 🙂 xTieghan
Typing this review after trying my first slice of this bar! Followed by one more slice…Safe to say I will make this recipe again. So easy, no bake, and would be great for any fall event. I only used 2.5 c chocolate chips because I didn’t want too thick a layer of chocolate. But you can’t go wrong with more chocolate.
Hey Kelli,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go:) xTieghan
I made these for my daughter and her boyfriend to enjoy on a picnic. They are delish and the butterscotch……. There’s nothing like butterscotch. Thank you!!
Hey Karen,
Happy Sunday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
I’m making these next weekend for super bowl Sunday and I have A LOT of maple syrup. Can I use that instead of honey or is it too thin?
Hey Susan,
Maple syrup should work well here. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Hi…do these freeze well? They look amazing.
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried to freeze them but that should work just fine 🙂 xTieghan
My family can’t get enough of these! We’ve made them four times already! SO yummy!!!
Hey Kelsey,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
How long are they good for if your don’t freeze them?
Hey Kacey,
These are good for about 1 week. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these today and they were great. So rich but delicious! I didn’t have enough chocolate so I added some white chocolate I had and it was great. Can’t wait to share!
Thank you so much Hannah! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
I love the look of your swirled chocolate butterscotch squares and plan to make them for my grandchildren. What kind of peanut butter do you use. Can I use Jiff?
Hey Joanne,
Jiff would be great to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Could I line the dish with butter instead of parchment paper?
Hey Annie,
Yes that works! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these last night,and wanted to share how not do make it,so others don’t end up throwing it out to trash like I ended up doing… I subbed honey with agave syrup (yes,a whole cup of it) and,as I couldn’t find butterscoth chips,I used white chocolate chips…don’t get me wrong,it looked good,but the taste…lets just say this isn’t for anyone with a sugar-free diet,and it turned out to be basically the sweetest dessert I have ever made – so much so,that even my husband with quite a sweet tooth could only take one bite :/
Hi Edita! I am really sorry this recipe did not turn out for you. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
I am obsessed with your blog and have successfully made so many of your recipes!! I LOVE the way this recipe reads. But I was wondering if you think I could substitute the butterscotch chips with espresso chips? I bought a bunch thinking I’d be able to find some exciting recipes and have come up short. I’d also be replacing the cornflakes with frosted mini wheats (cuz my husband bought them in bulk from Costco) lol. Let me know your thoughts!!
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much for your very kind message and following along! I think espresso chips would be a great substitute! As for the frosted mini wheats, I think I would stick with the cornflakes:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were super easy to make and fun to make the marble pattern on top! Thanks for sharing a great recipe! I will definitely add this to my favourites 🙂
Thank you so much! I am really glad you enjoyed this one! xTieghan