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Extra chewy and perfectly sweet, wholesome Chewy Chocolate Scotcheroos! I took an old-school favorite and made a few wholesome swaps. Brown rice crisps cereal, mixed together with sweet honey, vanilla, and bourbon. The bourbon is optional, but it adds a real butterscotch flavor. The bars are then topped the classic way with sweet chocolate and butterscotch. These bars are sweet, salty, gluten-free, and every last bite is truly delicious. An old-school classic re-imagined!
Did you grow up eating scotcheroos? I feel like many of you did, but I actually did not! I grew up with my mom’s special k-bars, which are basically a scotcheroo minus the butterscotch. It was until a few years ago that I learned about a scotcheroo.
Chocolate, peanut butter, and sweet butterscotch chips are all layered together in a simple, no-bake bar. People I know love them – I love them.
But I don’t love the amount of corn syrup and sugar used in most recipes. When I took a glance at a more classic recipe, the swap-outs seemed pretty easy to me. Which lead me to this recipe. Using the word healthy might be a stretch since there’s still chocolate and butterscotch, but they are healthier than the classic scotcheroo. There’s nothing very fancy about them, and maybe not even anything that new, but wow, these are so DELICIOUS!
The process is basic
First off, here’s what you need. Brown rice crisps cereal (I get the Whole Foods 365 brand or Barbara’s), honey, peanut butter, coconut oil, bourbon, vanilla, dark chocolate, and butterscotch chips.
On the stove, melt together the honey and coconut oil. This is kind of like caramel, and acts as the glue that holds the bars together.
Stir in the peanut butter, then turn off the heat and add the bourbon. The bourbon is optional, but I think it adds a layer of real butterscotch flavor.
In a giant bowl, mix the brown rice cereal with the peanut mix, then press into a pan.
Melt the dark chocolate with the butterscotch chips and spread the thick layer over the bars, let the chocolate set. Then if you like, finish with sea salt. My one piece of advice here is to slice the bars before the chocolate top becomes too hard. This will make the bars much easier to cut.
The final review? Extra chewy and not too sweet. And that chocolate on top adds a nice “crack” with every bite.
Even my mom, who’s really been opting out of desserts as of late, thoroughly enjoyed these slightly more wholesome scotcheroos.
They’re completely no-bake and take just minutes to make from start to finish. I’m so excited to share these. They’re going to be incredible for school bake sales and packing up for lunches!
Looking for easy back-to-school desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars
Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Chewy Chocolate Scotcheroos 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!
Chewy Chocolate Scotcheroos
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 296 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups brown rice crisps cereal
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. 2. Add the brown rice crisps to a large bowl.3. In a medium pot, combine the honey and coconut oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter, then add the bourbon (if using), and vanilla. Pour over the cereal. Stir well to combine. Spread the cereal out onto the prepared pan, packing it in tightly.4. Melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave. Spread the chocolate over the bars. Place in the fridge to set, then slice and enjoy! Keep in the fridge.
Notes
If Strictly Vegan: use maple syrup in place of the honey.
Tip: Try to use a natural peanut butter with just peanuts and salt. Don’t use a no-stir peanut butter that contains oils and/or sugar.
Hi
I am in Australia and can’t find brown rice crisps cereals . What could I use instead ?
Thks 🙂
Hi Nadia,
You could use regular rice crispies! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Trying not to eat the whole batch by myself!
Might use a smaller pan to make the crispy part thicker. So good!
Hi Meg,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
I made these for my family and dinner guests. They were very yummy to everyone but the crispy rice sections didn’t hold together like I expected. I will make them again because they were easy to throw together and they were very tasty, even though they were little messy. I recommend!
Hi Angie,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Do you have the nutrition break down? I’m wondering how much sugar in each one. Thanks!
Hi Belinda,
So sorry, I do not have that info. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
It’s delicious.i love to cook and taste your recipe.
Hi Emmalyn,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! Have a great weekend:)
Looks delicious! How do you make such beautiful swirls in the chocolate? Do you use a special tool or just an offset spatula?
Hey Saunna,
I just use a toothpick, but a knife works too! Let me know if you have any other questions! xxT
Ha ha I do love it when “wholesome swaps” includes bourbon. My kind of gal!
Lol thanks Cath, let me know if you give the recipe a try!! xx
Would it be possible to use crunchy instead of smooth natural peanut butter? I have a huge jar of it in my fridge and, now that my son has moved out, I have no real use for it, since I don’t eat it very often. I hate to let things go to waste and I would love to try making these.
Hey Jane,
Sure, the texture will obviously be different for you, but it will work! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
My mom used to make these for Christmas many moons ago, and my daughter has the family recipe memorized. But this healthier version looks great, I really like that there’s no corn syrup. For those asking, it’s 1 cup of peanut butter. If you are substituting the peanut butter (I’ve developed an allergy) you might need to adjust the amount of coconut oil, depending on the texture of the peanut butter substitute. I recommend adding coconut oil to the substitute to achieve the “peanut butter texture” then proceeding with the recipe.
Would cashew butter have the same consistency as peanut butter?
Hi Kasey,
Sure, cashew butter would work, sunflower seed butter would also be a great option! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Hi Karen,
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and story about your mom’s recipe. Let me know if you give this one a try! Happy Friday! xx
Looks great! I agree with another that I won’t use corn syrup so I’m looking forward to trying these. What could I sub for coconut oil as I’m allergic?
Hi Lisa,
Thanks! You could use another neutral oil or butter in place of the coconut oil. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Can’t wait to try- How long will they keep? Want to send to one son who is not far and the other is back east (I am west coast)
Hi Simone,
These are good for 1 week in an airtight container. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Tiegan, I’d love for you to share how you make the top of your bars look so pretty!!! I love healthier swaps in recipes. Thank you for that. <3
Thanks so much Ruthy! I just swirl the chocolate on top with a toothpick! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try these ffor family get together…however there is no measurement for the peanut butter..please advise.
Could almond butter be substituted if there ate peanut allergies?
Regards Kasey
Hi Kasey,
Sorry for any confusion, you will want to use 1 cup of peanut butter. Yes, almond butter will also work, sunflower butter would be a great option as well! I hope you love these! Happy Friday! xx
Can’t wait to make these!
What is the measurement for the peanut butter? 1 cup? It is missing from the recipe. Thanks 🙂
Hey Jo-Anne,
So sorry about that! Yes, it is 1 cup of peanut butter. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Thanks, Teighan! I wanted to send some Scotcheroos to a tailgate party tonight.(There is a high school football game at the Cleveland Browns Stadium tonight: Mentor vs St. Ignatius). I hate using corn syrup, so I am excited to try these!
Sounds like a fun night, Michele! I hope you love these, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Question – is that 1 cup of peanut butter? There’s no measurement unit given.
Hey Emily,
Yes, so sorry about that, it’s 1 cup of peanut butter. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! Happy Friday! xT