Sunday Night® Eileen’s Scotcheroos
Midwesterners are known for their love of Scotheroos, a funny-named, no-bake bar that features crunchy cereal coated in a peanut butter sauce and topped with a layer of chocolate and butterscotch. You would be hard-pressed to find a potluck, church supper, school concession stand, or funeral dinner that didn’t have this dessert. My version is different (and much better!) than the others in three ways: I use Corn Chex cereal, I add peanut butter to the top layer, and I only use the microwave. I have made these hundreds (not an exaggeration) of times, and I have the fail-proof process down to a science. My son eats these more than we want to admit.
If you want to save on washing sticky measuring cups, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. I rarely use corn syrup in baking, but unfortunately, there is no substitute in these bars. Using the microwave to cook the sugar syrup in 1-minute intervals keeps the mixture from boiling. If the syrup mixture boils, the bars will become too hard to cut and eat.
Category
Dessert
Servings
30 bar cookies
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
2.5 minutes
Author:
Eileen Gannon
Ingredients
1 cup (320 grams) light corn syrup
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (270 grams) creamy peanut butter
6 cups (192 grams) crispy corn cereal, such as Corn Chex
1 ¼ cups (228 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup (115 grams) butterscotch chips
¼ cup (67 grams) creamy peanut butter
Directions
Coat the bottom and sides of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and up two sides with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang on the sides.
Place the corn syrup and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl and stir until incorporated. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir well, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Repeat the steps, microwaving on high for 1 minute and scraping the sides. Microwave for 30 seconds more. By now, the sugar should be dissolved, but the mixture will not have boiled. DO NOT BOIL the mixture.
Stir in the 1 cup of peanut butter and mix until combined and smooth. Fold in the cereal in 2 batches, stirring gently until the cereal is completely coated. Don’t crush the cereal too much. Spoon into the prepared pan and pat down gently with a silicone spatula.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine semi-sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips. Scoop out about ⅓ of the chip mixture and set aside. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until mixture is glossy and smooth. Now add the remaining chips and stir until fully melted (this helps keep the topping mixture from getting too hot, which can cause the mixture to seize.) Add in the ¼ cup peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the scotcheroos, and use an offset spatula to spread out evenly. Let bars cool at least one hour to allow the topping to set. If you can’t wait that long, place the bars, covered with aluminum foil, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process.
To serve, use the parchment paper sling to lift the uncut bars to a cutting board. Using a large knife or bench scraper, cut the bars straight down from the top (this keeps the topping tidy). Serve at room temperature.
Tips From Eileen
Crispy rice cereal can be substituted for the corn chex.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
These bars can also be frozen, wrapped tightly, for up to 1 month. Thaw before serving.
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