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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.
Made these over the weekend and they are delicious!!! I love using honey in your recipe, over the corn syrup and cane sugar option I grew up eating in the midwest. Thanks for all your hard work developing these recipes over the years. Time and time again I come back to your website and find new favorites my family and I love.
Hey Jamie,
Yay! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying it! Have a great day! Xx
These are so yummy. Awesome, as always, Tieghan!
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
These disappear every time I make them 🤭
Lol love to hear this Jennifer!! Thanks for making the recipe so often:) xT
I’m planning to make a double or triple batch, so wanting to do a lower-cost option than honey or maple syrup – could I sub white sugar and/or brown sugar?
Hi Kayla,
I’ve not tested either of those with this recipe, I’m sure it would work for you, but not sure on the exact measurements! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Looking to make these for a BBQ this weekend but the host is allergic to coconut oil. What could I sub in place? Karo syrup?
Hey Carissa,
I would use another neutral oil like avocado oil. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Thank you so much!! Excited to try these and not potentially kill the gracious host/birthday girl
Made these for friends and got rave reviews! I used what I had in the pantry so instead of butterscotch chips I used the Salted Caramel Chips from Trader Joes…turned out amazing! Thank you again for such tasty recipes 🙂
Hey Julie,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
First time making these and I went with the Christmas colored rice crispy!! Came out so pretty and festive!!! Tieghan I enjoy your recipes as they’re quite simple and delicious!! Keep them coming!!
Cheers!
Hey Brandy,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
I have made these Scotcheroos twice this fall for potlucks and got rave reviews. Using the honey and coconut oil really cuts down on the sweetness and let’s you taste the blend of flavors. The bourbon is indeed the secret ingredient! Love it! The addition of the Friendly Ghosts is a real eye catcher! I will make these for Thanksgiving as a gluten free dessert option and switch out the ghosts with some fall sprinkles. Thank you for a terrific recipe!
Hey Cindy,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xTxT
Hello! Would love to make this recipe, but I have a honey allergy. What would be the best substitution? Thanks in advance!
Hi Robyn,
You could use maple syrup in place of the honey. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
These check so many boxes for me—I’m excited to try them. Due to a dairy allergy, what would you do about the butterscotch chips? Skip them? Double up on chocolate? Open to any ideas. Thanks!
I was too impatient—these sounded so good—so I made a half batch to see what would happen. I did just the chocolate, added a little coconut oil when it was melting, then some bourbon and vanilla extract when the chocolate was melted. And, of course, I did the bourbon in the base. These are delish!! (Even if they’re not exactly Scotcheroos.)
If you have any other ideas for butterscotch chip alternatives, I’d still love to know.
Thanks!
Hi Lulu,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Hi Lulu,
I would just follow this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/special-k-bars/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Thanks, Tieghan! Those will be my next ones to make. They look delicious with the maple syrup and corn flakes. I am loving this faux Scotcheroo version I did. Your swap for corn syrup is so yummy and flavorful.
Thanks so much!!
I made these tonight and the flavors are on point! But mine turned out crunchy vs chewy. I used the exact same ingredients that you shared. Any tips? Thank you!!
Hi Kendra,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! They are kind of a combo of crunchy and chewy…were they super hard? Did you pack the base tightly? Have a great weekend:) xx
These are amazing! I tend to eat much more healthy and natural so I love that this recipe avoids the corn syrup and uses cleaner ingredients. I am a complete sucker for scotcheroos and made these for a game watch tomorrow (Saturday). I’m hoping they make until then because I cannot stay away!
Hey Essie,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
Can I use crunchy natural peanut butter for this recipe, or should I like blend it or something to make it creamier?
Hi Calleigh,
You can use crunchy, it’s just going to give a different texture. If you don’t want to extra crunch then I would just get smooth peanut butter:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Looks delicious! My son has a coconut allergy as well as peanut allergy. I plan on switching out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter. What can I use in place of the coconut oil?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
You could use butter in place of the coconut oil. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
My neighbor made these for a get-together and was kind enough to leave some with me. They are FABULOUS! In fact I told my husband she took them home, so I can have them all to myself. Mwuahahahahahahaha.
Hey Judy,
Lol I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed:) Thanks for sharing!! Happy Labor Day! xxT