Microwaving Scotcheroos, a no bake dessert, keeps them soft, chewy, and crispy. Gimme these chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, and crispy cereal bars!
Scotcheroos are dessert bars made with rice crispy cereal, sugar, peanut butter, and topped with melted chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Basically, they are similar to a peanut butter Rice Krispie treat. Not only are they easy to make, but you only need 6 ingredients. Best of all, they are delicious!
Growing up, Scotcheroos were never in my family’s recipe box. Yet, they were the first thing I always went for at potlucks. As I got older, I didn’t want to wait for the next church social to have one. The problem was, I didn’t even know what they were called.
So, I waited until the next potluck, and as fate would have it, someone brought them! I tracked down the neighbor that brought them and begged her for the recipe. Incredulous, she couldn’t believe I’d want such a simple recipe. How would I know it was simple?! Thankfully, she wrote it down for me, and it’s been one of my most treasured recipes since. Truly a childhood favorite!
No Bake Scotcheroos Equipment
Usually, these no-bake scocheroos are made on the stove-top. Although, I’ve figured out how to prepare them in the microwave! I love this preparation method because they come together much faster than on the stove-top. Plus, there’s less chance of over or under-cooking the sugar, so you never get hard bars!
If you’ve read my other recipes, you know I LOVE these glass Pyrex mixing bowls. I use them all the time to prepare and store food. Impressively, they never stain or absorb the flavors from food. So, you never have to worry about the “stanky smell”. Plus, they are easy to clean, and stack nicely.
For this recipe, I like using the 2 quart-sized Pyrex bowl to melt the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter. That way, when you add the rice crispy cereal, you don’t have to transfer anything to a bigger bowl. Everything fits perfectly. When removing glass from the microwave, be careful and use oven mitts!
I also love using a heat resistant Rubber Spatula or a thick large spoon to mix the ingredients together. Trust me, it will make your life so much easier.
Finally, this recipe will make enough to fill a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
No Bake Scotcheroos Preparation Tips
In this recipe, a unique ingredient you may have never used before is light corn syrup. Sometimes, it can be found in the baking isle. But, often it is next to the pancake syrups.
In these dessert bars, the light corn syrup provides sweetness and moisture. Additionally, because it is a liquid sweetener, it prevents the crystallization of sugar. Or in other words, it gives us a smooth-textured bar.
As you are making these no-bake scotcheroos, work quickly. They will set up quickly, and you’ll want to transfer the mixture to the pan before that happens. So, it’s best to have all the ingredients measured out before you start.
For the topping, melt equal portions of Butterscotch chips and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Typically, I like to use a half of a 9 oz bag of each. Although, my mom loves adding a little bit more of each for an extra thick topping. For best results, add the topping while the base is still warm. This will prevent the rice crispy layer from drying out.
TIP: To preserve freshness, store any leftover baking chips in the fridge or the freezer. We love to add both the leftover chips to a single freezer bag for our next batch!
Before cutting the bars, I like to let the topping set. The time it takes for this to set will vary depending on the weather, but it can take anywhere from 15-60 minutes. Although, you can always place the bars in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed up the process. However, do not store the scotcheroos in the fridge, or they will dry out.
To prevent the no-bake scotcheroos from going stale, wrap leftovers tightly in cling wrap. Typically, these scotcheroos will stay soft for 2-3 days.
Want More Microwavable Dessert Ideas?
Well, my friend, I hope you can now add this quick and easy recipe to your arsenal. Seriously, they will disappear fast when you make them!
If you love other microwavable desserts, check out these other recipes:
- Low-Carb Chocolate Lava Cake (You don’t even know it’s low-carb!)
- Microwavable Low-Carb Strawberry Shortcake (Perfect for when that sweet craving hits)
Or if you love that chocolate peanut butter combo, give these easy recipes a try:
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No Bake Scotcheroos (Microwavable)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 5 cups Rice Crispy Cereal
- 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (about half a 9 oz bag)
- 1/2 cup Butterscotch Chips (about half a 9 oz bag)
Instructions
- In a large, microwave-safe, mixing bowl, add the sugar and corn syrup. Microwave for 2 minutes and stir.
- Add the peanut butter to the mixing bowl, and microwave for an additional 2 minutes. Stir until just combined.
- Add the rice crispy cereal to the mixing bowl, and mix until all the cereal is fully coated.
- Immediately, pour into a 9"x13" baking pan. Pressing lightly, spread mixture evenly in pan.
- In a clean, microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. In 30 second increments, microwave until chips are melted, stirring at each interval.
- Spread the melted chips evenly on top of the rice crispy cereal mixture.
- Allow to cool and cut into 16 portions.
