Scotcheroos are about as Midwest as it gets. The sweet and crunchy treat supposedly originated from a recipe printed on boxes of Rice Krispies in the 1960s. Now, it’s one of Iowa’s go-to snack recipes. Buckle up, we’re going to explore the easy Scotcheroo recipe and where to find tasty variations in Iowa.
![Three Scotcheroos stacked](https://www.letsgoiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Scotcheroos-2.jpg)
What are Scotcheroos made of?
The key ingredient to Scotcheroos is butterscotch (with some melted chocolate). Obviously. The melted candy coating is mixed with a cereal (usually corn or rice based) and peanut butter and then chilled. Think of it as the chocolatey cousin of a Rice Krispie treat.
It’s an Iowa thing that’s really grown into a Midwestern thing. In 2017, the Des Moines Register dug into the origin of the Scotcheroos.
Iowa bakeries that make Scotcheroos (and variations)
![Upclose photo of Scotcheroo bars](https://www.letsgoiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Scotcheroo-3.jpg)
Scotcheroos are ridiculously easy to make, but sometimes, it’s nice to taste what kind of twist the pros put to the traditional recipe. Doesn’t a bite of Scotcheroo Cheesecake sound nice?
Here are a few Iowa bakeries putting their own spin on the Scotcheroo:
- Beyond the Bar Bakery, 404 W. Water St., Decorah
- Katie Mae’d, 107 Main St., Aurelia (It’s a cheesecake called Billy Ray’s Scotcheroo Cheesecake)
- Molly’s Cupcakes, 215 E. Third St., Des Moines
- Sliced: A Bakery Emporium, 405 E. Washington St., Iowa City
- The Sweetest Thing, 814 SE Oak Drive, Ankeny
Scotcheroos Recipe
![](https://www.letsgoiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Scotcheroos-320x320.jpg)
Scotcheroos
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 9×13 pan
- 1 Microwaveable dish
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice crispy cereal
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Light karo syrup
- 1 cup Creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup 60% Dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup Butterscotch chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, pour in the cereal. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together karo syrup and sugar until smooth. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat.
- Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until well combined.
- Pour the mixture over the cereal and mix until combined.
- Press mixture in a greased 9×13 pan.
- In a small microwavable dish, melt together chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in 30-second increments until melted and smooth.
- Spread on top of the pressed cereal mixture in the pan.
These make great desserts following other truly Iowa meals like:
![An easy recipe for no bake Scotcheroos, a peanut buttery-scotch bar topped with delicious chocolate!](https://www.letsgoiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Scotcheroos-Recipe-Pinterest-Pin-683x1024.jpg)