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.
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)
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
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:
