Why you’ll love these dairy free scotcheroos
If you’ve ever attended anything in the Midwest, you’ve probably had a scotcheroo. This Midwest classic is served at potlucks, church picnics and so much more.
They’re made from a chewy peanut butter rice crispy base and topped with a thick layer of butterscotch-infused chocolate to sweeten them up even more.
This dairy free version uses slightly different ingredients to get those classic flavors, and might be even better than the original. Just don’t forget to top them off with some flaky salt to balance out the sweetness.
More classic wisconsin recipes: broasted chicken / door county cherry pie / no churn blue moon ice cream / brandy old fashioned
Ingredient notes:
- Corn syrup – This is what gives the bars their chewy texture. Don’t try to swap it for something more natural. The recipe will not work.
- Dairy free butter – Any dairy free butter will work, but we love Earth Balance buttery sticks.
- Peanut butter – Make sure you’re not using a super natural, homemade peanut butter. It will work but the texture will be slightly grainy and the sugar content isn’t exactly the same. We love to use Skippy Natural because you don’t need to stir or worry about separation.
- Rice Krispies – If you need this recipe to be gluten free, you’ll want to make sure you are using a gluten free brand of cereal. Rice Krispies might not contain wheat, but they are not certified gluten free.
- Chocolate chips – both the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips will normally contain dairy. Make sure you’re looking for safe brands such as Enjoy Life white chocolate chips or a higher quality chocolate such as Guittard semi-sweet chips.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips & tricks
- Don’t over cook the sugar mixture. You want to cook it till the peanut butter melts in and it starts bubbling around the edges. Don’t let it boil for any length of time or you’ll end up with a rock hard scotcheroos.
- Melt the chocolate slowly. Melting chocolate in the microwave can be a little difficult. You want to make sure you don’t heat it too quickly, or too high, so keep your microwave time short. I recommend starting with 45 seconds and then going in 30 second increments to prevent the chocolate from seizing. There should still be lumps when you stop, and you will stir them until they melt away.
Frequently asked questions
I don’t recommend it. The amount of peanut butter is measured to become a liquid when melted so the peanut chunks will throw the ratio off. If you want to add some crunch, you can add some chopped peanuts in with the rice krispies.
Yes. These are commonly made with Special K to make Special K bars, or you could use another unsweetened cereal in its place, like corn flakes.
More dairy free dessert bars: dairy free lemon bars / red velvet brownies / chocolate chip cookie bars / easy cranberry bars
Scotcheroos
Ingredients
For the base:
- 6 cups rice krispies cereal
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar, 220g
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1 ½ cup dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips, 250g
- ½ cup dairy free white chocolate chips, 100g
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Instructions
- Prep. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper (optional). Then, measure out your ingredients before you begin.
- Make the cereal base. In a large saucepan, heat corn syrup, brown sugar and peanut butter until the peanut butter melts and the mixture begins to bubble. Add in dairy free butter allow it to melt. Continue stirring until the mixture is uniform in color and texture.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Then, add the rice krispies and stir to until evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish and press into an even, flat layer. Set aside and allow this to cool.
- Make the chocolate layer. Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter to a medium mixing bowl. Microwave for 60 seconds and then stir thoroughly, allowing residual heat to continue to melt the chocolate.If chocolate hasn't finished melting, continue to microwave in 15 – 30 second intervals until almost melted. Stir until chocolate is smooth.
- When the chocolate is smooth, spread it over the rice krispies into an even layer.
- Chill & cut. Allow the chocolate to set completely before cutting into your scotcheroos – or pop them into the fridge for about 20 minutes to speed this up. Sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt on top and cut into 24 pieces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
