This easy no-bake recipe features chewy peanut butter cereal bars topped with a chocolate and butterscotch frosting. Maybe you know these tasty bars as Scotcheroos? In my family we call them “Special K Bars” (because we make them with Special K cereal), but whatever you call them, you are bound to love them.
If you’re a fan of dessert bars you’ve come to the right place. Try our S’mores Bars and Sugar Cookies Bars, too!
These bars are always part of our holiday dessert spread, and they are one of the first things to disappear. Prefer Rice Krispies? Try my Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats.
Recipe overview
Bars: These chewy bars are made with only 4 ingredients: Special K cereal, sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter. They are chewy, sweet, and loaded with peanut butter flavor.
Topping: The easiest “frosting” ever! Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and pour over the bars. This glossy, delicious frosting is what takes these bars over the top.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- No bake – No need to turn on your oven. These bars come together on the stovetop.
- Quick and easy – Literally under 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Basic ingredients – Only 6 ingredients needed.
- Flavor – Peanut butter, chocolate, and butterscotch. Yum!
Recipe tips
- Work quickly. Once your sugar “syrup” begins boiling it is go-time. Be ready to add the peanut butter, then immediately add the cereal, then immediately press into the pan. As the mixture cools it will firm up and get more difficult to work with.
- Use a commercial brand emulsified peanut butter. This is not the time to use a “natural” (oil on top) peanut butter, as you want the peanut butter to mix easily into the sugar syrup.
- Use a 9×13 pan for thinner bars, or an 8×11 pan for thicker bars (pictured).
Serving: You need to give these bars a couple hours to “cool” so that the frosting can firm up. The texture is best when they are served at room temperature.
Storage: Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Leftover butterscotch chips? Make my Salted Butterscotch Cookies.
More Peanut Butter Recipes:
Peanut Butter Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Brownies
Peanut Butter Pie
Recipe
Special K Bars
Ingredients
Bars:
- 6 cups Special K cereal
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- One 16-oz jar room temperature peanut butter*
- butter, for greasing the pan and bowl
Frosting:
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1½ cups butterscotch chips
- flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Bars:
- Grease a large bowl with butter and place the Special K in the bowl.
- Grease a 9x13 or 8x11 baking dish. The 9x13 will make thinner bars, the 8x11 bars will be thicker (as pictured).
- Place sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture stirring occasionally, until the edges start to bubble. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the peanut butter.
- Working quickly (before the mixture cools), pour the peanut butter mixture over the Special K and stir until combined. Scoop into the prepared baking dish and press into an even layer. Proceed with the frosting.
Frosting:
- Place chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in the bowl of a double boiler. Cook, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Note: make sure the boiling water is not touching the bottom of your bowl, only the steam.
- Immediately pour the frosting over the bars and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow several hours for the frosting to firm up, then cut and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
wilhelmina
These bars are so easy and yummy! I love being able to mix them up and have a treat without turning on the oven!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Kim Dean
This is one of my fave guilty pleasure treats my husbands family makes, but wondering how In the world you stay so thin?!
Katie
So good! Love this one.
P ol
When I make these I use brown sugar instead of white, stir for about 30 seconds after bubbles appear and add a teaspoon of vanilla when adding peanut butter. I think the brown sugar makes for better flavor and consistency. My family also likes them better with brown sugar🙂.
Kerry
Best bars ever
Allison
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Dinedine
The cereal mixture is so good but the frosting is way too sweet for me. If I make these again I’ll find an alternative to butterscotch chips – maybe chocolate chips and peanut butter?
Allison
Sure. Or just reduce the amount of butterscotch chips and increase the chocolate chips to make up for it.
Brian
I ended up thinking it was to sweet as well the first time. Second go around I took some comments in to play swaped sugar for light brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of vanilla added with peanut butter. I did 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips.
Helios
I agree. I like butterscotch drops and pudding, but i find the butterscotch morsels are strongly flavored and take over…i used to use just a handful in with semi-sweet chips (which is what we usually have on hand for choc chip cookies). It’s too cloyingly sweet for me with half butterscotch chips.
I top mine with melted milk chocolate. Either a giant Hershey bar or morsels, and I think the milder chocolate profile is good alone or with a handful of butterscotch chips if you really miss that “Scotch” flavor.
Brenda
Made the Special K bars for the first time(used Rice Krispies though) and they were so delicious!!!! I will definitely be making them again.
Allison
I’m so glad. 🙂 Happy holidays!
AAATTT HOMEEEE
The best ever!! The combination is amazing! My only complaint is that the flaky sea salt is not at all good. But without it I would eat it all day!
Patricia Cutulle
Too many word. Just give us the recipe. It’s great!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Just FYI: there is a “jump to recipe” button at the top of every post which will take you directly to the recipe card.
Melanie
What can I sub peanut butter for?
Allison
The flavor and texture really works best with peanut butter. You could try another nut/seed butter but you’d have to play around with it.
Ann
So glad to finally see this recipe online. My family also calls these Special K bars So good. Will be making over the holidays. Thanks for posting.
Allison
You’re welcome! Enjoy!