Simple No-Bake Scotcheroos Without Corn Syrup

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by Maggie Turansky


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Hailing from the American midwest, scotcheroos are like a rice krispies treat’s sophisticated cousin. Puffed rice cereal is coated in a sweet peanut butter syrup and then topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch. Usually made with corn syrup, my recipe subs in honey and maple syrup to give it a slightly more complex flavour that lacks absolutely nothing.

For those after a sweet-salty treat, consider sprinkling the bars with a bit of flaky sea salt for some texture and to cut the sweetness. Whatever you do, you’ll find this a simple dessert to make that is excellent to give away as a gift – that is, if you don’t end up eating all of them yourself!

Scotcheroos (No Corn Syrup Used!)
Scotcheroos (No Corn Syrup Used!)

How to Make Scotcheroos Without Using Corn Syrup

This is a pretty easy recipe that also doesn’t require you to even turn on your oven, but you still need to get your ducks in a row before you get going. Namely, prepping your pan.

To do this, lightly great an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with two pieces of parchment paper, criss-crossing them. The parchment can also be used as a sling the remove the bars later.

Ingredients for this recipe
Ingredients for this recipe

Now it’s time to make the bars themselves.

First off, add some honey, maple syrup and a bit of white sugar to a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat and, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar, bring the mixture up to a simmer.

Dissolving the honey, maple syrup and sugar
Dissolving the honey, maple syrup and sugar

Once the mixture is simmering, remove it from the heat and whisk in some peanut butter and a bit of salt.

Use a regular, creamy peanut butter (like Skippy or Jif in the US – or Bega brand in Australia) rather than a natural kind to ensure you don’t have a greasy final product. This is the same reason I call for this kind of peanut butter in my homemade fudge recipe.

Adding the peanut butter to the pot
Adding the peanut butter to the pot

Now, add some puffed rice cereal to a large mixing bowl and pour your peanut butter syrup over it. Stir until the cereal is completely coated in the syrup. Then go ahead and spread the cereal into the prepared pan, making sure it’s spread out evenly.

Next, set up a makeshift double boiler by adding a bit of water to a small saucepan and bringing it up to a gentle simmer. Then, in a heatproof add some chopped dark chocolate and some butterscotch chips.

Spreading the puffed rice to the baking dish
Spreading the puffed rice to the baking dish

If you’re like me and live in a country where butterscotch just isn’t a thing, you do have a few workarounds. I recommend subbing in an equal amount of chopped caramelised white chocolate (like a Cadbury’s Caramilk bar) in its place. This has close to the same flavour.

Set the bowl over the simmering water (but make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water!) and stir to gently melt the chocolate and butterscotch.

Chocolate Mixture
Making the chocolate mixture

Once melted, go ahead and stir in some coconut oil – the allows it to set with a glossy finish.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the puffed rice and then move the whole dish to the fridge to set up completely. Once set, go ahead and top with some flaky sea salt if you’d like.

Then, all you need to do is remove the slab from the pan and cut them into 16 different bars. Go ahead and enjoy them as you see fit!

Pouring the chocolate over the puffed rice
Pouring the chocolate over the puffed rice
Scotcheroos Without Corn Syrup

Scorcheroos Without Corn Syrup

The chocolatey, peanut-buttery cousin of a rice krispies treat, these no-bake bars are simple to make, delicious to eat and don't include any corn syrup!
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Servings 16
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Lightly grease a 20cm (8in) square baking dish with butter, vegetable oil or nonstick spray. Line with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper. Set aside.
    Prepping the baking dish
  • Add the honey, maple syrup and sugar to a small saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar, bring to a simmer.
    Dissolving the honey, maple syrup and sugar
  • Once simmering, remove from the heat and add the peanut butter and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
    Adding the peanut butter to the pot
  • Add the puffed rice cereal to a large mixing bowl and pour over the honey and peanut butter mixture. Stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated then spread into the prepared baking dish, ensureing that it is even throughout.
    Spreading the puffed rice to the baking dish
  • Add a few centimetres (about 2 inches) of water to a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate and butterscotch chips to a heatproof bowl and set over the simmering water, ensuring the water is not touching the bowl. Gently melt the chocolate and once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut oil.
    Chocolate Mixture
  • Pour the chocolate mixture over the puffed rice, ensuring that it is completely coated. Move the baking dish to the refrigerator to set completely, about 20-30 minutes. Top with flaky sea salt, if using, and slice into 16 squares.
    Pouring the chocolate over the puffed rice

Notes

If you’re located outside of the US and unable to find butterscotch chips, substitute 100g of chopped Cadbury’s Caramilk bar or a similar caramelised white chocolate bar.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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Homemade scotcheroos are simple to make and don’t need corn syrup! They are sweet, nutty and a little bit salt – the perfect way to use puffed rice cereal.

Are you after a great recipe for scotcheroos? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!

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Maggie is the creator behind No Frills Kitchen. She is a world traveller, home cook and recipe developer who loves to experiment with new cuisines and techniques at every chance she gets. No stranger to improvising and making do with the equipment and ingredients she has available, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. Read More

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