Chex Scotcheroos (2 Ways!)
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Did you know you can make scotcheroos with Chex cereal? This Chex Scotcheroos recipes has all the classic flavor you love, made with corn chex instead! Shape them into bars for a classic look, or try our no-bake cookie style clusters for a fun twist!
This Easy No-Bake Treat Is A Delightful Spin On The Classic
Classic scotcheroos made with rice krispies cereal are one of those nostalgic desserts it seems everyone loves, but not all gluten-free folks can find gluten-free crisp rice cereal. Enter: these Chex Scotcheroos made with corn chex! There’s so much to love.
🥣 EASE: This easy recipe is made from easy-to-find, simple ingredients, no corn syrup(!!!), and doesn’t require any baking! Just a few minutes of stove & microwave mixing, and you’re good to go!
🍫 FLAVORS: All the classic flavor you love! You’ll get flavor notes from peanut butter, crisp cereal, vanilla, chocolate, and butterscotch, with a *tiny* hint of salt for balance. They’re SO GOOD.
🍪 CHOOSE YOUR SHAPE! These Chex scotcheroos can be made 2 ways–classic bars or scotcheroo clusters (think: no-bake cookie!). Both are great, but if you’re in a hurry, the clusters are my fave!
Happy baking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
How To Make Chex Scotcheroos, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
Start By Making The Scotcheroo Base
- Prep Your Station. Before you dive into the actual preparation, make sure you have everything measured, prepped & available close by since the recipe moves quickly once you’ve begun. Measure the cereal & set aside. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper if making bars, or a cookie sheet if making clusters.
- Melt Sugar & Honey. In a large saucepan, combine granulated sugar and honey. Stir over low heat or medium low heat until the sugar is almost entirely dissolved. Do NOT bring the mixture to a boil here, or the scotcheroos will be dry.
- Stir In Peanut Butter, Vanilla & Salt and stir until everything is smooth and evenly blended.
- Mix In Cereal. Remove the pan from the heat and add the Chex cereal to the peanut butter mixture. Stir to coat the cereal evenly.
To Make Chex Scotcheroos Bars
- Pat Out Bars. Transfer the cereal mixture to your prepared pan and gently pat it into an even layer with a flexible spatula or your fingers. (Try not to overly compact this mixture since you want it to have soft scotcheroos!
- Make The Topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and butter. Melt in the microwave on low power in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth and even. It will be thick! (Alternatively, you can melt this mixture in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat.)
- Layer. Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the chocolate into an even layer.
- Set, Serve & Store. Let the chocolate layer set 1-2 hours before cutting into bars, for best results. (You can speed this process up by covering the pan and refrigerating for 45-60 minutes.) Garnish with flaky sea salt, if desired, and cut into squares or bars. These scotcheroos are rich, so I prefer cutting them into 12-18 smaller bars. Transfer leftover scotcheroos to an airtight container and store at room temperature 1-3 days.
To Make Chex Scotcheroos Clusters
- Scoop Clusters & Let Set. Use a large cookie scoop to measure heaping 3-4 Tablespoon mounds onto your parchment lined baking sheet. (Almost like no-bake cookies!) Let the clusters set for 20-30 minutes at least before topping.
- Make The Topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and butter. Melt in the microwave on low power in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth and even. It will be thick! (Alternatively, you can melt this mixture in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, or in a double boiler for even gentler heat.)
- Add Chocolate Topping to each cluster, using a spoon or spatula. (The chocolate mixture will be thick, so be gentle! I find a small, flexible spatula is my favorite tool for the job.)
- Set, Serve & Store. Let the chocolate set 30-60 minutes, for best results, then enjoy! Store leftover scotcheroos in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Chex Scotcheroos
Consider Less Topping For Making Clusters. I often like to use 2/3 cup chocolate chips, 2/3 cup butterscotch chips, and 2 Tablespoons butter for Scotcheroos Clusters, since I find you don’t need quite as much topping to cover each one. (But feel free to use the full amount!)
Can I Use Rice Krispies Instead? Yep! If you want to make classic Scotcheroos, you’ll want to follow our Gluten-Free Scotcheroos recipe. Make sure to use gluten-free crisp rice cereal as needed!
For Clusters, Use a Scoop! If you’re making clusters, I highly recommend a large cookie scoop. It helps compact the cereal enough that it sticks together well, and makes shaping them much easier.
Can I Use Another Kind of Chex? Technically yes? But I don’t recommend it unless you have an allergy to corn. I find Rice Chex has weaker flavor and can make these a bit bland.
🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our gluten-free Chex Scotcheroos recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Chex Scotcheroos (2 Ways!)
Ingredients
- 4 cups Corn Chex Cereal
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup Honey
- ¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter (Like Skippy or JIF!)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Butterscotch Chips
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
Instructions
FIRST MAKE THE SCOTCHEROOS BASE
- Prep Your Station. Before you dive into the actual preparation, make sure you have everything measured, prepped & available close by since the recipe moves quickly once you've begun. Measure the cereal & set aside. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper if you're making bars or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to make scotcheroos clusters.
- Melt Sugar & Honey. In a large saucepan, combine granulated sugar and honey. Stir over low heat or medium low heat until the sugar is almost entirely dissolved. Do NOT bring the mixture to a boil here, or the scotcheroos will be dry.
- Stir In Peanut Butter, Vanilla & Salt and stir until everything is smooth and evenly blended.
- Mix In Cereal. Remove the pan from the heat and add the Chex cereal to the peanut butter mixture. Stir to coat the cereal evenly.
TO MAKE BARS
- Pat Out Bars. Transfer the cereal mixture to your prepared pan and gently pat it into an even layer with a flexible spatula or your fingers. (Try not to overly compact this mixture since you want it to have soft scotcheroos!
- Make The Topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and butter. Melt in the microwave on low power in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth and even. It will be thick! (Alternatively, you can melt this mixture in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat.)
- Layer. Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the chocolate into an even layer.
- Set, Serve & Store. Let the chocolate layer set 1-2 hours before cutting into bars, for best results. (You can speed this process up by covering the pan and refrigerating for 45-60 minutes.) Garnish with flaky sea salt, if desired, and cut into squares or bars. These scotcheroos are rich, so I prefer cutting them into 12-18 smaller bars. Transfer leftover scotcheroos to an airtight container and store at room temperature 1-3 days.
TO MAKE COOKIE-STYLE CLUSTERS
- Scoop Clusters & Let Set. Use a large cookie scoop to measure heaping 3-4 Tablespoon mounds onto your parchment lined baking sheet. (Almost like no-bake cookies!) Let the clusters set for 20-30 minutes at least before topping.
- Make The Topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and butter. Melt in the microwave on low power in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth and even. It will be thick! (Alternatively, you can melt this mixture in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, or in a double boiler for even gentler heat.)
- Add Chocolate Topping to each cluster, using a spoon or spatula. (The chocolate mixture will be thick, so be gentle! I find a small, flexible spatula is my favorite tool for the job.)
- Set, Serve & Store. Let the chocolate set 30-60 minutes, for best results, then enjoy! Store leftover scotcheroos in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Notes
- Consider Less Topping For Making Clusters. I often like to use 2/3 cup chocolate chips, 2/3 cup butterscotch chips, and 2 Tablespoons butter for Scotcheroos Clusters, since I find you don’t need quite as much topping to cover each one. (But feel free to use the full amount!)
- For Clusters, Use a Scoop! If you’re making clusters, I highly recommend a large cookie scoop. It helps compact the cereal enough that it sticks together well, and makes shaping them much easier.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/chex-scotcheroos/
I had a batch of these and immediately wanted another! I thought the peanut butter and butterscotch blended perfectly! And the chocolate topping really seals the deal