Pretzel Scotcheroos are delightful, no-bake dessert bars that combine sweet, salty, and crunchy flavors and textures. You get the sweetness of the syrup mixture, the richness of peanut butter, the crunchiness of pretzels and cereal, and the smoothness of chocolate and butterscotch. Each bite will surely satisfy both your sweet and salty cravings! If these sound like your kind of dessert bars, you will also love my Special K Bars.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cereal: For the cereal, I used Special K original cereal, which is a rice and wheat-based cereal. You could certainly use a different brand of this type of cereal if preferred.
Pretzels: You will need about 3 cups of salted pretzels. Once crushed, use about 2/3 of the total amount for the bars, reserving the rest for the topping. I like adding a few extra whole pretzels to the top for visual appeal.
Syrup Mixture: The corn syrup and granulated sugar form a sweet, sticky syrup that binds the bars together.
Peanut Butter: I prefer creamy peanut butter, but you could use crunchy or a combination. Using crunchy peanut butter will change the texture, but the bars will still hold together and be delicious!
Topping: Combining milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips gives the bars a rich, sweet, and slightly creamy combination, perfect for the topping. If preferred, you could use all chocolate chips. For a fun and delicious experiment, try using other kinds of candy chips like white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, or toffee bits.
Can I Use A Different Kind Of Cereal?
Sure! You could use rice cereal, like Rice Krispies. Or, try the bars with Corn Flakes, Rice Chex cereal, Granola, or Cheerios.
How To Store Pretzel Scotcheroos
Store the pretzel scotcheroos in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the bars for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, let the bars thaw at room temperature until soft enough to bite into.
Pretzel Scotcheroos
Ingredients
Bars
- 4 cups (124 g) Kellogg's Special K original cereal
- 3 cups (120 g) salted pretzels
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (511.5 g) light corn syrup
- 1 ½ cups (387 g) peanut butter
Topping
- 1 cup (168 g) milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup (168 g) butterscotch chips
- reserved crushed pretzels
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, including up the sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- To a large sealable plastic bag, add pretzels. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roughly crush them into smaller pieces.
- To a medium bowl, add about ⅔ of the crushed pretzels, reserving the rest for the topping. Add the cereal to the bowl of crushed pretzels, mixing to combine. Set aside.
- To a large saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and corn syrup, stirring to combine. Cook until boiling.
- Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
- Remove from heat. Pour the corn syrup mixture over the pretzel cereal mixture. Gently fold to coat.
- Using an oiled spatula, press the cereal mixture into the lined baking dish.
- Meanwhile, to a microwave-safe bowl, add the milk chocolate and butterscotch chips. Heat the chips in 20-second intervals, mixing in between, until they have melted and the mixture is smooth with no lumps.
- Pour the melted chocolate and butterscotch chips over the bars, smoothing with an offset spatula.
- Scatter the reserved crushed pretzels over the top.
- Let the bars sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Butterscotch, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate. How could you get any better? Oh, I know, add the salty crunch of a pretzel. These have that sweet and savory combination that I love!
Elizabeth
This is one of my favorite treats because you get both the sweet and salty cravings satisfied! They are easy to make and you don't even have to turn on your oven! Yum!
Bella
Oh wow, these are incredible. I don't usually crave sweets but I really enjoy these because they are still salty and sweet!
Annabelle
These are lovely! They're salty and sweet, I'll definitely be making them soon!
Selena
Wow. I didn't expect to love these as much as I did. Love love love the salty pretzel with the peanut butter and sweet chocolate topping! So delicious!
Rachael
Salty and Sweet, you can't go wrong. These are a wonderful twist on a traditional scotcheroo. I would even add some extra coarse salt on the top to really enhance the flavors. Must try!
Have not tried yet, but intend to try this! I think my almost 30 people family would enjoy these at all of our gatherings! Thank you for sharing. Will let you know how things turn out! Know I will enjoy them!
Delicious!!!!!!
My question is. For this recipe. Are you using regular size pretzels or miniature pretzels? Is does not say in the list of ingredients or anywhere else in this post thanks for sharing.
I have just made this recipe.it is so delishous.the peanut butter makes this dessert.
Any substitutes for the peanut butter?