May be an image of coconut macaroon

Homemade Chex Scotcheroos

Homemade Chex Scotcheroos are a delicious twist on the classic Scotcheroo bar, combining crispy Chex cereal with a rich peanut butter mixture and a smooth chocolate-butterscotch topping. They are chewy, crunchy, creamy, and sweet all at once, making them an easy dessert for holidays, bake sales, potlucks, parties, or simply when you want something homemade without turning on the oven.

What makes these bars especially appealing is how simple they are to prepare. There is no complicated dough, no baking, and no special equipment required. The key is gently heating the sugar mixture and allowing each layer to set properly so the finished bars hold together while remaining soft and chewy.

Why You’ll Love These Chex Scotcheroos

These bars come together with just a handful of familiar ingredients. The Chex cereal provides a light, crisp texture, while peanut butter creates the rich, chewy base. The chocolate and butterscotch topping melts into a silky layer that hardens just enough to make the bars easy to slice.

They are also highly convenient. You can prepare them ahead of time, let them set, and keep them ready for whenever you need a quick dessert.

Ingredients

For the Cereal Base

6 cups Chex cereal
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the Topping

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, optional

The small amount of additional peanut butter in the topping is optional, but it can make the chocolate-butterscotch layer especially smooth and rich.

Step-by-Step Method

1. Prepare the Pan

Begin by preparing a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Lightly grease it or line it with parchment paper, leaving some parchment hanging over the sides.

The parchment makes it much easier to lift the finished Scotcheroos out of the pan before cutting.

Set the prepared pan aside while you make the cereal mixture.

2. Measure the Chex Cereal

Place the Chex cereal in a large mixing bowl.

Make sure the bowl is large enough to allow you to stir the cereal without crushing it. You want to coat the pieces evenly while keeping as much of their crisp texture as possible.

Set the bowl aside.

3. Make the Peanut Butter Syrup

Add the granulated sugar and light corn syrup to a medium saucepan.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir gently as the mixture warms. Continue cooking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a gentle boil.

Once it begins bubbling, don’t continue cooking it for a long time. Overcooking the syrup can cause the finished bars to become hard rather than pleasantly chewy.

Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as the mixture reaches the proper stage.