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Scotcheroos · American · Dessert
Scotcheroos
Born in United States
“Crisped rice, peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate—a Midwestern bar that earned its own state fair competition.”
0 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 6 platforms
9 in 10 mention simple, accessible recipe first
8 in 10 say it's worth it for the regional popularity and cultural significance
4 in 10 would come back the same week
Synthesised from Google · Yelp · Reddit · 3 food blogs · Updated August 2026
The story the reviews tell
Scotcheroos are the Midwest's answer to Rice Krispies Treats—crisped rice bound together, but swapped marshmallows for peanut butter and crowned with a two-chip topping of melted butterscotch and chocolate. Born from a mid-1960s Rice Krispies box recipe, these bars have become quietly iconic across Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas, where they're so embedded in the regional dessert landscape that Iowa now hosts a baking contest dedicated solely to them.
What makes this version distinct
Scotcheroos are dessert bars made with chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, corn syrup, and crisped rice. They are similar to Rice Krispies Treats, except that they contain peanut butter instead of marshmallows, and are topped with melted butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. In Minnesota, scotcheroos are known as Special K bars. The recipe was originally printed on boxes of Rice Krispies breakfast cereal in the mid-1960s. Also called chocolate scotcheroos and peanut butter scotcheroos, they are popular in the Midwestern United States, especially Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. In 2025, the Iowa State Fair hosted its first baking contest specifically for scotcheroos.
Signature elements
What people love
- simple, accessible recipe
- regional popularity and cultural significance
- versatile enough to inspire dedicated baking contests
Know before you go
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