If you like scotcheroos you'll LOVE scotcheroo cookies! Soft peanut butter cookies topped with melted butterscotch and chocolate chips. And yes, I included crispy rice cereal in the cookie dough too!
You might also like our Chex Scotcheroo Clusters, our Scotcheroo Haystacks, or our my Grandma's Scotcheroo Recipe!
Watch our step by step video!
What are Scotcheroos?
Scotcheroos are a Rice Krispies cereal-based treat that has been around for decades. The cereal is mixed with corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter then pressed into a pan and spread with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips. Scotcheroo cookies are a fun twist on the classic treat.
It's no secret that scotcheroos are my favorite dessert and that my love runs deep with probably 6 variations of them on my site! I linked 3 of the recipes at the top of the post, but have you tried my no-bake Scotcheroo Peanut Butter Blossoms? How about my Scotcheroo Truffles. Seriously, it never ends!
Peanut Butter Scotcheroo Cookies
My cookie version starts with soft peanut butter cookies with crispy rice cereal baked into the dough. The cooled cookies are coated in a layer of melted butterscotch chips and chocolate chips and chilled until set, making them easy to eat!
These Cookies Are:
- Soft and delicious. A nod to the classic treat, but still a delightful twist!
- Everything you love about classic Scotcheroos but in cookie form. Peanut butter, Rice Krispies, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips.
- Small and perfectly portioned to curb your sweet tooth craving. One recipe makes 5 dozen small cookies using a Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop. You can use a medium cookie scoop to make 30 larger cookies if you'd like, you'll need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
- Made with basic ingredients like butter, peanut butter sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips.
- Delicious the next day! They stay fresh for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze these cookies.
Peanut Butter Scotcheroo Cookies Ingredients
Butter: I always bake with salted butter, but you can also use unsalted butter.
Sugar: I use a combination of brown sugar and white sugar for the perfect texture and flavor.
Peanut Butter: Creamy or crunchy peanut butter, it doesn't matter.
Eggs: Eggs add structure to cookie recipes.
Vanilla Extract: For flavor. Try our homemade vanilla extract!
Flour: All-purpose flour works well. You can also use bread flour if you'd like.
Salt and Baking Soda: For leavening and flavor.
Rice Krispies Cereal: Adding the Rice Krispies cereal adds the perfect crunch to each bite and is a nod to classic Scotcheroos.
Butterscotch Chips and Chocolate Chips: Classic scotcheroos are spread with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips so these cookies are too! It's such a delicious flavor combination. I use semisweet chocolate chips.
How To Make Scotcheroo Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Mix in dry ingredients. Add the Rice Krispies cereal and mix by hand.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop cookies using a SMALL cookie scoop (1 Tablespoon-sized) onto the baking sheets.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cook on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or microwave. I usually use my microwave and heat the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for 30 seconds, then I stir and heat them for an additional 15-20 seconds. Every microwave is different, my advice is to go low and slow. Short intervals, stirring until smooth and creamy. DO NOT OVERHEAT CHOCOLATE.
Spoon a small amount of melted chocolate and butterscotch onto each cookie. Spread.
Chill cookies until set.
Cover cookie sheets with plastic or store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to 3-5 days.
Peanut Butter Scotcheroo Cookies
Peanut Butter Scotcheroo Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups crispy rice cereal
Topping
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add peanut butter and mix until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix in dry ingredients. Add the Rice Krispies cereal and mix by hand.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop cookies using a SMALL cookie scoop (1 Tablespoon-sized) onto the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cook on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or microwave. I usually use my microwave and heat the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for 30 seconds, then I stir and heat them for an additional 15-20 seconds. Every microwave is different, my advice is to go low and slow. Short intervals, stirring until smooth and creamy. DO NOT OVERHEAT CHOCOLATE.
- Spoon a small amount of melted chocolate and butterscotch onto each cookie. Spread.
- Chill cookies until set.
Patricia Glade says
Family and friends loved this cookie. Was my best seller at a weekend event.
Brandy says
Patricia, I love hearing that! 🙂
Deb says
These are SO GOOD!!! Taste just like Scotcheroos! I did use milk chocolate and butterscotch instead of semi-sweet, but that's how I make my Scotcheroos. Thanks for a FANTASTIC recipe!
Brandy says
Yay! Glad you loved them!