Scotcheroo bird's nest treats are bite-sized, topped with chocolate eggs, and perfect for Easter! Make a batch and bring them to a spring gathering, they'll go fast!
You might also like our butterscotch bird's nest (haystack) treats, our carrot cake cookies, or our peeps sugar cookies.
Scotcheroos have been a favorite treat of mine for over 30 years. My grandma Eva knew how much my siblings and I loved them and would make them when we'd come to her house. It was time to make a cute spring version — bird nests!
Why I Like This Recipe
- Tried and true recipe. The only scotcheroos recipe that I use is my grandma's. It calls for less sugar, and the texture is perfectly chewy because you only warm the mixture, not bring it to a boil.
- Easy to shape. I wasn't sure how they'd turn out, but the scotcheroo mixture was actually super easy to shape, making them the perfect bite-sized treat. This recipe makes 30 nests if you use a mini muffin pan or 15 nests if you use a regular-sized muffin pan. I like the mini version, and my pan only has 24 cavities, so I usually make 24 mini nests and 3 regular-sized nests (to use up the mixture).
- Fun to customize. I topped mine with Cadbury eggs, but we also like Reese's Pieces eggs (they look just like these, only with brighter colors). Whoppers Robin's eggs could be cute too.
What Others Are Saying
I made them just with a mix of milk & dark choc, yummo, just a bit sweet for our tastebuds. ---Trace
These are amazing! Love that you don’t have to cut them from a 9 x 13 pan, perfect bite-size and tastes wonderful.---Sherry
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Tips and Tricks
- Do not boil the peanut butter mixture. Many scotcheroo recipes direct you to bring the corn syrup, peanut butter, and sugar mixture to a boil. Doing this risks the chance of overheating it, and the scotcheroos won't be as chewy once they've cooled. For best results, heat the mixture until smooth and creamy. It will be hot, but should not come to a boil. This is what my grandma did, and this is what I do as well!
- Use a mini muffin pan. It's easy to get the perfect shape by pressing the mixture into a mini muffin pan using a shot glass. It flattens the top and even leaves a small indentation to hold the chocolate butterscotch mixture.
- Don't overheat the chocolate. Microwaves vary, but I find that heating the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together for 30 seconds, stirring, then heating for an additional 15-20 seconds works great.
- Store in an airtight container. To keep the scotcheroo bites chewy and delicious, store them in an airtight container once the chocolate has had a chance to harden.
Ingredients
- Rice cereal: Any brand will work.
- Sugar
- Corn syrup: Grandma's recipe calls for Karo. That is a brand of corn syrup. If you are outside of the United States, it is sometimes called Golden syrup. You can also use honey in place of corn syrup, but it will give the treats a distinct honey flavor.
- Peanut butter: I use creamy.
- Chocolate chips and butterscotch chips: Grandma's recipe calls for a small bag of each. I'm not sure what size bags of chocolate chips came in back then, and I don't remember what measurements she used. I use an 11-ounce bag of each, but you can use less if you prefer.
- Chocolate eggs: Cadbury, Reese's, or any candy egg you'd like!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Scotcheroo Bird's Nest Treats
Step 1: Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter into a saucepan.
Step 2: Heat mixture until smooth and sugar is dissolved (just heat through, no need to boil). Remove from heat.
Step 3: Pour the peanut butter and syrup mixture over 6 c. of rice cereal. Stir until completely coated.
Step 4: Scoop the mixture into the muffin tin using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tbsp. scoop). Press the cereal mixture down with a spoon to flatten it (a tiny measuring cup or shot glass works great for this). Allow scotcheroos to cool for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or microwave.
Step 6: Remove scotcheroos from the muffin pan and place them on a platter. Spoon the chocolate mixture over each scotcheroo cup.
Step 7: Add a few chocolate eggs to the top of each nest. The chocolate will harden after it cools (refrigerating the nests speeds up the process).
Store in an airtight container up to 7 days.
Scotcheroo Bird's Nests FAQs
If you haven't had Scotcheroos before, you are in for a treat. Many claim them as a Midwest treat, but I grew up in California, and we had them there, too. Scotcheroos are a combination of peanut butter, sugar, Karo syrup, and Rice Krispies cereal. After combining those ingredients, you slather them with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips. PERFECTION, and oh so rich.
It's easy to get the perfect shape by pressing the mixture into a mini muffin pan using a shot glass. It flattens the top and even leaves a small indentation to hold the chocolate butterscotch mixture.
Store in an airtight container up to 7 days.
More Easter Treats To Make
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Scotcheroo Bird's Nest Treats
Equipment
- saucepan
- wooden spoon
- mixing bowl
- microwave safe bowl
- mini muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 6 cup Rice Krispies cereal
- ⅔ cup milk chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup butterscotch chips
- chocolate egg candies
Instructions
- Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat syrup, peanut butter and sugar over medium heat until smooth and sugar has been dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Pour peanut butter and syrup mixture over 6 c. of rice cereal. Stir until completely coated.
- Scoop mixture into the muffin tin using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tbsp. scoop). Press down with spoon to flatten.Allow scotcheroos to cool 15 minutes.Remove scotcheroos from muffin pan and place on serving dish.
- Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or microwave.
- Spoon chocolate over each scotcheroo. Add a few chocolate eggs.
Jill Peterson says
I’m thinking to make these and ship them in a care package to my girl in college. How long/well do they hold up—crispness of the nests, etc.? Would they last 3-5 days? 🙂 Thanks much!
Brandy says
They should be just fine! I sent scotcheroos to my son (3days) and they did great!
Cathy says
Is there a substitute for corn syrup?
Brandy says
Hi, I’m not sure what the substitute would be. Maybe you could look and see if honey would work?
Ann Lowery says
Double checking if these are gluten free?
Brandy says
As long as the Rice Krispies cereal that you use is gluten free you should be good to go! I know that some brands contain barley.
Megan says
Yum! Can’t wait to try them. Also, where’s your bunny treat stand from?
Brandy says
Hi! It’s from oriental trading, but they stopped selling them a couple of years ago. 🙁
Trace says
Doh, yes, butterscotch. I made them just with a mix of milk & dark choc, yummo, just a bit sweet for our tastebuds. Do I have to use the sugar or could omit that this time?
Brandy says
You can probably leave it out. It may affect the texture and how they hold together, but they’ll still be delicious!
Trace says
We love crunch - are these crunchy or soft? Don't have caramel chips where I live, could I substitute a hard crushed up caramel or best with a soft caramel? Thanks
Brandy says
Hi! The Scotcheroos don’t have caramel chips in them. Are you referring to the butterscotch chips? If so, you can leave them out and use all chocolate chips if you don’t have butterscotch chips in your area!