Scotcheroo Pinwheels

Scotcheroos! Well, that’s just fun to say. And these Scotcheroo Pinwheels are fun to eat with all the flavors of butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate, and crispy rice cereal you’d find in a classic Scotcheroo, rolled into a pretty pinwheel!

‘Tis the season for holiday treats! You will definitely want to add this scotcheroo recipe to your list. It is a new spin on a classic recipe and these no bake dessert pinwheels are perfect for cookie exchanges, potlucks, and your holiday buffet.

Whether you spell it “scotcharoos” or “scotcheroos” it definitely spells a delicious no-bake sweet treat made with….you guessed it – butterscotch. The original recipe was printed on the Rice Krispies box post-World War II and has been an American delight ever since. 

WHY YOU WILL LOVE SCOTCHEROO PINWHEELS

These pinwheels are a fun twist on scotcheroo bars and make for festive treats for the holidays. Similar in texture to a rice crispy treat but are richer in flavor with the absence of the sugary sweet marshmallows. They are easy to make with six simple ingredients. Your guests will love them and will be asking for more!

If you love these scotcheroos with Rice Krispies, you will want to try these Rice Krispie Treats recipes too: Whatchamacallit Bars and Cocoa Krispie Owls.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR SCOTCHEROO PINWHEELS

You will find the complete measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

• Crispy rice cereal – Rice Krispies is my brand of choice.
• Sugar – Use white sugar in this recipe.
• Corn syrup – I prefer light corn syrup.
• Peanut butter – I use creamy peanut butter, but you could use chunky peanut butter for a little bit of a nuttier version.
• Chocolate chips – I use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Butterscotch chips – You’ve got to have butterscotch chips for scotcheroos!

HOW TO MAKE SCOTCHEROO PINWHEELS RECIPE

Start by Preparing your jelly roll pan by spraying with cooking spray and lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Remove immediately from heat and stir in the peanut butter.

Next, Add cereal to a large mixing bowl and pour the peanut butter mixture over the top, and stir. Butter your hands and firmly press mixture evenly into the prepared sheet pan. 

Then, Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together and stir until smooth.

Pour the warm melted chocolate over the cereal mixture. 

Spread chocolate over the top of the bars. Let the scotcheroos set for about 30 minutes.

Time to roll ‘em up! Butter your hands and starting at one side of the pan, roll scotcheroos into a large log. Don’t worry if some chocolate seeps out. Let them set once again for 30 minutes or you can place them in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Finally, Once the log is set, slice it with a sharp knife. Place the scotcheroo roll-ups in a sealed container and store them in the refrigerator to fully set up.

Note: You’ll want to pull them out of the fridge a bit before you serve them so they aren’t super hard. 

Love them? Pin Them!

If you love this SCOTCHEROO PINWHEELS recipe make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Why Make Scotcheroo Pinwheels When You Can Make a Classic Scotcheroo Recipe?

We love a pan of scotcheroos no matter how you slice them, but when I saw the idea of making them into pinwheels, I was hooked! Instead of the melted chocolate and butterscotch chips spread over the top of the bars, the chocolate mixture is swirled throughout the cereal bars. Getting a little bit in every bite!

I can’t take credit for this brilliant no bake treat though, I have Sue from Sue Bee Homemaker to thank for this easy recipe.

Freaky Friday

Today is our very last Freaky Friday of the year, and it’s probably my favorite of all of them. It is our virtual cookie exchange. 

What’s Freaky Friday? It’s a good old fashioned blog hop that I host 5 times a year. A bunch of my blogger friends get together and we are assigned a blog to cook/bake from in secret. Then on one Friday, we reveal our recipes all at once. That day is today!

The only thing that is a little different from our other Freaky Fridays is that this one is a cookie exchange, so all of the recipes you will find today would be great to add to your holiday cookie trays.

Sue Bee Homemaker

For this round, I was lucky enough to be assigned Sue from Sue Bee Homemaker! Sue lives in Texas and is married to her high school sweetheart (whom she has known since she was in 3rd grade!) and has two sons and a dog named Theo.

I also have a dog named Theo – but something tells me that my Theo outweighs hers by about 60 pounds! Ha!

Sue began her blog on her 50th birthday when she was trying to decide what she wanted to do with this new phase of her life. Well, friends, she is doing it exceptionally! Sue has a fantastic assortment of recipes on her blog. Main dishes, desserts, and all sorts of bread – her specialty, sourdough. 

More Holiday Recipes

Trying to choose a recipe for this round from Sue Bee Homemaker was quite a feat. I think I initially narrowed it down to 10! But I kept coming back to her Scotcheroo Pinwheels. My kids love scotcheroos, and I knew that they would get devoured. I was right!

My son-in-law texted me and told me he was hiding the bag I sent home from my daughter because they were so delicious. (I am sure he didn’t – but my guess is they polished them off in no time!) 

Here are a few other recipes from Sue I that were in the running: Homemade Turtle Candy, Brownie Crinkle Cookies, Lemon Sugar Cookies and I can’t wait to make her homemade eggnog recipe!

Giant Scotcheroo Pinwheels

These scotcheroo bars are quite large. (no complaints here!) But if you want to add them to a cookie tray, cutting them smaller is a good idea. 

I took this batch of scotcheroos to my hubby’s office and decided that in order to make “more of them to go around” I would quarter them. This seemed to make more sense.

FAQS 

What are Scotcheroos made of? Scotcheroos are made of crisped rice cereal, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. They are similar to rice crispy treats but lack marshmallows.

Why are my Scotcheroo bars dry? If you overheat the sugar mixture it will most likely result in bars that are dry. To assure that this doesn’t happen, simply simmer the sugar and corn syrup long enough to warm through and soften the sugar. Bring the mixture to barely a bubble and remove it from the heat right away. Also, don’t over-measure the cereal. You can start with less than the recipe calls for and add more if it doesn’t seem too dry.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Rice Krispies – If you want a really chocolatey version of scotcheroos you can use Cocoa Krispies instead. 
• Corn syrup – Light corn syrup is called for in this recipe, but you can use dark corn syrup. Keep in mind that it may affect the color and taste of your scotcheroos, as dark corn syrup is darker and deeper in flavor.
• Peanut butter – This recipe uses creamy peanut butter, but you could use chunky peanut butter for a nuttier version.
• Chocolate chips – I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, but milk chocolate chips will also work. For a non-chocolate version, you could substitute white chocolate chips.
• Sweet & Salty – want a little salty flavor? Give the chocolate a sprinkle of sea salt.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Make sure to remove your scotcheroos from the fridge for 30 minutes before serving or they will be too firm to eat.

• Store your scotcheroos in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temp or one week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the bars for up to 3 months with layers of parchment paper in between to avoid sticking. Thaw to room temperature before serving.

MORE TASTY Holiday Recipes

• Giant Butterscotch Cookies (pictured above)
• Oreo Bark
• Chocolate Orange Fudge
• Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars
• Graham Cracker Toffee
• Aunt Vern’s Sugar Cookies

Are you invited to a holiday cookie exchange this year? Or maybe you just want to have some new selections on your holiday trays – I have hundreds of ideas for you! Cookies, Bars, candy, and Snack Mix recipes all ready and waiting for you! 

Be sure to check out Sue’s gorgeous website and get more holiday baking ideas. You will find a list of all of the Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange at the bottom of this post. There are 13 recipes to choose from!

Try this scotcheroo pinwheels recipe today. This terrific recipe is a blast from the past and will become a huge hit with your family and friends.

LIKE THIS RECIPE?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and
leave a comment below the recipe!

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe

Scotcheroo Pinwheels

Scotcheroos! Well, that’s just fun to say. And these Scotcheroo Pinwheels are fun to eat with all the flavors of butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate, and crispy rice cereal you'd find in a classic Scotcheroo, rolled into a pretty pinwheel!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Additional Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Bars

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butterscotch, chocolate chips, peanut butter, rice krispies, scotcharoo pinwheels, scotcharoos, scotcheroos

Servings: 15

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Equipment

• Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick 1-Quart Saucepan with Lid
• 12-Piece Black Sharp Knife Set with Covers, Cutting Board and Sharpener
• Rubber Spatulas 
• 15 x 10 x 1-Inch Cookie/Jelly Roll Pan

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 9 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 12 ounce package butterscotch chips ( 1 1/2 cups)

Instructions

• Grease a jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper lightly. Set it aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. 
• Add Rice Krispies to a large mixing bowl. Pour the peanut butter mixture over top and stir to combine.
• Press the Rice Krispie mixture evenly into the prepared jelly roll pan. Butter your hands and press it down firmly. 
• Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring until smooth. 
• Spread chocolate over the Rice Krispie mixture. Let the scotcheroos set for approximately 30 minutes.
• Once again, butter your hands before rolling the pinwheels. Beginning at one side of the pan, roll scotcheroos up into a large log, pressing as you roll. Some chocolate may seep out, but don't worry!
• Let the pan sit again to set up. You can also place them in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until they are ready to slice.
• Once the log is set, slice it into approximately 15 pieces. Place in an air-tight container, layering with parchment paper.
• Store in refrigerator to fully set up. Remove for 30 minutes before serving or they will be too firm to eat.

Notes

This recipe makes 15 good-sized pinwheels. If you want to put them on a cookie tray, I recommend cutting the pinwheels in quarters.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 242mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 59g

See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes

Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart

1. An Affair from the Heart – Scotcheroo Pinwheels
2. Best Cookie Recipes – Christmas Magic Bars
3. Family Around the Table – Snickerdoodle Bars
4. Feast + West – Lemon Drop Cookies
5. The Foodie Affair – Christmas Oreo Balls
6. Fresh April Flours – Hot Cocoa Cookies
7. Hostess at Heart – Chocolate Bark
8. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Cookies and Cream Cookie Recipe
9. Life Currents – Almond Meltaways Cookies
10. The Speckled Palate – Snowball Cookies
11. Sue Bee Homemaker – Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies 
12. Take Two Tapas – Avalanche Cookies 
13. The Wimpy Vegetarian – Easy Christmas Butter Cookies