Recipe Tips
Use the commercial brand, mass produced peanut butter for this recipe. You want something like Jif or Skippy for it to work. Because you are combining it and almost making a candy with boiling it, the natural ones that seperate just don’t work the same.
Have everything measured when you start. This comes together very quickly, and if you let the mixture cook too long your bars will be hard, so make sure to have everything in place so you can work quickly.
Don’t cook your mixture too long, this will make your bars hard and not chewy. You want everything to melt together, and barely start to boil. As soon as you see bubbles form along the edges, you are done. Remove it from the heat and mix with your cereal.
I like my bars thick, and i like to make them in a 13×9 inch pan. So you may notice my recipe amounts are a little different then you may have seen or used in the past. Lots of recipes call for an 8×11 inch pan with less ingredients, and say a 13×9 in pan can work your bars will just be thinner. Well, a I picked the most common pan size and just adjusted my recipe to fill the pan. Plus I use a full box of cereal, so you don’t have just a little bit left that ends up getting thrown out.
The mixture will be sticky you can use non-stick spray on your hands or a spatula to press the cereal mixture into the pan. Another option is to lightly wet your hands, shake off all of the excess water, just have them damp and press the mixture into the pan.
What is the difference between Special K Bars and Scotcharoos?
They are almost the same recipe, the difference is the cereal used. Special K bars obviously use Special K cereal, while Scotcharoos use Rice Krispie cereal.
How long do these bars last?
If you store these covered at room temperature they will last for 5-6 days. They always disappear much faster, but they should last close to a week.
They also freeze really well. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just take them out and let them thaw on the counter before serving.
Can I use something other than Special K?
Technically, you just need a crispy flaked cereal to make these bars work. Obviously the have the name because of the cereal used, but cornflakes would work if that is what you had on hand.