Halloween Scotcheroos
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, October 28, 2026
I’ve been thinking about Halloween traditions lately, and what I’d like to share with my two boys. Last year, we went to Campbell’s Maze Daze & Pumpkin Patch in Clever, and my then-three-year-old had a blast, especially with the pumpkin painting. My one-year-old couldn’t walk yet, so he rode around the farm in a stroller. It will be fun to go again this year now that he’s mobile. A little too mobile … he gets into everything!
We haven’t carved our pumpkins yet. Last year, I made the mistake of carving them weeks before Halloween, and they were rotten by the time the holiday rolled around. I’ll save the seeds and roast them with olive oil and sea salt for a Halloween snack. That’s a tradition my parents passed down to me that I love, and I hope my boys will remember it, too.
If you’re wondering what my boys will be dressing up as for trick-or-treating this year, my eldest chose dragons for both: a red dragon for himself and a blue dragon for the little guy. My husband and I will be dressing up as characters from the HBO series House of the Dragon. We’ll definitely be wrangling some dragons, especially after all that Halloween candy!
Another tradition I’ve started is making these Halloween Scotcheroos and letting the kids help since they’re so easy to make. You’ve probably tasted these treats at a potluck or gathering. They’re cousins of Rice Krispies Treats, made with light corn syrup, granulated sugar and peanut butter, then topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips.
I didn’t want to stray too far from the original recipe, but I did make a few changes. I used brown sugar and dark corn syrup to give the bars more of a caramel-butterscotch flavor. I also used extra butterscotch and chocolate chips, layering them instead of mixing them together. I like the distinct layers, which make the bars feel more like a candy bar. Finally, I topped them with Halloween candy. Use whatever candy you have on hand! We went with M&M’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The result is a chewy, peanut-buttery bar with rich chocolate, buttery butterscotch and plenty of Halloween candy on top
Halloween Scotcheroos
Ingredients:
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 bag butterscotch or white chocolate chips
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Various chopped Halloween candy, for topping
Instructions:
Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish cooking spray.
Stir together corn syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter until combined. Place cereal in a large bowl and pour peanut butter sauce on top; stir until well combined.
Press mixture into prepared dish. Melt butterscotch chips in the microwave or over the stovetop on low heat; spread evenly on top of bars. Cool this layer completely before repeating process with chocolate chips. Sprinkle Halloween candy on top and cool completely before slicing into bars.
Makes 24 bars
Emily Jenkins is an award-winning culinary professional based in Nixa, Missouri, specializing in original recipe development and engaging food writing. Follow on Instagram @Lil_Ozarkfoodie or email her at emilykathleenjenkins@gmail.com.
