The Retro Cereal Dessert That Only Uses 4 Ingredients (It's Not Rice Krispies Treats)

In addition to being a delicious way to start the day, cereal is great for baking homemade treats. Rice Krispie treats are perhaps the most famous, but they're far from the only dessert you can make with your morning bowl of cereal. If you want to make something truly special with cereal, look no further than the Midwest classic known as the Scotcheroo.

Think of a Scotcheroo as a Rice Krispie Treat's fancier, dare we say tastier, cousin. Instead of marshmallows and butter, you typically mix in four ingredients. First, that's a combo of peanut butter and Rice Krispies cereal (sometimes with the addition of corn syrup or another sweetener). Then, once you've pressed that mixture into a pan, top it with a frosting made from melted chocolate and butterscotch morsels. Once the chocolate sets, cut them into squares or any other shape you'd like and serve. The result is a pan of delectable and easy no-bake treats that's sure to win hearts at any get-together or bake sale.

The name for Scotcheroos comes from the "scotch" part of the butterscotch morsels. One of the first known mentions of the treat appeared as a recipe on the back of Rice Krispies cereal in the 1960s during a time when convenience was king. It took off in the Midwest, particularly Iowa, the birthplace of the Rice Krispie Treat, and has remained a dessert staple ever since.

Scotcheroos are amazing on their own, but if you want, you can easily customize them to your tastes (even if it makes the Midwesterners in your friend group cry blasphemy). A great way to start is with the cereal you use. Most any cereal works for Scotcheroos, and in fact there's a popular Minnesota variant using Special K you can try. But why stop there? Use your favorite flavor of Cheerios, corn flakes, or any other breakfast cereal and see how it comes out.

This doesn't stop at the cereal, as you can readily customize the filling and coating as well. Use crunchy peanut butter to give it an extra bit of texture, or add things like maple syrup to the peanut butter to create a unique flavor. Swap out chocolate for vanilla, or use chocolate on its own and drizzle melted butterscotch on top for a fun and tasty twist. While the coating sets, top it with more goodies like sprinkles, more cereal, or marshmallows.

You can also customize your Scotcheroos to accommodate allergies. Substitute out the peanut butter for something like maple syrup, a different nut or seed butter, or marshmallow fluff (of course, that will become more reminiscent of Rice Krispie treats). Remember that, while you're baking, you always need to accommodate a substitution to ensure the final product comes out like you're trying to make it, so be aware of how these swaps may change the flavor, texture, or consistency of your treat.