These fun and easy Halloween scotcharoos are the perfect no-bake holiday treat! Peanut butter, butterscotch cereal treats topped with melted chocolate. White chocolate and candy eyes makes fun ghosts that elevate these classic bars! Scotcharoos are similar to rice krispie treats, just instead of using marshmallows the cereal is combined with peanut butter. Kids and adults will love these at your next Halloween gathering!

Highlights of these fun Halloween bar:

No-bake recipe
Easy dessert, perfect for crowds
Simple ingredients
No corn syrup
Budget friendly dessert for crowds
Bars don’t need to be refrigerated or kept cold
Kids can help make these
Ghosts are easy to make with chocolate and add a fun holiday touch

These Halloween themed scotcharoos couldn’t be any more cute! Kids and adults will love these, kids will also love helping decorate the bars! Candy eyes add a fun touch but you could also use melted chocolate for the eyes!

Tools I used for this easy no-bake dessert recipe:

Rubber Spatula – a must for any home baker!
USA Pan 8 inch Square Pan – another USA Pan product I love! The corners of my bars and cakes never stick and I love the squared of edges this pan creates.
Parchment Paper – parchment paper is such a versatile item to keep on hand. I use this to line my pans after greasing.
Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls, perfect for home baking!

First Steps:

Melt peanut butter mixture
Combine cereal and peanut butter mixture
Fold gently to combine
Press evenly into a greased baking pan, I like to line with parchment as well

If you like these Fun & Easy Halloween Scotcharoos, you’ll love these other fun holiday ideas…

Easy Spooky Halloween Pudding Dirt Cups Recipe

Easy One-Bowl Valentine’s Day Cookie Bars

Short Cut Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookie Brownie Bars

Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut) Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Easy Salted Dark Chocolate Pretzel Bark

Grocery Store List & Substitutions:

Crispy rice cereal or substitute special K or corn flakes
Creamy peanut butter
Granulated sugar
Honey
Vanilla extract
Semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips
Unsalted butter or coconut oil
White chocolate chips
Butterscotch chips
Candy eyes
Sprinkles of choice

melted semi-sweet and butterscotch chips

Second Steps:

Melt semi-sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips
Pour over bars
Smooth or tap to even out chocolate
Melt white chocolate for the ghosts

What are scotcharoos made of?

Basically a no-bake peanut butter rice krispie treat, these are made with rice cereal that is combined with a melted peanut butter and honey mixture. Topped with melted chocolate. This recipe doesn’t use any corn syrup.

How to get perfect chocolate ghost’s?

Start with a medium sized dollop of melted white chocolate and use a toothpick or skewer to gently drag out arms and a ghost tail. Clean your toothpick between turns to keep the chocolate clean. Don’t drag to deep or you will get semi-sweet chocolate in your white chocolate. Finish the ghost by smoothing with a spoon. Add candy eyes or melted dark chocolate for the eyes.

These no-bake bars are thick and crunchy with the perfect sweet & salty flavor. The rich chocolate on top adds a great final touch!

Instructions for the easy scotcharoos:

Bars:

Grease an 8″x8″ baking pan and line with parchment paper, set aside. Add rice cereal to a large mixing bowl.
In a 4qt, saucepan or Dutch oven combine peanut butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Heat over medium-high heat until melted and sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly 4-5 minutes.
Pour mixture over the cereal and gently fold to combine. Transfer to the greased baking pan and press down evenly.

Topping:

In a microwave safe bowl combine semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and butter. Melt in 30 second intervals until smooth, stirring each time. Pour melted chocolate over the bars, smooth in an even layer*. Do not let the chocolate layer set before adding the ghosts.

Ghosts:

In a microwave safe bowl combine white chocolate chips and butter. Melt in 30 second intervals until smooth, stirring each time. Dollop white chocolate around the bars and use a toothpick to swirl ghost shapes while chocolate is still melted. Add candy eyes if desired. All to chill until set, about an hour. Slice with a sharp knife and enjoy!

Notes:

*It can help to gently tap the baking pan on the counter to get a smooth chocolate layer.

Final Steps:

Dollop white chocolate around the top of the bars while chocolate is still melted
Use a toothpick to drag out arms and a tail
Top with candy eyes and sprinkles
Let chill until set