These salted caramel oat squares are addictive! Not too sweet with just a hint of salt they are a perfect combination. They are no-bake and very forgiving, if you can make Rice Krispie squares, you can make these.
I’ve always liked no-bake bars and cookies. They are crunchy and sweet and there are endless varieties. They are a great alternative to baked goods because the can be made and served so quickly.
No bake treats are also great for getting the kids involved in the kitchen.
These squares are similar to Rice Krispie treats except they are made with Cheerios! The Cheerios give a nice crunch to these bars, and if you want, you could use Honey Nut Cheerios or Chocolate Cheerios. Of course, any oat ring cereal will work.
The chocolate top goes perfectly with the caramel flavoured bars and the sprinkle of salt helps balance the sweetness. If salty and sweet isn’t your thing, just omit the salt.
HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMEL OAT SQUARES
Begin by melting the butter in a medium sized sauce pan, then add the peanut butter and butterscotch chips.
Once the peanut butter and chips are melted, add the marshmallows.
Heat over medium heat and continue stirring until marshmallows are melted. Then pour the liquid mixture over the oat cereal and give it a good stir with a wooden spoon.
The mixture will be sticky, and that is exactly what you are looking for.
Press the mixture into your parchment lined pan with the back of the spoon, or your hand. I find it easier to use my hands for this, just slightly dampen your hands with cold water first to help keep the mixture from sticking to you.
HOT TIP: Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it super easy to lift the finished bars out of the pan before cutting into squares.
Next heat the chocolate & butter in a microwave safe bowl or double boiler until melted and smooth. Spread the chocolate over the cheerio bars and sprinkle with salt.
Place bars back into the fridge until set, then lift from the pan with the parchment paper and cut into squares.
What can I substitute for peanut butter?
If you need to eliminate the peanut butter because you are making these for school lunches, or have an allergy, you can substitute things like sunflower butter or pumpkin seed butter.
Can I use unsweetened chocolate in place of milk chocolate?
Unsweetened chocolate can be quite bitter when used as a topping. But if you find the chocolate in this too sweet I would suggest doing a mix of sweetened and unsweetened chocolate.
Can I leave the chocolate out of this recipe?
Sure! Change things up by melting butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips for the top. Or simple leave the topping off completely.
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Printable Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup butter divided
- ½ Cup peanut butter natural, no sugar added
- ½ Cup butterscotch chips
- 2.5 Cups mini marshmallows
- 5 Cups oat cereal
- ⅓ Cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅔ Cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Melt ½ cup of the butter in a medium pot over medium heat (reserving remainin ¼ cup for later), then add peanut butter and butterscotch chips. Heat until peanut butter and butterscotch chips are melted.
- Add marshmallows and continue to heat and stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is well blended.
- Place oat cereal in a large bowl and then pour liquid mixture over top. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then press into a 8×11 pan lined with parchment paper. Press with the back of your spoon or your slightly dampened hand. Set aside.
- Place chocolate chips and reserved ¼ cup butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals, removing bowl between intervals to stir. Chocolate is ready when it is smooth. You can also melt over a double boiler on the stove, or a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water.
- Working quickly, pour melted chocolate over the oat squares and smooth out with rubber spatula. Place in fridge for about 10 minutes until chocolate is beginning to set, then remove and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Return to fridge and allow chocolate to fully set, then cut into squares
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