Deliciously crispy low carb peanut butter bars with a rich chocolate topping. These healthy keto scotcheroos are a fun and tasty snack.
Hard to believe you can make keto version of scotcheroos. But it is true, indeed and each of these deliciously crunchy peanut butter caramel bars has only 3g net carbs per serving. If you love bar cookies like I love bar cookies, be sure to also check out my Keto Magic Cookie Bars and the awesomely delicious Keto Tagalong Bars.
Forgive me, people. I am really not normally one for cutesie names for recipes; typically, I stick with descriptive titles that tell you exactly what you’re getting.
But sometimes the choice is not mine. Sometimes, I am creating a low carb dessert that is modelled after a recipe that already exists, and I have to just go with it. I have to give a nod to the aforementioned cutely named classic, so that people know I’ve created a healthy keto version.
Really, if I was to go with my gut here, these would be called something like Low Carb Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch Bars. Or maybe Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch Bars, although that’s a bit wordy for me. But it certainly is descriptive. If I could find a way to work in pork rinds without making it sound like a tongue twister, I’d do that too.
Pork Rinds in a Keto Dessert?
Because yep, this deliciously crunchy treat is made with crushed pork rinds. Does that wig you out? Some of you diehard low carbers won’t be in the least put off by that, but some newer folks might be a bit freaked out.
I admit that there was a time when the idea of pork rinds in my dessert would have given me the heebie jeebies. Because I used to associate pork rind consumption with all sorts of unhealthy dietary practices.
And let’s face it, some pork rinds are pretty darn junky, fried in some unhealthy oils. But I’ve come to understand that REAL chicharrones should basically be cooked right in their own fat. They are making quite a comeback and I’ve had some glorious ones at restaurants. I’ve even made my own homemade pork rinds…delicious but a lot of work and your house smells like fried food for days afterward.
And now there are some really great, truly healthy pork rinds on the market. They are pricier but worth it, in my opinion. I’ve tried a couple of brands and I definitely have my favourites. Bacon’s Heir has some great flavours but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why they cook them in olive oil and not in the pork fat itself.
I like the salt and pepper pork rinds from Epic but they are salty enough to sort of cut up my mouth if I eat more than a small amount at a time. I love the Classic Chile Salt pork rinds from 4505 Meats best as they are lighter and fluffier, but I don’t like their BBQ or Jalapeño Cheddar flavours.
I also tried these Galactic Hog Skins because they were less expensive but I really did not like them much. Not light and crisp enough and the flavours all had an artificial taste to me.
How To Make Low Carb Scotcheroos
In our little low carb world, things like Scotcheroos are typically off limits because they are made with crispy rice. But I’d been eyeing them for sometime, wondering if there was a way. Because peanut butter, caramel and chocolate, with something crispy in it? Heck yeah!
Using crushed pork rinds: It can seem odd, a savory snack in a sweet recipe. But it really works! Pork rinds are really the only truly crunchy keto ingredient that can replace something like rice krispies. Get the most neutral flavor you can find. You can crush them in a bag with a rolling pin or chop them up in your food processor.
Line your pan with parchment: This is a no-bake recipe that uses plenty of butter and peanut butter. Lining the pan with parchment will ensure that you can easily lift the scotcheroos out once they set properly.
Use caramel or butterscotch flavoring: Scotcheroos are usually made with butterscotch chips, so using an extract like caramel or butterscotch can help you get the classic scotcheroo flavor.
Melt the chocolate with a little coconut oil: This helps it melt more smoothly and evenly, and also makes the chocolate topping softer when the bars are ready to be served.
Want them to be coconut-free? I get this question frequently since some people really detest coconut. You can replace the flaked coconut with sliced almonds, and the coconut oil with ghee or butter. The chocolate tends to melt more thickly when using a dairy-based fat, but it does work.
Chill them properly. This is by far the hardest part of making keto scotcheroos! Waiting for them to chill and firm up requires the patience of a saint. Because if you’re like me, chances are you tasted the mixture along the way and you nearly swooned from the crispy sweet deliciousness.
Want more delicious keto peanut butter recipes?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cakes
Scotcheroos
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ⅔ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ teaspoon caramel extract or butterscotch extract
- 4 cups coarsely crushed pork rinds About 3 ounces - measure out AFTER crushing
- ¾ cup flaked coconut
- 6 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or waxed paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a large saucepan over medium low heat, combine the peanut butter, butter, and sweetener. Stir until melted and smooth, then stir in the caramel extract.
- Add the crushed pork rinds and flaked coconut and stir to coat well, then press this mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together. Spread over the chilled bars and let set in the fridge, about 20 minutes.
- Lift the bars out by the parchment paper edges and cut into squares with a large, sharp knife. These are rich so cut into 20 to 25 squares.
specialmn1 says
To all the naysayers…have some faith! Do you really think Carolyn is going to post something gross?
If you have trouble with pork rinds being “stinky”, keep shopping. Although I love Aldi, I have to say their pork rinds are a bit “porky” for my taste.
The best brand I’ve found, overall, for lack of porkiness, is UTZ brand and it is a DEAL on Amazon Prime. I even have them on subscribe and save…one big barrel a month, so I am thrilled to find something like this to use them for! My HUGE 18 oz barrel costs just 5.93 on Subscribe and Save! Plus, I figured out that I could use those big clear barrels in my basement for storing kitchen utensils, ribbons, and all sorts of house hold things.
Another great brand is Bacon’s Heir, but Utz beats them by a mile on price.
Finally…if this hasn’t convinced the naysayers…think of our great-grandparents who made their pie crusts from lard…that’s pork fat! I remember the first time I made a pie crust from lard…I was afraid that it was going to taste porky, but it did not, and it was the best pie crust I ever made.
Mama Owl says
These are a definite danger in our house! While scotcharoos they are not, they are not chewy since no corn syrup, they are a GIANT WATCHAMACALIT! One bite and everyone at the same time said “WATCHAMACALIT!” That had to be one of the best candy bars around. Thank you so much for this! I think… LOL!
Chrys says
This is the review that sold me, lol. Making these this evening! Thank you for sharing this recipe and being a low carb genius!
jbuecheler says
I feel silly for asking but what’s the best way to crush the pork rinds? It sounds really messy. In a big bowl, with your hands? In a ziplock baggie and a rolling pin?
Carolyn says
Ziploc baggie and rolling pin or even the palm of your hand works best.
iamse7en says
Wow. These are soooooo good. Made them last night and ate more than I should have. The kids liked them too. They’re like a Butterscotch rice krispies treat covered in chocolate!
Lydia says
Wishing to make these soon but have no powdered sweetener. I think its a little harder to come by where i live in a small town in England. I have natvia, do you think that could work instead? Thanks, lydia
Carolyn says
If you can grind your Natvia so it’s a little more fine, it should be okay.
Lynn says
For those who can’t stand the smell of pork rinds, store them in the freezer. They take that gross smell away.
Amy Lynn DeMoss says
I have made these twice this week — we generally have 5 – 7 people in our home, eating meals (all but two are adults). Anyhoo, when I cut these fabulous treats, they tend to crumble a bit more than I would like them to. Suggestions?
Carolyn says
A little more peanut butter and/or butter might help.
Peggy D..... says
I was also hesitant because of the pork rinds and because I needed to sub some ingredients. I used coconut oil instead of butter and cashew butter instead of peanut butter. I’m dairy free and no peanuts. I made a half recipe in a bread plan. That was a mistake!! These were great in spite of the substitutions. How have you crushed the pork rinds? And how small? I just smashed in the bag and it was hard to get uniform. I wanted to whirl them in my vitamix, but didn’t want powder and the Epic were expensive but worth it. Wish they had a plain version without the pepper.
Carolyn says
You don’t want them too small. Mine were uneven too but I liked it that way.
LizD says
Carolyn, these are so delicious they were ALL I wanted to eat. Next time I will have to do a half batch in a bread pan. Do you think they would freeze well? I truly struggled with portion control (oh, well, no control.) Thx.
Holly says
Brilliant! Using pork rinds instead if Rice Krispies gave me an idea! Okay, since you are a genius at making formerly unhealthy carb recipes into amazing low Carb recipes, would you mind taking a look at this recipe and helping me make it low Carb? It was my family and I’s absolutele favorite recipe in our “unhealthy ” days. The two ingredients I’m not sure how to replace are the corn syrup (haven’t tried yacon syrup-maybe that’s an option?) and the vanilla pudding mix (I guess I could use sugar-free pudding, but hoping there’s a healthier low-carb/sugar-free way to do it).
Heavenly Bars
2 c. brown sugar
3 c. peanut butter, divided
1 c. corn syrup
1 pkg. instant french vanilla pudding, divided
4 c. rice krispies
1 stick butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
1. Melt (either in microwave or stovetop) brown sugar, 2 c. peanut butter, corn syrup and half of the pkg. of pudding mix.
2. Add rice krispies.
3. Spread in large bar pan. Cool.
4. Beat butter, powdered sugar, milk and other half of pudding mix. Spread on rice krispies.
5. Melt chocolate chips and 1 c. peanut butter. Spread on top. Refrigerate.
Makes 35 bars.
Cheryl P says
Holly, I think this would be super easy to low-carb! Use the peanut-butter crunch layer from this Scotcheroo recipe. Use the vanilla custard layer from Carolyn’s Nanaimo recipe https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2016/06/best-low-carb-nanaimo-bar-recipe.html, and make the chocolate topping from your original recipe using Lilly’s choc chips and peanut butter. You should get a pretty close approximation if I read the recipe correctly. Good luck!
Julie Martin says
You are, quite simply, a GENIUS. I never would have thought of this. These are amazing!!! I had my husband crush the pork rinds (I did not accept anything larger than a rice krispie). I seriously do not enjoy pork rinds but I knew hubs would take care of these if they didn’t work for me. I agree with the previous posts: I can not distinguish between the crushed pork rinds and RK’s. Try the recipe, people.
Carolyn says
Yay!
Annette says
Since I’ve been baking low carb for a couple years now, my family is pretty accustomed to your yummy treats…but it was pretty unanimous in our household, as far as a simple treat, this one wins hands down! Big hit!
Les says
I tried this recipe today for the first time. I got my pork rinds at Aldi just pork and salt. My girlfriend tried these, she is not on Keto and didn’t know what was in them. The recipe fooled her she said they just like the real thing and has been eating them all day. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Carolyn says
That’s wonderful to hear!
Sandy Cardon says
You are a low carb treat goddess!! I was super skeptical because I don’t like pork rinds, but these are incredible!! Thank you!!
Carolyn says
Yay!
Rebecca says
I see many recipes with Lily’s chocolate or Chocoperfection. We’ve been on keto 6-7 weeks, but haven’t ventured into the chocolate world yet. I’m not a chocolate expert to begin with. Keto chocolate is expensive and I just want to make a few recipes here and there. Is there anyway to attain good results with cocoa powder or baking chocolate? REALLY wanting to make these for a get together Saturday.
Carolyn says
You can try baking chocolate but adding your own sweetener will inevitably make it a bit gritty. Still delicious, though!
Tami says
I add some liquid stevia to unsweetened chocolate and it works for me.
Sandy says
Carolyn has a great recipe for making your own chocolate chips!
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2010/09/make-your-own-chocolate-chips.html
Susan Pelter says
Carolyn, once again your genius shines! I made these a few nights ago and they are incredible! I am not a big pork rind fan (except for plain, every once in a while when I’m craving something crispy/salty), but I simply cannot tell these are not rice krispies in the recipe! SO delish! And quick! I didn’t have either of the extracts, so just went without. And I didn’t have enough pork rinds to make 4 cups, so halved the recipe and made it in a loaf pan. They were super easy and just terrific. Will definitely make again, and my hubs wants me to try a white chocolate topping… Thank you!
Suzanne says
I detest coconut. Will it make a big difference if I leave it out? Is there something else I can substitute for it instead?
Carolyn says
More pork rinds OR sliced almonds.
Rachel says
I am dairy free, could I substitute coconut oil for the butter 1:1? Maybe a little extra salt too?
jaebea says
I will be making these. I have used crushed pork rinds in other things and you can’t taste them. They become more like a crispy filler than anything. I am making her thin mints right now but these will be next!
Lisa says
These are AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for all the FABULOUS recipes, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
You’re welcome!