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
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 2/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp caramel extract or butterscotch extract
- 4 cups coarsely crushed pork rinds, About 3 ounces - measure out AFTER crushing
- 3/4 cup flaked coconut
- 6 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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My daughter is so grateful — a version of this was her favorite Christmas cookie, and we have been unable to replicate it. Until now!! (Our version simply puts the chocolate between two layers of peanut butter & pork rinds, made by dividing the bottom layer in half.) Today we tried subbing half of the powdered Swerve with 1/3 c swerve brown sugar (we don’t have butterscotch flavoring and it’s not the kind of thing I’d ever think to look for, since this is the only use I’d have for it). SOOOOO good! The only problem was that it seemed to make the pb layers a little too crumbly. Any suggestions? We’ve thought of maybe xanthan gum or collagen powder, or maybe changing the brown/white proportions a little. (I suppose it’s also possible we over-ground the pork rinds and used too much. If that’s the case, all we’d need to do is either grind/measure more carefully, or maybe up the pb layer ingredients.) We will DEFINITELY be making this again!! so if we figure anything out, we’ll let you know!
PS–you are definitely our “Christmas Cookie Headquarters.” Thank you so much for all your talent and hard work, so no one in our family need feel deprived over the holidays. Every recipe a winner. I remain your biggest fan!!
Best low carb recipe I’ve tried yet. Wonderful, thank you for sharing it.
These are the best keto peanut butter/chocolate treat EVER! Wow!! Thank you!! I didn’t have caramel extract so I subbed maple extract and it worked great! I gave some to my hubby and he would not have guessed it was keto! Thank you again!
So glad to hear it!
Hi Carolyn- love these and make them pretty often. My question is do you cut them when they are cold or at room temperature? I try to cut them after cooling and they break apart and I am left with just a lot of crumbs ( which are great in a bowl with the whipped cream by the way)– just wondering what I might be doing wrong that they tend to crumble when I cut them.
Thanks much!
Room temp cutting is probably best. That chocolate topping can get kind of hard and yes, it can make them shatter.
These are one of my son’s favorite treats (mine as well). I typically make a half batch for the two of us, and find an 8×4 loaf pan perfect… I cut the batch down the length and then 5 across for a total of 10. Perfect size.
I love this recipe and I’ve made it several times. The first time I have to admit I didn’t wait to put it in the frigde for an hour and added the chocolate right away. I don’t think I even let it set before digging in. It is so good, I could wait. The second time I made it I did let it set before adding the chocolate, but the chocolate just ran down and it didn’t form the nice layered top like yours. I don’t care what I was doing wrong I just love this recipe. Now that I want to make it for friends and family, I want to know what I’m doing wrong. I want that layered look yours has, but I’ve never achieved even when I tried to be patient. Any added tips?
Sounds like you have too many “holes” in your mix that the chocolate is sinking into. Maybe crush everything up a bit more? Mine did run down into some holes but most of it stays on top. What chocolate are you using?
I press the bottom peanut butter layer into the dish with waxed paper. It makes it solid and I get two distinct layers. I wouldn’t crush the pork rinds more…I’ve done that before and it didn’t have the same amazing texture and mouth feel.
Have all my ingredients on-hand & planning to make for the kid’s treats (sunbutter sub, peanut allergy). Was excited to see 25 servings but then realized 8×8 pan? Really? My teen boys will laugh at that. I can see 12-16 but how tiny are we talking to yield 25 bars out of an 8×8 pan?? We have an undeniable issue with a sweet tooth in our house … these could be very dangerous!
Sorry but when something is this sweet and carby, it needs to be smaller serving sizes. I feel strongly about moderation even with low carb and keto sweets.
Ok … made today & I completely understand! Wow … I cut at least 25 using a 9×9 pan. I used sunbutter (peanut allergy) and my 3.5oz bag of pork rinds yielded just 2 cups so I doubled my coconut. Used vanilla – didn’t have the others. Awesome! I’ll be sure to have 2 bags on-hand for next time. My husband & I both noticed the cooling sensation of the Swerve was well-masked. Nice job! A new family favorite!!
I just had to comment. These were amazing. I’ve been keto for almost 2 years now and these are by far the best dessert I’ve made. I had five pieces the first day I made them (I regret nothing!!). Thank you thank you thank you for your blog and recipes.
I’m really stunned to see this isn’t a five-star recipe! Heck, I’d give it 10.
I have made this twice and it is positively amazing. Texture is bang on, sweet, salty, crunchy and smooth. Fed these to my husband’s co-workers and they were a HUGE HIT. We never elaborated they had pork rinds and not a single person questioned.
Thank you for sharing this positively AMAZING sweet treat!
Recently, I had tried a keto scotcheroos recipe that my mom had recommended, and it was absolutely horrible! It was so sickly sweet, so I was a little hesitant to try your recipe, especially with the pork rinds (I don’t like them to start with), but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Both myself and the hubby enjoyed these tasty treats greatly. So, thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Glad to hear it!
Holy cow! Just made these and am over the moon!! Scotcheroos are one of my favorite holiday treats and you’ve made them low carb. I made a half recipe (a little less than half sweetener) with caramel flavoring. I really felt like I was eating the real thing.. thank you – thank you – thank you!
Does the black pepperflavor from the recommended pork rinds not come through in the recipe? I love Epic rinds because they’re SO crunchy and do not get soggy like other cheaper brands…but I’m more worried about the black pepper from these “original” flavored rinds making my scotcharoos taste savory.. ?
You can sometimes taste it but honestly…I didn’t have a problem with it at all. I’d prefer to use the healthier pork rinds than the really junky ones.
Hands down one of the best keto treats I have made. Thanks!
Yay!
Could I sub the sugar free caramel torani syrup for the extract? I’ve been searching locally for the extracts and can’t find any and I want to make this like yesterday!
It might make the chocolate seize so I’d go light on it or skip it altogether.
I don’t eat pork for religious & health reasons. Are there any healthy substitutes so that I can still try these and have them turn out right?
I can’t think of any truly crispy light low carb puffed item, like pork rinds. You can do some chopped nuts…it won’t be the same and will be higher in carbs so go easy on them!
So are these bars dry/crispy or somehow the gooey, chewy, goodness that I drop over when I think of with rice crispy bars or scotcheroos? Just checking. Even great flavor isn’t tempting to me if not chewy:).