My butterscotch cookies are filled with butterscotch chips for a chewy and sweet cookie. They’re so good my kids won’t stop asking for them!
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My Favorite Butterscotch Cookie Recipe
My butterscotch cookies actually were never intended to be a recipe. I went to the store to buy peanut butter chips and grabbed the wrong bag after being distracted by my kids (if you know, you know).
I do love butterscotch, so when I got home and realized, I just went with it. I ended up baking them (with even help from my little baker of a son) without telling them about the flavor change just to see if they would notice.
I put the cookies on the table, and they were eaten so fast! I wasn’t even sure they noticed the difference until my daughter told me about how she wanted us to buy these new peanut butter chips from now on because they tasted better. I had a bit of a chuckle and told her about the butterscotch mix-up, and she now goes around saying how much she loves butterscotch. My son was unphased and just kept eating them.
And, if you love a good cookie recipe, try my recipes for Hershey kiss cookies, pink sugar cookies, M&M cookies, thumbprint cookies with icing, air fryer peanut butter cookies, and easy Christmas cookies!
Why This is an Everyday Recipe You’ll Love
My butterscotch cookies recipe is honestly the perfect mix of chewiness and sweetness. It’s made with simple ingredients with the addition to butterscotch chips for that classic soft and moist cookie. It’s also kid approved by both of my kids and that says a lot!
Butterscotch Chip Cookie Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Butterscotch chips — I find these right where the chocolate chips are
- Flaky sea salt – optional for garnish, but I love them!
How to Make Butterscotch Cookies
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Place the butter and light brown sugar into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Then, add the egg and vanilla, and mix again.
STEP TWO: Add the flour and baking soda to the mixing bowl and stir until just blended so there are no remaining clumps of flour, scraping the sides as needed. Gently fold in the butterscotch chips into the cookie dough.
STEP THREE: Let the cookie dough chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and prepare your baking sheets. Line with parchment paper so that the cookies won’t stick!
STEP FOUR: Once your dough has chilled, begin scooping out 2 tablespoon-sized portions of cookie dough onto the baking sheet. You can press them down a bit with a fork or spoon to form a disc.
STEP FIVE: Bake the butterscotch cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. I love to garnish them with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a nice sweet and savory flavor! Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
Tips for The Best Butterscotch Chip Cookies
- Use butterscotch chips, not butterscotch candies. Butterscotch chips are shaped like chocolate chips but are a caramel brown color.
- Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients until just blended. Over mixed cookie dough can make the cookies tough.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop even-sized cookie dough balls. I find keeping them an even size allows them to cook evenly too.
- Don’t skip the flaky sea salt! The added salt pairs so well with the rich butterscotch and I think the combination of sweet and savory flavors is truly delicious!
- Use baking soda and not baking powder. I find baking soda in cookies keeps them soft and chewy.
- Add half butterscotch chips and half chocolate chips to add some chocolate flavor. I’ve even added a little bit of cinnamon chips in the past!
How to Store This Butterscotch Cookie Recipe
I store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for about 4 days, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Butterscotch Cookie FAQs
What Are Butterscotch Chips?
Butterscotch chips are made from light brown sugar and are made in the same shape as classic chocolate chips. I find they are similar to caramel chips, which are made from white sugar instead. I buy them right at the grocery store and even Tollhouse makes them!
Is It Better To Refrigerate Cookie Dough Before Baking?
Yes, my butterscotch cookie recipe requires the dough to be refrigerated before baking. Refrigerating them allows the butter to solidify so the cookies keep their shape and texture. I forgot to refrigerate them one time and they ended up spreading like crazy and weren’t as soft as normal.
What Makes Cookies Soft And Moist?
The light brown sugar and baking soda in my recipe makes my cookies moist, tender, and chewy with the perfect amount of sweetness. If I ever want my cookies to get extra soft, I add an extra yolk to the batter, but find that these butterscotch chip cookies do not need one.
Why Did My Butterscotch Chips Not Melt?
Butterscotch chips are not meant to melt fully. They should melt slightly, just like a chocolate chip in cookies where they keep their shape, but will melt if touched when straight out of the oven.
More easy Desserts
- Peanut butter balls
- Pineapple upside down cake
- Fruit dip
- Peanut butter frosting
- Red velvet brownies
- Angel food cake
- 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake
Easy Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and light brown sugar until well combined.
- Next, add the egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Add the flour and baking soda and mix just until no large lumps of flour remain.
- Finally, add the butterscotch chips and fold them into the cookie dough.
- Cover the cookie dough and place it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 375F.
- When the dough has chilled, prepare two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out 2-tablespoon sized portions onto the baking sheet and press them down to form a ½” thick disc.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the centers are just set.
- Sprinkle over flaky sea salt, if using and allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Can you freeze the cookie dough and cook later. If so can dough be cooked frozen.
Yes! You can freeze the cookie dough uncooked or cooked frozen, but I do not recommend baking the cookies from frozen dough.
Yes! You can freeze the cookie dough uncooked or cooked frozen, but I do not recommend baking the cookies from frozen.