A recipe for butterscotch cookies, perfect for holidays or after school.
Butterscotch Cookies are a classic cookie that you don’t find every day.
Even though you might not be able to find these at the grocery store, you can make them at home easily—this recipe uses our favorite drop cookie base recipe with the perfect blend of white and brown sugar. No chilling is required, and the dough is easy to work with.
It’s soft and straightforward, with plenty of butterscotch chips in every bite.
What you’ll need
- salted butter is the perfect base for a soft cookie with crisp edges
- granulated white sugar
- brown sugar
- egg
- vanilla
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- butterscotch chips you can find in the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips
How to make butterscotch cookies
Creaming the butter, sugar, and eggs gives
Be sure to butter the butter and sugar with the egg for at least 3-5 minutes on medium speed. If you want to pull out your stand mixer, that’s fine, but I find that a hand mixer works just as well.
Making the dough
You’ll want to mix the dry ingredients separately and mix them in on low a bit at a time. (This helps them mix in better and avoids a situation where flour is flying everywhere.)
Adding the butterscotch chips is the best part. You can fold them in by hand or do it with your mixer on low speed- either way is fine.
Shaping and baking the cookies
Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough and drop them onto the prepared cookie sheet. (If you don’t have parchment, make sure you buttered it or sprayed it with cooking spray, so they don’t stick!).
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. You want the edges to be golden brown but not dark. The cookies will seem very soft but will cool to doneness.
Cookie making tips and tricks
- If the dough is too soft for you, feel free to put it in the fridge briefly. You can also refrigerate the dough if you’d like to make it ahead of time.
- If your butterscotch chips are small, you’ll get more butterscotch flavor in every bite. You can find mini chips in some stores.
- Be careful not to overcook them or they’ll be dry and crumbly instead of soft and delicious.
- It’s best to bake one cookie sheet at a time, in the center rack. But to save time, bake two sheets at a time and switch halfway through.
More classic cookie recipes
- Soft Molasses Cookies are another fall and winter favorite.
- This cookie dough base is also used in our caramel pretzel chocolate chunk cookies.
- Heath Bar blondies have similar flavor but are even easier to make!
Recipe
Old Fashioned Soft Butterscotch Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick) softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounce package of butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 with the rack in the center. Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or cooking spray.
- Beat the butter, sugars, and egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla and blend until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate mixing bowl and add to the butter mixture, mixing on low, 1 cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl and fold in the butterscotch chips.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough onto the cookie sheets, 15 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Give these butterscotch cookies a try and see if they don’t earn a place in your cookie rotation.
I make a lot of cookies and these were amazing. I highly recommend them. Simple and delicious!
thanks tabby! i love them too 🙂
I want to make these but your recipe states “1 large eggs”. The step two says beat butter, sugars and “egg”. But the next step is to add egg and vanilla until combined. So is it 2 eggs total?
I’m having that same confusion too. But earlier in the explanation of the process, Katie says it’s important to mix the egg with the butter and sugars. So I tried with 1 egg added with butter and sugar, then added the vanilla alone, and the cookies were terrific – as advertised! Hope that helps.
I would say there is one egg in this recipe. Usually you beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the egg and vanilla.
Great cookies and recipe! Kids highly approved ✔
I usually steer clear of making cookies that don’t come already mixed together in a pull apart fashion but these were easy and a hit! I have a batch with chocolate chips now! Thanks for giving me an easy recipe!
thanks heidi! this is my fave base cookie recipe for mixing in anything. glad you liked it 🙂
Just made these this morning and they are delicious!
angela i’m so glad to hear it! think i will make a batch tomorrow 🙂