Butterscotch Cookies are soft, chewy, and made with only a few basic ingredients! This simple and easy cookie recipe can be prepped quickly and is ready to bake after only 20 minutes in the freezer.
We always have a plate of cookies on the counter to enjoy for dessert with a glass of milk. This week we’re loving Nutella Cookies, Linzer Cookies, and of course, these cute Valentine’s Day Chocolate Sugar Cookies that make a great edible gift.
Butterscotch Cookies are one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes. They are easy to make with ingredients I almost always have in my pantry, so they make a great treat to bake last minute when you have some friends or family coming over unexpectedly.
Who doesn’t like a chewy and soft cookie straight out of the oven? Sometimes I also add a mix of butterscotch chips and chocolate chips for an even more indulgent treat or make little bite-sized mini cookies. This cookie recipe is perfect for every occasion, it makes a great activity to do with kids but also is a perfect party favor to send home with guests!
How to make Butterscotch Chip Cookies
The secret for making the BEST chewy and soft Butterscotch Chip Cookies is to use real butter, brown sugar, and to let the dough rest in the freezer or fridge before baking so the cookies don’t spread too much and you get a nice chewy center.
Tips and Tricks for Making Butterscotch Cookies from Scratch
- Using a combination of brown and white sugar adds moisture and helps to make these cookies chewy!
- I recommend using butter for cookie recipes. Butter makes the cookies chewy and adds flavor
- Don’t over-mix the dough after you added the flour. I like to use a spatula at the end to scrape the sides of the bowl so everything gets combined evenly
- You can also use a combination of butterscotch chips and chocolate chips (or chunks) in this recipe
- Make sure to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking! During the mixing, the dough gets warm which would result in cookies that spread a lot. I recommend to freeze the dough for 20 minutes or refrigerate it for 40 minutes or longer.
- The dough can be refrigerated for up to two days. You can also freeze the dough in an airtight container (see instructions below)
- If you know your oven runs hot keep an eye on the cookies and set the timer for a minute or two less than the recipe calls for.
- You can bake the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper which makes clean up easier.
- You don’t need to flatten the cookie balls!
- Leave enough room between the cookies so they can spread out.
- Avoid overbaking the cookies! Take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are lightly golden, the center might look undercooked but the cookies will firm up while they’re resting on the cookie sheet. If you bake the cookies until the centers are golden or cooked completely you will end up with hard and crispy cookies.
- Use a cookie spatula to transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the cooling rack. They will still be very soft and can break easily!
Can you freeze Butterscotch Cookies
You can freeze butterscotch cookie dough and then bake it straight from the freezer. To do this, scoop tablespoon-sized dough balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes then transfer to an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. To bake the cookies just pull some out of the freezer and bake them at 350 degrees F for 1-2 minutes longer than the recipe calls for. Keep an eye on them and adjust the cooking time after the first batch.
You can also freeze baked cookies after they have cooled completely. Put them in an airtight ziplock bag or container with parchment paper in between and freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature.
How to store Butterscotch Chip Cookies
To store Butterscotch Chip Cookies, let them cool completely and then put them in an airtight container or cookie jar. The will keep for about 1-2 weeks at room temperature.
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Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 11 ounces butterscotch chips, one package
Instructions
- Cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Then add one egg at a time, mixing until combined between adding them.
- In a measuring cup combine flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined. Then add butterscotch chips and mix until evenly distributed.
- Chill dough for 20 minutes in the freezer or for 40 minutes in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to drop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are just lightly golden and the middle looks slightly uncooked.
- Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer with a cookie spatula to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Nutrition Information
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If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe and to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!
Paul Smith says
Made these and they are delicious!! Easy to follow recipe, which I did add chocolate chip morsels too and a bit of cinnamon powder. Soft and fresh. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Colleen says
These were so delicious. They turned out perfectly. I love a soft cookie. Easy to make and the recipe was easy to follow. Only change I made was to use half the butter and substituted unsweetened applesauce for the other half because I have to watch my cholesterol. I put this recipe in my cookie rotation.
Suz says
Would it be ok to cut the recipe in half?
Julia Foerster says
Yes, that should work.
Kenna says
I’m going to try these but using a brown sugar substitute like Swerve instead since I’m trying to cut down on both sugar & calories & maybe try my monk fruit white sugar substitute with it. Don’t get me wrong I love sweets but unfortunately they don’t like me.
Sabbatha Bastet says
I’m an amateur food historian and tried an Easter menu from a 1935 home economics textbook. Butterscotch cookies is one of the dessert suggestions.
The book doesn’t give the recipes. Instead, it gives a list of resource books at the end of each chapter. So I had to go looking online to find the individual recipes.
These cookies are outstanding. I will keep this recipe and make these cookies often!
They turned out perfect and soft. Even my mother, who is having some dental work done, enjoyed them.
Thank you.
carolyn says
Having very little baking experience I found your instructions so easy and concise. I especially like the FQA and tips you’ve included. Love this site, love the recipes and everyone loved these delicious cookies!!! I’m on to try your next recipe. Thank you!!!
Lachelle says
Great cookies, any suggestions for using them for a pie crust?
Carolina says
Do you use dark brown or light brown sugar?
Julia Foerster says
I use light brown sugar.
Jacob says
Followed the recipe to the letter. Cookie was dry and had no flavor unless you get several chips in the bite.
Julia Foerster says
Not sure what happened, the cookie shouldn’t be dry. Did you perhaps overbake the cookies?
Mich says
They taste pretty good but didn’t turn out flat. I put in freezer for 20 min and was crossing my fingers that it would. My family loves flat chewy cookies and these did not hit the mark. Taste was pretty good though.
Julia Foerster says
If you want flatter cookies I recommend not chilling the dough before baking. Chilling the dough before baking makes them spread less.
Amanda says
Been making these cookies for over a year and they are a family favorite. I haven’t used any other cookie recipe ever since . I use all types of chips with this recipe . Amazing!
Angela G. says
Made these today. They came out amazing. Will def make again.
RC says
Great cookie recipe! My Mother made these for us as children growing up! I became the baker in my family amongst my siblings! Glad I found the recipe the taste is nostalgia just like I remember……
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Linda says
Really delicious cookies!
Doug Edwards says
The cookies came out just like you said they would. Thank you.
Tara Jill says
I used white chocolate chips for these and they were amazing! Such a big hit!
Stephanie Sondgroth says
Can you make these in an air fryer?
Dave says
These cookies are delicious……I made them to test for a potluck we are going to and wanted to test recipe first before I went…
Made recipe for the most part (I did add an extra egg as I had one left in carton and didn’t want just one extra)…I chilled dough and then baked at set temp for set time but they were still kinda soft in the center so I baked them a few min longer till they were golden brown and they were great….. Next batch ( I made three trays ) I baked at 375 for 12 min and they were perfect……
We took to a party last night to see if they would like them….. when we left the bag was empty of about 50 cookies…I would say they were a hit… IDK if the extra egg made them softer and cake-like as they retained shape great…..most cookie recipes call for 2 sticks of butter also but this was only one and they turned out good…..I may test it out with two sticks….. they may flatten out a bit more. overall they were good and I will make for my potluck….. thanks for the recipe…
Dave says
LOL i just noticed that in making recipe I missed out on half a stick of butter….Im going to try it again with full amount and it will be great it seemed a tad dry and I was wondering why…now I know why read recipe fully 3/4 cup is 1.5 sticks oops my bad….
Julia says
Thank you for your comment, Dave! So happy you liked the cookies! The extra egg will definitely make them more cake-like. Give them a try with the right amount of butter and let me know how they turn out!
Jodie says
I also did this in one pan. So much easier and your right less of a mess
Karly says
So good!! Thanks for sharing!