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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
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Perfection! My whole family loves these cookies. Made them for the first time this week and they’re going to be a permanent staple in our rotation. I know it says to refrigerate the dough, but I had an impatient 4 year old that couldn’t wait so we just put them in right away and they still came out beautifully. I did put half the dough in the fridge for the next day and honestly didn’t notice a huge difference in how much the cookies spread. Both batches were equally delicious.
Way to sweet for me
These are the best cookies I have ever eaten in my life. The cookie dough is also delicious.
Absolutely delicious! I added toffee skor chipits and it added a nice crunch element to the soft delicious cookie!! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Worth every calorie! The tip to take out of the oven just as the edges turned tan made them great. I have printed this off and added to my recipe book!