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Crisp, golden brown edges, soft and chewy centers, and plenty of rich butterscotch chips make these thebest butterscotch cookiesyou’ll ever taste. Grandma’s old-fashioned recipe has been enjoyed with a cold glass of milk for generations!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
- The Secret to the Chewiest Moist Cookies
- Ingredients
- How to Make Butterscotch Cookies from Scratch
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Butterscotch Cookie Recipe
- Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Cookies Recipe Recipe
If you love cookies, be sure to make soft cut-out sugar cookies, a batch of easy chocolate chip cookies, and these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, too!
Why You’ll Love this Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
Straight from my grandmother’s recipe box, this old-fashioned butterscotch cookies recipe is the absolute best. They are:
- Crisp on the edges, but soft in the center;
- Moist and chewy (thanks to the brown sugar and butter);
- Loaded with butterscotch chips;
- Buttery, salty and sweet!
Serve a few cookies with a cold glass of milk and watch your kids, grandchildren, friends and loved ones smile!
The Secret to the Chewiest Moist Cookies
More moisture yields a chewy cookie, so one way to achieve this desired texture is to use plenty of brown sugar in the dough. The molasses in the brown sugar draws in more moisture, making the cookies thicker, softer, and chewier.
The other secret to maintaining those decadent, soft, gooey centers in your butterscotch chip cookies isnotoverbaking. Remove the cookies from the oven just as the edges are starting to brown. Thecenters will still look soft and under-baked, but the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to prepare a batch of these Tollhouse butterscotch cookies. As always, the specific measurements and complete baking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour: forms the base of the cookie dough.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies rise.
- Salt: enhances the flavors in the cookie and balances the sweetness of the dough.
- Butter: we prefer salted butter for that great salty-and-sweet contrast.
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: an equal amount of both sugars yields a great soft and chewy cookie with crisp edges.
- Vanilla extract: adds flavor to the dough.
- Eggs: give the cookies structure.
- Butterscotch chips: also called “Butterscotch Morsels,” we prefer Nestle Tollhouse brand for the best flavor. I’ve sampled other brands and they just aren’t quite the same!
How to Make Butterscotch Cookies from Scratch
This classic, old-fashioned butterscotch cookies recipe comes together in just minutes. Keep the basic ingredients on hand and you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. They always disappear fast, and are one of my husband’s favorite desserts!
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Cream together the butter and sugars.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture.
- Mix in the dry ingredients.
- Stir in the butterscotch morsels.
- Chill the dough.
- Drop the dough using a cookie scoop onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Bake until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges but still soft in the centers.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.They will last on the counter for about 3 days.To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly andfreeze them for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the doughup to 24 hours in advanceand keep it covered in your refrigerator until ready to bake.
- How to Freeze: You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls first. Arrange the dough balls on baking sheets, freeze, and then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.When ready to bake, just pull a couple of frozen dough balls from the freezer and bake in a 375°F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.
Recipe Variations
- For an ultra-chewy texture, use more brown sugar than granulated sugar. For example, increase the brown sugar to 1 cup and reduce the granulated sugar to ½ cup. You can also swap out half of the all-purpose flour for bread flour, which has a higher protein content and therefore creates a chewier bite.
- If you prefer crunchy butterscotch cookies, use more granulated sugar than brown sugar and bake the cookies for a few extra minutes.
- For a soft, puffy texture, replace half of the butter with shortening. To do so, reduce the butter to ½ cup (1 stick) and add ½ cup of shortening.
- Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies: chocolate goes well with butterscotch, so swap out half of the butterscotch chips and replace them with semi-sweet morsels or milk chocolate chips.
- Mix in crushed pretzels for salty crunch, try chopped walnuts or pecans for a richer flavor, swap out half of the butterscotch chips for white chocolate chips or toffee bits, or add some sweetened, flaked coconut to the dough.
Tips for the Best Butterscotch Cookie Recipe
- Chill the dough.Some butterscotch cookie recipes do not call for chilling the dough; however, I find that at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator before scooping yields the softest ever butterscotch cookies.
- Do not put cookie dough on warm baking sheets. Make sure that you’re always starting with cool baking sheets.
- Use Nestle Tollhouse brand Butterscotch Morsels for the best butterscotch flavor.
- Serve the tray of cookieswith a cold glass of milk, a mug ofmulled cider,homemade hot cocoa, or a simple pot of coffee or tea. It doesn’t get any cozier than that!
More Old-Fashioned Cookie Recipes to Try
Old-Fashioned Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
40 minutes mins
3-Ingredient Scottish Shortbread Cookies
35 minutes mins
Russian Tea Cakes {Snowball Cookies}
1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
5 from 1 vote
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 10 minutes minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour hour
Total: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
Servings 39 cookies
Calories 134 kcal
Straight from Grandma's recipe box, these old-fashioned butterscotch cookies are soft, chewy and loaded with butterscotch chips!
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch morsels
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the flour mixture, just until combined (do not over-mix). Stir in the butterscotch morsels.
Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons two-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Place the baking sheets back in the refrigerator or in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill again.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until light brown around the edges. The centers will still be soft. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For an ultra-chewy texture, use more brown sugar than granulated sugar. For example, increase the brown sugar to 1 cup and reduce the granulated sugar to ½ cup. You can also swap out half of the all-purpose flour for bread flour, which has a higher protein content and therefore creates a chewier bite.
- If you prefer crunchy butterscotch cookies, use more granulated sugar than brown sugar and bake the cookies for a few extra minutes.
- For a soft, puffy texture, replace half of the butter with shortening. To do so, reduce the butter to ½ cup (1 stick) and add ½ cup of shortening.
- Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies: chocolate goes well with butterscotch, so swap out half of the butterscotch chips and replace them with semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips.
- Mix in crushed pretzels for salty crunch, or add some sweetened, flaked coconut to the dough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 165mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 166IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Keyword: butterscotch chip cookies, butterscotch cookies, old-fashioned butterscotch cookies recipe
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan
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