These Butterscotch Cookies are soft, chewy, loaded with sweet, melty butterscotch chips, and finished with a sprinkle of sea salt. They’re buttery, rich, and full of that warm, cozy flavor that just feels like home.
I don’t know about you, but I love cookies. Everything from classics like big chocolate chip cookies to fun twists like brownie cookies has a place in my kitchen.
But these butterscotch chip cookies? They’re on a whole other level. Rich, chewy, and just the right balance of sweet and salty, they’re the kind of cookie that disappears faster than you’d think.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Brown butter: The brown butter gives these cookies a rich, nutty flavor that makes them out of this world delicious.
- Perfect texture: This butterscotch cookie recipe boasts crispy edges and a soft center, delivering the texture we all crave.
- Sweet with a twist: The butterscotch adds a caramel-like sweetness, and a hint of sea salt helps bring it all together.
- Simple ingredients: You only need a few simple ingredients, so you may not even need to make a trip to the grocery store.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: When baking with flour, it’s important to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and not use the cup to scoop the flour.
- Baking soda: Using baking soda in cookies helps them rise and gives them the perfect spread. Make sure that your baking soda is fresh.
- Butter: Since we are browning the butter for these cookies, I recommend that you use salted butter for the best flavor.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives the cookies a little moisture and rich molasses-style sweetness, which makes them melt in your mouth.
- Sour cream: Sour cream is a surprising ingredient in this recipe, but it adds a slight tang and a lot of moisture to these cookies.
- Butterscotch chips: These are the star of the show. They are sweet and melt into a gooey texture that is downright delicious.
- Sea salt: Flaky sea salt is optional; however, the slight crunch and salt really help to balance out the sweetness, giving these cookies a nice pop of flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Oatmeal: Turn these into oatmeal butterscotch cookies by adding some oats to your dough.
- Nutty Twist: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
- Chocolate Chip & Butterscotch Combo: Use half butterscotch chips, half chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips for a little extra flavor.
- Spiced Version: Add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the dry ingredients for a warm, spicy flavor.
How to Make Butterscotch Cookies
Preheat your oven, and pull out your favorite cookie sheets so that you can make this recipe for butterscotch cookies. You might want to make a double batch, because your family is going to devour them quickly.
- Step 1: Brown the butter. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the butter, stirring constantly. Once it reaches an amber color, remove it from the heat and cool.
- Step 2: Add the sugar. Once the butter has cooled slightly, add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Step 3: Mix in the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer to beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sour cream until smooth.
- Step 4: Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, but don’t overmix.
- Step 5: Fold in the chips. Gently fold in the butterscotch chips until combined.
- Step 6: Bake the cookies. Use a cookie scoop to make 1-inch double balls, and place them on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-122 or until the edges start to brown.
- Step 7: Salt and cool. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with sea salt. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Brown butter: Don’t walk away from the butter; it can burn quickly, so keep a close eye on it.
- Cool the butter: You don’t want to curdle your wet ingredients, so make sure that your butter cools off before you add the remaining ingredients.
- Even-sized cookies: To maintain shape and even baking, make sure that you gently roll the dough into balls after scooping.
- Don’t overbake: pull when edges are golden and centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue cooking off the heat.
- Storing: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3‑4 days. You can also freeze baked cookies. After they’re fully cooled, freeze them flat in a single layer, then layer with parchment paper. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite flavor on top for an extra special treat.
- Pair with a hot cup of coffee, chai, or a glass of cold milk.
- These homemade butterscotch cookies are also great on a platter at your parties and gatherings. Serve them alongside favorites such as classic sugar cookies or Reese’s Pieces cookies.
Recipe FAQs
It develops a deep, nutty flavor you can’t get with plain melted butter. It adds more dimension. I promise it’s worth the effort.
If you are out of sour cream, no need to panic, just use full-fat plain Greek yogurt instead. It will still give you the tang and moisture that your cookies need.
The secret is not to overmix your cookie batter. Once you add the dry ingredients, you want to mix until just combined. And, the second important factor is not to overbake them, so don’t forget to set a timer.
Absolutely! Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet, and then transfer to a zip bag. Add a few minutes if you are baking from frozen.
Try These Delicious Cookies Today
This butterscotch cookie recipe takes the classic toffee-like flavor of butterscotch cookies and makes it even more complex and rich by using brown butter. Adding a nutty undertone and making for super soft and chewy cookies, brown butter is the secret to these incredibly delicious and luscious cookies. Give them a try, and I know they’ll be a permanent – and prominent – part of your cookie rotation for years to come.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
This is the best butterscotch cookies recipe you will ever try. However, if you want something a little different, try one of these recipes:
These Lemon Cookies with Lemon Glaze are soft, chewy and delicious, and are the perfect summer cookie recipe.
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Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 cups butterscotch chips
- Sea salt for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a frying pan, brown butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter turns an amber color. Remove from heat as soon as the butter starts to brown.
- Pour browned butter into a medium bowl and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar and sugar into the brown butter stir until combined.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and sour cream to the brown butter mixture until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt together. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Stir butterscotch chips into cookie dough.
- Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, roll cookie dough and place on ungreased baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges start to brown.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on each cookie, let sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients: Bring your egg and egg yolk to room temperature for more even mixing.
- Don’t burn the butter: Watch the butter closely; you want to brown it, but not burn it.
- Fix soft dough: If your dough is too soft, chill it for 30 minutes to an hour to help firm it up. This will help with shaping the cookies.
