Butterscotch Cookies
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These delicious homemade butterscotch cookies are soft and chewy. Every bite is filled with butterscotch flavor. Perfect for dipping into a cold glass of milk!
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Butterscotch, I am told, is one of those flavors people seldom are indifferent about – they love it or hate it. I am definitively in the love it camp, so I can’t really wrap my head around being indifferent to it, or, worse – gasp – hating it.
These chewy butterscotch cookies are a quick and easy way to satisfy my butterscotch craving. These cookies are similar to my butterscotch toffee cookies, and like my oatmeal scotchies, but without the oatmeal. They are sweet and rich and full of decadent butterscotch flavor.
Sometimes when I buy a butterscotch cookie at a bakery, they tend to be on the crispier side. I’m not really sure why that is. I like my butterscotch cookies soft and chewy. I threw every trick in the book at these babies.
To start, I added cornstarch to the ingredients. It adds a softness to baked goods, and, importantly, helps them stay that way. Brown sugar adds sweetness to any recipe, but also, because of its high moisture content, it also adds softness or moisture to baked goods as well.
And for leavening, when I really want soft and chewy – a cookie that rises more will be less crispy. So I pulled out all the stops here and used both baking soda and baking powder. The result is a chewy, soft and fluffy cookie that is so good it might start to change some people’s minds about butterscotch.
Recipe Snapshot
- TASTE: Sweet and loaded with butterscotch
- TEXTURE: Soft and chewy
- EASE: Easy
- TIME: Just under a half an hour
What You’ll Need
These butterscotch cookies are made with ingredients similar to a chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cornstarch, egg yolk, butter and light brown sugar make these cookies extra soft and chewy.
Ingredients
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour in this recipe. Check out my tips for measuring flour here.
- Cornstarch – This makes the cookies soft and helps keep them that way.
- Leavening – This recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder.
- Salt – Balances the flavor. I use kosher salt.
- Butter – For soft cookies and rich flavor. I always use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt.
- Light brown sugar – Make your own using this recipe. Brown sugar adds more moisture to baked goods than does white sugar.
- Eggs – This recipe calls for one large egg and one additional egg yolk.
- Vanilla extract – For a touch of vanilla flavor.
- Butterscotch chips – These are irresistible. They are sold in the baking aisle, next to the chocolate chips.
Recommended Tools
- Electric mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
How to Make Butterscotch Cookies
These cookies come together quickly. You can go from craving to enjoying in just under half an hour. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt; stir with a whisk.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer on medium-low speed just until combined. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Combine. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix until just combined. Fold in the butterscotch chips.
- Bake. Roll cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown and just underdone.
- Cool and enjoy! Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Handy tip:
Don’t overmix here. Sometimes my recipes call for creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This recipe, you want to mix them truly until just combined.
Tips For Success
- .Baking the cookies one sheet at a time may take a little longer, but it will ensure the cookies are more evenly cooked and browned. I highly recommend it with these cookies.
- If you are pressed for time, you can bake two sheets at once Space the racks to divide the oven into thirds, and halfway through baking, fully rotate the cookie sheets. Switch them from back to front and from top to bottom.
Storage & Freezing
- The cookies will keep for up to 1 week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed.
Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer on medium-low speed just until combined. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture all at once and mix until just combined. Fold in the butterscotch chips.
- Roll cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown and just underdone.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- The cookies will keep for up to 1 week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.