Crisp, golden brown edges, soft and chewy centers, and plenty of rich butterscotch chips make these the best butterscotch cookies you'll ever taste! Grandma's old-fashioned recipe comes out perfectly every time, so file this one away to share with your loved ones for years to come. The cookies have been enjoyed with a cold glass of milk for generations!
Old Fashioned Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
Straight from Grandma's recipe box, these old-fashioned butterscotch cookies are soft, chewy and loaded with butterscotch chips! We think this recipe is the absolute best because the butterscotch chip cookies are:
- Crisp on the edges, but soft in the center;
- 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!
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 just until combined.
- Stir in the butterscotch morsels.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Drop the dough onto the baking sheets.
- Bake in a 375° F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges but still soft in the centers.
The Secret to Making Chewy 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 is not overbaking. Remove the cookies from the oven just as the edges are starting to brown. The centers will still look soft and under-baked, but the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
How to Store Soft Butterscotch Cookies
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 and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead
You can prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in your refrigerator until ready to bake.
How to Freeze Butterscotch Chip Cookies
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, 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 cookies with a cold glass of milk, a mug of mulled cider, homemade hot cocoa, or a simple pot of coffee or tea. It doesn't get any cozier than that!
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Classic Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butterscotch Haystack Cookies with Chow Mein Noodles
- Snickerdoodles
- Butterscotch Pecan Cookies (made with cake mix!)
- Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Butterscotch Cookies
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.
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