Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft & Chewy
I may receive compensation in the form of payment or products to supplement my posts, but all opinions remain my own. Read our disclosure policy.
These butterscotch chocolate chip cookies are chewy, buttery and completely addictive. They’re a little crispy around the edges but soft in the middle. If you love butterscotch chips – then this is the cookie recipe for you!
Perfect Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Butterscotch chips are perfect for anyone who has a true sweet tooth, and if that’s you, then you’re going to love these butterscotch chocolate chip cookies. They’re sweet, buttery and have just the right amount of salt and vanilla to balance out the sweetness of the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. The cookies are thick enough to hold a ton of chips, but not so thick that they get dry and look like little mounds of dough. They’re soft and chewy in the middle, but just a little crispy around the edges.
What I also love about this recipe is that there’s no need to chill the dough prior to baking. The cookies turn out soft, chewy and not too thin.
Cookie Baking Tips
- This recipe is made with cold butter and a cold egg. I know that might sound odd, as many cookie recipes call for softened butter. I’ve started to really like using cold butter in recipes because it creates cookies with slightly crispy edges but slightly gooey centers. Cold butter, vs softened butter, vs melted butter all act differently in baking. So make sure your butter is the proper temperature for the recipe.
- Measure the flour carefully – otherwise the cookies will be too dry and won’t flatten. If using measuring cups (and not a scale), make sure to whisk the flour first. Then spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top.
- Don’t forget the salt! Butterscotch chips are very sweet – so the salt in this recipe is really necessary to balance out the sweetness. If you only have salted butter on hand, then feel free to use that but omit the salt from the recipe.
Freezing Cookie Dough
After making the dough, form it into balls. I recommend placing the dough balls on a plate in the fridge for about 30 minutes to help them firm up. Then place the dough balls in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and close. Cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, bake the dough balls from frozen as directed in the recipe. They’ll likely need 1-2 extra minutes.
A Note About Butterscotch Chips
Since moving to Australia, finding butterscotch chips is always a challenge. I’ve only ever found them at specialty import grocery stores. The most comparable option would be the Caramilk baking chips.
Love butterscotch? Then don’t forget to try:
- Butterscotch Blondies
- Butterscotch Cookies – the dough in these has a delicious butterscotch flavor AND they’re filled with butterscotch chips
- Butterscotch Sauce
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (187.5 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, I sometimes use close to 1/2 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams) , cold, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 grams) , packed, light or dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips (120 grams)
- 2/3 cup butterscotch chips (120 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C or 160C on a fan-forced oven). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Starting with the mixer on a low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. I typically reserve a few for adding to the tops of the cookies after they're baked.
- For the dough into balls with about 1 - 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. Mine were slightly smaller than a golf ball. I like to use a cookie scoop for this.
- Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the oven. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops look just set. If they aren't flattening as much as you'd like, gently press the cookies down before baking.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes. Optionally, place a few extra chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on top of each cookie. Then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- Measuring Flour: Cookies can get dry and puffy if there's too much flour. I always use a scale for the most accurate results. If you don't have a scale, whisk the flour first. Then spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. Do not simply scoop the flour from the bag/container, or you'll end up with too much.
- Cold Butter: This recipe was developed with cold butter from the fridge (not frozen). Cold butter behaves differently than softened butter or melted butter. For easier mixing, cut the butter into small cubes first.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Baked and cooled cookies can be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. I recommend placing a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper in between cookies when freezing so that they don't stick together.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 22 equal-sized cookies.
