Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies deliver bakery-style flavor, golden edges, and gooey centers packed with butterscotch chips—perfect for lunchboxes, bake sales, and late-night cravings.
There’s something irresistible about a cookie that stays soft in the center while the edges turn beautifully golden and just a little crisp. These butterscotch cookies do exactly that, with every bite full of warm caramel notes and rich buttery goodness.
They’re the kind of treat that disappears from the cooling rack almost as soon as they come out of the oven. The dough comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients, so you can whip them up on a busy weeknight or for a last-minute get-together.
Whether you’re baking for your family, gifting a tin of cookies, or stocking the freezer, this batch-friendly recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again.
Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies Ingredients
- All-purpose flour provides structure so the cookies hold their shape while staying soft and tender.
- Baking soda helps the cookies rise slightly and bake up with a light, chewy texture instead of being dense.
- Salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the warm, buttery flavors in every bite.
- Unsalted butter, softened adds rich flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture when creamed with the sugars.
- Brown sugar brings moisture and a deep caramel note that keeps the cookies extra chewy for days.
- Granulated sugar helps with lightness, sweetness, and those slightly crisp edges everyone loves.
- Large eggs bind the dough and add richness, helping the cookies stay soft in the center.
- Vanilla extract rounds out the butterscotch flavor with a cozy, bakery-style aroma.
- Butterscotch chips are the star, creating pockets of sweet, melty butterscotch throughout each cookie.
Step-by-Step Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
STEP 1: Prep your baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) so it’s ready as soon as the dough is mixed.
STEP 2: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures the leavening and seasoning are evenly distributed before they ever touch the wet ingredients.
STEP 3: In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and slightly paler in color, about 2–3 minutes.
STEP 4: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP 5: Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in a few additions, mixing gently just until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing at this stage can make the cookies tough instead of soft.
STEP 6: Fold in the butterscotch chips with a spatula so they’re evenly scattered through the dough, making sure every scoop will have plenty of chips.
STEP 7: Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons (or use a small cookie scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading in the oven.
STEP 8: Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft and puffy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Can I chill the dough before baking?
Yes. Chilling for 30–60 minutes helps control spreading, deepens the flavor, and can make the cookies a bit thicker and chewier. Just cover the bowl or portion the dough first.
How do I keep these cookies soft for days?
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Adding a small piece of bread or a marshmallow to the container helps maintain moisture and keeps cookies soft longer.
Can I swap the butterscotch chips for something else?
Absolutely. You can replace some or all of the butterscotch chips with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or toffee bits. Just keep the total amount of mix-ins roughly the same.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes, the dough freezes very well. Scoop into balls, freeze on a tray until firm, then store in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
Pro Tips for Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients
Softened butter and room temperature eggs cream together smoothly, trapping air and helping the cookies bake evenly with the ideal chewy texture. - Take them out while centers look soft
Pull the cookies from the oven when the edges are set but the middles still look a touch underbaked. They’ll finish cooking on the hot pan and stay perfectly soft. - Customize the size
For bakery-style cookies, scoop slightly larger balls of dough and add an extra minute or two of baking time. For bite-sized treats, use a smaller scoop and shorten the bake.
What to Serve with Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
A simple glass of cold milk is the classic pairing, letting the rich butterscotch flavor shine and giving you that nostalgic, after-school-snack feeling.
For a cozy dessert plate, serve these cookies alongside a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream, letting the warm cookies gently soften the ice cream as you eat.
These cookies also make a lovely addition to a mixed dessert tray with brownies, bars, and chocolate chip cookies, offering a different flavor profile that still feels familiar and comforting.
How to Store & Reheat
Once your butterscotch cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. To keep them extra soft, tuck in a small piece of sandwich bread and replace it as needed.
For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag or container once solid. They’ll keep well for up to 2–3 months without losing much quality.
To enjoy them warm again, reheat a cookie in the microwave for about 8–10 seconds, just until the center feels soft and the butterscotch chips turn slightly melty. It brings them right back to that fresh-from-the-oven magic.
Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup of unsalted butter brought to room temperature
- ¾ cup of brown sugar tightly packed
- ½ cup of white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups of standard all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of fine salt
- 1¾ cups of butterscotch-flavored baking chips
Instructions
- Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking trays by lining them with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir thoroughly to evenly blend, then set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter along with both the brown and granulated sugars until the mixture turns light in texture and pale in color—approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs individually, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
- Begin adding the flour mixture in portions to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. Avoid overworking the dough.
- Stir in the butterscotch chips until they are spread uniformly throughout the dough.
- Using a rounded tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop mounds of dough onto the lined baking sheets, keeping about 2 inches of space between each.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges show a golden hue and the centers remain soft.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.