Food

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies: Recipe and 4 Baking Tips

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Mar 16, 2023 • 2 min read

Butterscotch cookies are chewy, sweet, and full of texture from oats and butterscotch chips. Use two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich, drizzle a vanilla glaze on top of the baked cookies, or eat them as-is while soft and warm.

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What Are Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies?

Butterscotch oatmeal cookies, also known as oatmeal scotchies, are oatmeal cookies with the addition of butterscotch chips. Cinnamon and brown sugar add a warm sweetness to the cookies, just like a bowl of oatmeal, and the butterscotch morsels add more texture and sweetness. Just like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal butterscotch cookies are chewy cookies with crispy edges.

4 Tips for Making Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Use the tips below for making chewy, crispy, and sweet butterscotch oatmeal cookies.

  1. 1. Choose your oats. Use old-fashioned oats (rolled oats) or quick oats, depending on how much texture you prefer. Rolled oats add a crunchier texture than quick oats, which are pre-steamed for a more tender texture.
  2. 2. Add butterscotch chips in with the dry ingredients. To prevent overmixing, which results in tough cookie dough, mix the butterscotch chips in with the dry ingredients instead of incorporating them separately. Mix the chips in by hand or at a low speed, so the morsels remain intact.
  3. 3. Chill the dough overnight. To develop more flavor in the cookie dough, chill it overnight. Baking the cookie dough while it’s cold helps the cookies maintain a dome shape instead of spreading out too much.
  4. 4. Add toasted, chopped nuts. The flavor of oatmeal cookies pairs well with the nutty flavor of toasted pecans or walnuts. Mix the toasted nuts into the cookie dough with the dry ingredients and butterscotch chips.

Easy Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

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makes

About 30 cookies

prep time

10 min

total time

25 min

cook time

15 min

Ingredients

Note: The total time does not include at least 3 hours of inactive time.

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, butterscotch chips, and nuts (if using).

  2. 2

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened, unsalted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until very light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, add the ingredients to a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer to combine.

  3. 3

    Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.

  4. 4

    Beat the egg, butter, and sugar mixture for another 5 minutes.

  5. 5

    Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

  6. 6

    Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing the wet and dry ingredients.

  7. 7

    Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

  8. 8

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  9. 9

    With a large spoon or cookie scoop, place about 12–15 cookie dough balls on the lined cookie sheets, leaving room between each cookie to account for spreading. (If desired, freeze the shaped cookie dough on the baking sheets before transferring the cookies to ziplock bags. Frozen cookie dough balls will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen for 15 minutes.)

  10. 10

    Bake the cookies until they are golden brown around the edges, about 12–15 minutes.

  11. 11

    Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool.

  12. 12

    Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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