Butterscotch Cookies

In continuing my journey to make very normal but very good cookies, we’ve reached the butterscotch cookie! A flavor that’s somewhat hard to perfectly encapsulate in a cookie, because it’s so specific, but so very very sweet. This butterscotch cookie definitely takes a few liberties, and I’ve added in a few extra additions (hello rosemary and butternut squash!) to make it a little more seasonal and festive, but I’ve also added in substitutions where you can omit the rosemary and the squash and still end up with a fantastic cookie any time of year.

This is buttery, toasty, sweet and has *just* the right caramel notes, making this a very successful butterscotch cookie in my books.

First, let’s talk a bit about butterscotch

What is butterscotch? Great question! It is a confectionary hard candy that is usually made of brown sugar and butter. Occasionally it can contain cream, milk, corn syrup or vanilla, but it’s rare that you see butterscotch have too many add-ins.

This hard candy is an Americana classic, but my version uses white sugar instead of brown. Don’t worry, you still get that signature toasty, nutty, butterscotch taste, but this way as a home baker, you can see when your candy has actively changed colors and is ready to pour. I find this challenging to determine with brown sugar, so I opted for the easier (and safer!) route.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this butterscotch

The beauty of butterscotch is its minimalism. Here is everything you’ll need to make it:

• 1/2 cup & 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 125 grams
• 2 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda

How to make the butterscotch candy

This is a quick candy, the key is to keep your eye on it. Once it starts browning, everything happens very quickly – so quickly that you’ll be surprised how fast you can make butterscotch candy in your own home!

To begin, get a small saucepan and add the sugar, water, butter and salt.
Put the pan on medium heat and let the butter melt, undisturbed, until it is almost fully melted. Give everything a swirl with a spatula, and then let it cook until the mixture starts bubbling slightly.
Use your spatula to stir occasionally, and wait for the mixture to turn noticeably darker in color. It will go from a glassy clear to slightly golden. Remove it from the heat.

Immediately add the 1/8 tsp of baking soda and stir until it is dispersed. It’ll start bubbling slightly and will lighten even more in color. Pour this directly onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Smooth with the spatula and let this cool either at room temperature or in the fridge!

Ingredients you’ll need to make the butterscotch cookie batter

Now this batter has a few interesting ingredients, but they can be easily subbed for pantry staples. Here is what I have listed, but you can look at the recipe notes for subs!

• 16 tbsp butter or vegan butter substitute
• 3 sprigs fresh chopped rosemary *can be omitted, see recipe notes
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, 80 grams
• 1 cup white sugar, 220 grams
• 1/3 cup butternut squash purée, 80 grams ***Can be substituted for one egg, see recipe notes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups & 2 tbsp flour, 300 grams
• 6 tbsp cornstarch, 42 grams
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1/2 tsp if using Morton’s

What is the best way to incorporate brown butter into your wet ingredients?

This recipe starts with a lot of brown butter – it helps the butterscotch cookies keep their signature buttery taste. The key to incorporating any brown butter into your wet ingredients is to make sure that it is fully cooled. This doesn’t have to be a crazy task, in this recipe I like to mix it with the rosemary and butternut squash purée to help temper it, and in other recipes I temper with a bit of milk.

The key is to make sure the brown butter is not too hot to be added to the mix. Start with scalding brown butter and you’ll definitely feel the consequences.

How to make and bake these butterscotch cookies

Now that you have your butterscotch made (or store bought, I don’t really mind either!) it is time to make the cookie dough. Here is a step-by-step guide to making this the perfect butterscotch cookie batter:

• brown the 16 tbsp of butter. Do this by putting the pan on medium-low heat and letting the butter fully melt. Stir occasionally, until you see the milk solids start to separate and form flecks on the bottom of the pan. Let the butter fizz a bit and continue to stir. Continue this for about 2-3 minutes, or until the milk solids start to become a golden brown. Turn the heat to medium and stir consistently for 1 more minute, then remove the butter from the heat and stir until it is a deep, almost dark gold brown.
• Add the chopped up rosemary to a bowl, pour the brown butter into the bowl and whisk to bring the temperature down. Add in the butternut squash purée here and whisk (do not do this if you are using an egg instead). Move the brown butter to the fridge to cool for 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Pour in the brown butter when it has cooled slightly. Add the egg during this step if you are using it instead of the butternut squash purée. Use the paddle attachment of the mixer to mix on medium. Mix for about 3-4 minutes or until the mix is light and fluffy.
• While the mixer is running, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Stop the mixer and add the dry ingredients a little at a time to the dough, using a spatula to mix it in until smooth. When the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, the dough should be fluffy.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a scale to measure out nine even 4 ounce scoops of dough. Place them evenly on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for them to spread.
• Break your hardened butterscotch into “pieces” and place a large piece in the center of every cookie.
• Bake at 400°F for 10-11 minutes – a trick here is to take them out when they still look slightly underdone, just trust me!
• Smack the baking sheet on the counter a few times to help flatten the cookies. This is an imperative step! They’ll come out a bit tall, but smack the sheet on the counter a few times and watch them spread like magic. Use a bowl or cup to swirl around the edges of the cookie, helping to form them into perfect circles.
• Let the cookies cool for five minutes to set, and then eat right away if you want a chewy butterscotch. If you want a thin, crisp butterscotch bite, let them cool completely and taste cookie heaven. (I like to store these in the fridge, they taste divine chilled!)

Substitutions for the homemade butterscotch candies

If you don’t want to do the step of making your own candy (believe me, I get it) – feel free to get some hard butterscotch candies from the store! A preferred favorite of mine are Werther’s caramels, they melt fantastically in the oven. But any generic store bought brand will do!

You can also get butterscotch chips to put in the inside of the dough, this with the candy might be overkill, but on their own it’s a great addition!

FAQs

Looking for other cookie recipes?

Here are a few other cookie recipes that are sure to hit the sweet spot!

And that’s it for these butterscotch cookies!

If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3