These super easy butterscotch chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. Flaky sea salt over top balances out the sweetness of the butterscotch and brings out the chocolate flavor.
No offense to the classic chocolate chip cookie, but these butterscotch chocolate chip cookies win every time. The deep caramel-like flavor of the butterscotch (not the same thing as caramel though!) and the addition of flaky sea salt creates a rather complicated flavor profile that will satisfy a more sophisticated audience.
Not in the mood for butterscotch or don't have any on hand? Try out my chewy s'mores cookies or my peanut butter Nutella blossom cookies! Feeling a bit more ambitious? Try my no water bath cheesecake or passion fruit mango bars 🙂
Read below for more details on the recipe or just jump right in! Please leave a comment (and rating!) or DM me on instagram @honey.ibakedacake if you have any questions or just want to tell me how much you loved these cookies!
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Ingredients
Aside from butterscotch chips, you likely have all these ingredients in your pantry already!
- all-purpose flour - If you aren't weighing your ingredients, please spoon and level your flour. Too much flour can alter the texture!
- baking powder
- baking soda
- kosher salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for baking. It is less "salty" than normal table salt. Please adjust accordingly.
- unsalted butter- Softened to room temperature. (Tip: If using butter straight out of the fridge, microwave the butter in 10 second increments, flipping between rounds, until you can easily make an indentation in the butter with your finger.)
- light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- large egg - You can bring your egg to room temperature by placing it in a bowl of warm water while you prep your other ingredients.
- vanilla extract
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- butterscotch chips
- flaky sea salt - Fleur de Sel works great as finishing salt!
Please see recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until lighter in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out 12 balls of cookie dough and arrange 6 of them on each lined baking sheet.
- Bake one pan at 350°F for 11-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooking rack. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. Repeat with second pan of cookies.
Hint: While the cookies are still hot out of the oven, take a round cookie cutter or glass with an opening just a bit bigger than the cookies. Place it around each baked cookie and "scoot" it around in a circle until the cookie is perfectly symmetrical.
Weight vs. volume measurements
Although most Americans are accustomed to baking with volume measurements, I prefer to use weight measurements for more consistent results and to use fewer dishes. Depending on how ingredients are packed and leveled into a measuring cup, the actual amount of the ingredient can drastically differ and affect the recipe outcome. I develop my recipes using weight, but have tried to convert most to the closest volume measurements for those of you without a scale. You can find a kitchen scale for cheap at most grocery stores or online. I love this one!
Variations
These butterscotch cookies would be delicious with the addition of chopped pecans or walnuts or some sweetened coconut. You could also sub dark or bittersweet chocolate in for the semi-sweet chocolate chips if you want to take away a little bit of the sweetness. If you want to add something extra to the cookies, just add about half a cup to the cookie dough when you fold in the chocolate chips.
Equipment
Nothing fancy needed for this easy cookie recipe! Just a couple baking sheets, a couple bowls, and a hand or stand mixer. No stress if you don't own a cookie scoop— a spoon works great too!
Storage
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or the fridge for up to 5. You can also freeze them in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Top tip
Be mindful of how you measure the flour! Extra flour can affect the texture of cookies— we are aiming for soft and chewy here! If you aren't using a food scale, be sure to spoon the flour into a measuring cup (don't pack it in!) and scrape the top with a flat edge to get a more accurate measurement.
FAQ
Yes! Not in need of a whole dozen cookies? Just scoop the remainder of the cookie dough into individual balls and place in a freezer bag until ready to use. Before baking, remove the dough balls from the freezer and allow them to come close to room temperature before baking. You may need to add a couple minutes onto the bake time with this method.
With this recipe you don't have to, but it can make the cookies even tastier! If you allow the dough to sit in the fridge overnight, the cookies may be even chewier and have a deeper flavor.
Butterscotch is made by heating brown sugar and butter on the stove until is reaches the "soft crack" stage between 270°F and 290°F— a little longer and it becomes toffee. Caramel is similar to butterscotch but is made with white granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
PrintRecipe
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
These super easy butterscotch chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. Flaky sea salt over top balances out the sweetness of the butterscotch and brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: ~22 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (106g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170g) butterscotch chips
- flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until lighter in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out 12 balls of cookie dough and arrange 6 of them on each lined baking sheet.
- Bake one pan of cookies at 350°F for 11-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooking rack. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. Repeat with second pan of cookies.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months for maximum freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 329
- Sugar: 34.4 g
- Sodium: 169.5 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.3 g
- Protein: 3.6 g
- Cholesterol: 37.1 mg
About Kaylee Hagen
Hi, I'm Kaylee! I'm the recipe developer, writer, and photographer for all things Honey, I Baked a Cake! Formerly a professional musical theatre performer in New York City, I now put my creativity into baking decadent treats to share with friends, family, and you.
Amy
So easy and so delicious!