Welcome to the ultimate guide for crafting the most irresistible Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies! Prepare to delight your senses with these utterly divine cookies, celebrated for their perfectly gooey interiors and satisfyingly crisp edges. Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of rich chocolate and sweet, buttery butterscotch, expertly balanced by a delicate sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top. This recipe isn’t just about baking; it’s about creating a moment of pure comfort and indulgence that will leave everyone craving more.
Imagine your favorite classic chocolate chip cookies, elevated to an extraordinary level with the captivating sweetness of butterscotch. This chewy cookie recipe masterfully combines these beloved flavors, resulting in a treat that’s both familiar and exciting. The addition of flaky sea salt isn’t just for show; it’s a crucial element that cuts through the sweetness, enhancing the depth of flavor and providing a delightful contrast that makes each cookie truly addictive. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting, this simple and straightforward cookie recipe promises a spectacular outcome every time.
While these butterscotch chocolate chip cookies are undoubtedly a showstopper, sometimes a different chocolate experience calls. If you’re in the mood for pure chocolate bliss, you might enjoy exploring our Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for a bakery-style treat, or perhaps a nostalgic Homemade Chipwich Ice Cream Sandwich. For a touch of charm, our Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect for special occasions. But for a truly unique and deeply satisfying dessert, these butterscotch chocolate chip cookies remain an unparalleled choice.
Table of Contents
- Why We Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients for Perfection
- Flavorful Substitutions and Additions
- How to Bake Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Storage and Freezing Tips
- Expert Baking Pro Tips
- More Delectable Butterscotch Desserts
Why We Love This Recipe
This recipe for Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies is more than just a list of steps; it’s an invitation to create joy. We adore these cookies because they strike the perfect balance between familiar comfort and exciting new flavors. The decadent combination of rich chocolate and sweet, caramelized butterscotch chips creates a symphony of taste that is simply unforgettable. They are incredibly versatile, making them the ideal treat for any occasion – from casual family movie nights to elegant dinner parties or even as thoughtful homemade gifts. Be warned, though: these cookies have a magical way of disappearing almost as soon as they emerge from the oven!
Beyond their incredible flavor, these cookies are a joy to bake. The process is straightforward, yielding consistently delicious results that will impress everyone. There’s something incredibly satisfying about pulling a tray of these golden-brown beauties from the oven, their warm, sweet aroma filling your home. Their universal appeal makes them a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, beloved by both children and adults. If you’re a fan of butterscotch, you might also enjoy the delightful crunch of Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies. For other classic favorites that always bring smiles, our Chocolate Chip Pizookie Recipe and Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe are always popular choices.
Key Ingredients for Perfection
Crafting the perfect cookie begins with understanding the role of each ingredient. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why:
- Unsalted Butter: Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature. This allows it to cream smoothly with the sugars, creating a light and airy base for your cookie dough, which translates to a tender, chewy cookie.
- Light Brown Sugar: This provides moisture and a deep, caramel-like sweetness crucial for the butterscotch flavor profile. For an extra touch of homemade goodness, consider our Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: Works alongside brown sugar to achieve the ideal sweetness and contributes to the cookie’s crisp exterior.
- Large Eggs: Make sure these are also at room temperature. Eggs act as a binder, provide structure, and add richness to the dough, contributing to the soft, chewy texture.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A staple in most cookie recipes, vanilla enhances all the other flavors, adding a warm, aromatic depth that completes the taste.
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookies. For accurate measurement and the best texture, always spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag. This prevents overpacking and results in a lighter cookie.
- Baking Soda: This leavening agent helps the cookies spread and become tender. If you’re ever in a pinch, check out our guide to the Best Baking Soda Substitutes.
- Cornstarch: A secret ingredient for truly soft and chewy cookies! Cornstarch helps tenderize the dough and keeps the cookies from spreading too much, ensuring that delightful gooey center.
- Salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing the flavors of the chocolate and butterscotch.
- Chocolate Chips: Use good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips for the best flavor and melt. They provide a classic contrast to the butterscotch.
- Butterscotch Chips: The star of the show! These chips melt into pockets of golden, caramel-like sweetness, perfectly complementing the chocolate.
- Flaky Sea Salt: A finishing touch for topping. This not only adds a beautiful visual element but also provides a delightful textural crunch and a salty contrast that elevates the entire cookie experience.
Flavorful Substitutions and Additions
While the classic Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookie is perfect as is, feel free to get creative and customize your batch with these delicious ideas:
- Chopped Nuts: Introduce a delightful crunch and nutty flavor by adding ½ to 1 cup of finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough. For an extra layer of complexity, you can even toast them lightly before adding.
- Chopped Toffee Bits: For an additional layer of caramel goodness and a pleasant chew, sprinkle ½ cup of chopped toffee bits into the batter. They melt beautifully, adding a rich, buttery depth.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Swap out half or all of the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips. This will introduce a slightly more bitter, intense chocolate flavor that beautifully contrasts with the butterscotch, creating a sophisticated taste profile.
- Chopped Pretzels: For an irresistible sweet and salty crunch, gently press small pieces of chopped pretzels onto the tops of the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven. The warmth of the cookie will help the pretzels adhere as they cool.
- White Chocolate Chips: Consider replacing some of the regular chocolate chips with white chocolate chips for a creamier texture and a sweeter, milder chocolate note that pairs wonderfully with butterscotch.
- Dried Cranberries or Cherries: For a burst of tartness and a chewy texture, fold in ½ cup of dried cranberries or chopped dried cherries. Their fruity notes can create an interesting counterpoint to the sweetness.
How to Bake Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Follow these detailed steps to bake perfect, homemade butterscotch chocolate chip cookies:
Step 1: Cream Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter with both the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat them together using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Step 2: Beat Until Creamy. Continue mixing until the butter and sugar mixture becomes light, fluffy, and creamy, typically for 2-3 minutes. This step incorporates air, contributing to the cookies’ texture.
Step 3: Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla. Add the large, room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, pour in the pure vanilla extract.
Step 4: Mix Until Just Combined. Continue to mix the wet ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and the mixture is smooth and cohesive. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated.
Step 5: Prepare Dry Ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Ensure these ingredients are well combined to distribute the leavening evenly.
Step 6: Gradually Add Dry to Wet. With the mixer speed set to low, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Add it in two or three batches, allowing it to incorporate partially between additions.
Step 7: Avoid Overmixing. Mix the dough until the dry ingredients are just combined. It’s crucial not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough cookies. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
Step 8: Add the Chips. Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips into the dough. Reserve a small handful of each type of chip for topping the cookies later to make them extra appealing.
Step 9: Gently Incorporate Chips. Use a spatula or your hands to gently mix the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips into the dough until they are evenly distributed. Be careful not to crush the chips.
Step 10: Chill the Dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30-60 minutes. Chilling is crucial for preventing excessive spreading and enhancing the flavor.
Step 11: Prepare for Baking. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to form uniform dough balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Top each cookie with a few of the reserved chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Step 12: Bake and Cool. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to set as they cool. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your perfect cookies!
Storage and Freezing Tips
Proper storage ensures your delicious Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies stay fresh and delightful for longer. If you happen to have any leftovers, which is a rare feat with these cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain wonderfully soft and chewy for up to one week. For an extra touch to maintain their softness, place a piece of fresh bread (like a slice of plain white bread) in the container with the cookies; it will absorb excess moisture and keep them from drying out.
For those who love to plan ahead or always want fresh-baked cookies at a moment’s notice, these cookies are also excellent for freezing! Prepare the cookie dough as normal, following all the steps up to forming the dough balls, but do not bake them. Scoop the dough into uniform balls and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the dough balls are firm. Once frozen solid, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Label with the date. Frozen dough balls will keep well for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough balls on a lined baking sheet and bake as normal, adding a few extra minutes (typically 2-4 minutes) to the baking time, without needing to thaw them beforehand. This method allows you to bake just a few fresh cookies whenever a craving strikes!
Expert Baking Pro Tips
Achieving bakery-quality cookies at home is easier than you think with these expert tips:
- Accurate Flour Measurement: The most common baking mistake is using too much flour. Always spoon your all-purpose flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Never scoop directly from the bag, as this compacts the flour and can add up to 25% more than intended, resulting in dry, dense cookies.
- Do Not Overbake: This is crucial for achieving that desired gooey center and crispy edge. Cookies continue to bake for a few minutes after they are removed from the oven due to residual heat. Take them out when the edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still appear slightly underdone. Resist the urge to put them back in the oven if they seem soft; they will firm up perfectly as they cool.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure both your butter and eggs are at room temperature. Softened butter creams more smoothly and evenly with sugar, creating a better emulsion, which leads to a lighter texture. Room temperature eggs also incorporate more easily into the batter, preventing curdling and ensuring a uniform dough.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: For consistently sized cookies, invest in a good quality cookie scoop. This ensures that each cookie bakes evenly, looks professional, and helps simplify the process, making it much faster and less messy.
- Line Your Baking Sheets: Always line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This prevents the cookies from sticking, ensures even browning on the bottom, and makes cleanup incredibly easy. Avoid greasing pans directly, as this can cause cookies to spread too much.
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: Chilling the dough is not optional for this recipe. It allows the butter to re-solidify, preventing the cookies from spreading too thinly. It also gives the flavors time to meld and the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in a more flavorful and perfectly textured cookie.
- Quality Ingredients Matter: Using good quality chocolate chips and butterscotch chips makes a noticeable difference in the final taste. Choose brands you enjoy for snacking, as their flavor will shine through in your cookies.
More Delectable Butterscotch Desserts
If you’ve fallen in love with the rich, caramel notes of butterscotch, you’ll be thrilled to discover these other fantastic butterscotch-infused treats:
- Butterscotch Pie
- Easy Butterscotch Cupcakes
- Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies (for a savory-sweet twist!)
- Butterscotch Bars
- Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie
- Butterscotch Rice Krispie Treats
Indulge in the pure bliss of these lusciously soft and chewy Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are truly a delightful creation that promises to bring warmth and happiness to any day. We encourage you to try this recipe and experience the magic for yourself! Once you do, we’d love to hear about your experience; please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rating: 5 from 2 votes
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies are so gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside. Each bite is packed with chocolate and butterscotch and topped with flaky sea salt.
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 10 mins
Let Sit: 5 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 24 cookies
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Calories: 269
Author: Carrie Barnard
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Butterscotch Chips
- Sea Salt, for topping
Instructions
- Beat together the butter and both sugars with a hand held mixer or stand up mixer until creamy.
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Then gently stir in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (reserve some for topping) by mixing these into the dough by hand.
- Then refrigerate the dough for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place tablespoons of the dough onto a baking sheet using a cookie scoop. Top each cookie with the reserved chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and sea salt.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Then the cookies are ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Place a piece of bread in the container with the cookies to keep them soft.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 269kcal, Carbohydrates 41g, Protein 2g, Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0.3g, Cholesterol 36mg, Sodium 140mg, Potassium 39mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 30g, Vitamin A 288IU, Vitamin C 0.1mg, Calcium 31mg, Iron 1mg