Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Warm brown butter, gooey chocolate chips, and sweet butterscotch combine in these butterscotch chocolate chip cookies to make something golden, chewy, and borderline dangerous to be alone with.

If your kitchen starts to smell like a butter toffee candle threw a party with vanilla and brown sugar, that’s how you’ll know you’re on the right track. Soft centers, lightly crisp edges, and the perfect pop of flaky salt on top—it’s less a cookie, more a situation.

You know those cookies that somehow manage to disappear? You bake a tray, walk away for five minutes, and there’s mysteriously only one left (half-eaten, somehow). Yeah, that’s these. These are chewy, rich in that deep caramel-y kind of way, and full of buttery chocolate-chip-cookie comfort with a fun twist: butterscotch chips. They’ve got just enough fancy (hi, browned butter!) without being fussy.

Best part? No stand mixer, no creaming butter for five minutes—none of that. Just melt, mix, chill, and bake. Let’s go.

Easy Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!

Why You’ll Love this Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s be honest, calling anything with butterscotch and chocolate involved “hard to love” feels illegal. But if you need convincing, I’ve got receipts.

Browning the butter = magic: It smells like toasted hazelnuts, tastes like caramel love, and takes five minutes.
No fancy tools required: Just a bowl, a whisk (maybe some muscle), and a spatula. You’re good to go.
Sweet and salty combo perfection: Butterscotch leans boldly sweet, and those chocolate chips + sea salt bring it all home.
Super customizable: Want smaller cookies for sharing? Bigger ones for hoarding? You do you.
Chill once, bake twice: You can bake half now, save the rest later. Or just… eat the dough by the spoonful (err… theoretically).

Ingredient Notes

Just a few classic ingredients, but with one heroic upgrade—browned butter. Let’s break them down.

Unsalted butter: Gives you full flavor control, and when you brown it, the nutty notes take these cookies to a new level.
Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and chewiness, plus that hint of molasses that plays nice with butterscotch.
Granulated sugar: Balances the brown sugar and helps the edges get a little crisp. We love contrast.
Vanilla extract: Use the real deal if you can. It rounds out the sweet and amps up the warm, cozy vibe.
Eggs + extra yolks: The yolks make them ultra-rich and gooey in the center. Think cookie lava… in the best way.
Flour: Regular all-purpose. No need for anything fancy unless you’re experimenting.
Cornstarch: Just a smidge gives them that elusive soft, plush bite.
Baking soda + salt: Essential for rise and balancing all that sweetness. Don’t skimp.
Butterscotch chips: Sweet, buttery, and borderline candy-like. Try not to eat them all before they hit the dough.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Just enough bitterness to cut the sweetness and make these feel more grown-up (just slightly).
Flaky sea salt: A little sprinkle on top adds crunch, looks fancy, and makes everything sing. Do not skip.

How To Make This Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

You’re just a skillet, a whisk, and a napkin (for the drool) away from warm, golden bliss. Let’s take it step by step.

Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly. It’ll foam, then sizzle. After a few minutes, deep golden spots will appear at the bottom and it’ll smell nutty and toasty. That’s your cue. Immediately pour it into a bowl, brown bits and all—you want those. Let it cool for 5 minutes before doing anything else. Trust me.
Whisk in sugars and vanilla: Add your brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla to the warm butter and whisk like your arm depends on it (around 2 minutes). It should look glossy and smooth-ish.
Add eggs: Whisk in the whole egg and both yolks. Keep going until it’s silky and luscious and smells like a bakery moved in to stay forever.
Mix dry ingredients: In a different bowl (you can even reuse your flour container if you’re lazy like me), whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
Combine wet and dry: Gently stir the flour mix into the wet ingredients. When it’s about halfway incorporated (still streaky), add your butterscotch and chocolate chips. Stir until no flour remains, but don’t overdo it or we lose the soft centers.
Chill time: Cover with plastic and pop the dough in the fridge for an hour. This makes the cookies thick and chewy and stops the butter from misbehaving in the oven.
Scoop and bake: Preheat to 325°F. Scoop into 1/4 cup mounds for big bakery-style cookies (about 12) and space them 3 inches apart. Or make two-tablespoon scoops for smaller ones (about 24). Bake until edges are golden and centers look a little underdone—this is key. 10–13 minutes for big ones, 9–11 for small.
Cool and salt: Let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move to a wire rack and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Storage Options

So you’ve baked your batch. Now what? If—big if—you have leftovers, here’s what you should know.

Room temp is totally fine for the first few days. Pop them in an airtight container and keep them on the counter for up to four days. If your kitchen runs warm or humid, tuck a slice of bread in there. It sounds weird, but it keeps them soft. Science!

Want to make the dough ahead of time? You can leave it chilled in the fridge for up to three days. Scoop it out when you’re ready to bake and go from there—no need to bring it all the way to room temp, though you may need to add a minute or two to the bake time.

And yes, you can freeze them. I recommend portioning out the dough first, freezing the balls on a tray, then tossing them in a zip-top bag once solid. That way, you can bake off a cookie or two whenever the craving hits. Frozen dough will keep for a few months, and goes straight into the oven—just add a minute or two.

Variations and Substitutions

You can have fun here. The base dough is like a good pair of jeans—works with everything.

Dark chocolate chips: For a deeper, moodier bite that contrasts the butterscotch even more dramatically.
White chocolate instead of semi-sweet: Extra sweet and creamy. Feels a little extra, but that’s the point, right?
Toffee bits instead of chips: Everything melts together in these crunchy-chewy, caramelized layers. Slightly messier, but worth it.
Nut swap! Pecans or chopped walnuts work great if you want some crunch and nuttiness.
Skip the chips entirely: Okay, I know it sounds illegal, but the dough on its own? Kind of insane. Like a brown butter sugar cookie.

What to Serve with Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are basically a social food group, especially these guys. Here’s how I love pairing or serving them:

A cold glass of milk (obviously): You already knew this one. Dunking is a whole situation. Bonus points for oat milk—it adds a little texture and sweetness that works so well here.
Vanilla ice cream: Sandwich it between two warm cookies or just crumble one over a scoop. The hot-cold contrast is absolutely where it’s at. Basically an instant dessert you don’t have to overthink.
Coffee or espresso: These cookies + a strong cappuccino in the afternoon? Honestly, there’s magic in that pairing. The bitterness of coffee hugs the sweetness of the cookie beautifully.
A cozy brunch buffet: Yup, cookies at brunch. If you’re doing a casual “come hang out” morning spread, these make a fun and unexpected sweet next to eggs or even something like Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole (trust me, the savory-sweet vibe works).
Crumbled into other desserts: Need a cookie crumble topping for your ice cream or to layer in something like this Red Velvet Banana Bread? These cookies were born for that level of drama.

Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really have to brown the butter?

Technically, no—but if you skip it, you’re missing half the depth of flavor. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty, caramel-like complexity that cold butter just can’t match. Plus, it gives the cookies that slight crisp on the edge with gooey centers. It’s five minutes very well spent.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Absolutely! You can stash the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just cover it tightly. When you’re ready to bake, scoop it straight from the fridge. No need to let it warm up (though if it’s rock hard, give it a few minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping).

Why do the cookies look underbaked in the center?

That’s exactly what you want! These cookies finish baking on the hot sheet while they rest. If you wait for the center to look firm in the oven, they’ll end up dry. Pull them when the edges are golden but the middle still looks a little soft—it’ll set up as they cool.

Can I freeze these cookies after baking?

You sure can. Let them cool completely first, then tuck them into a freezer bag or airtight container. They’ll keep for 2–3 months. Let them come to room temp or microwave them for 10–15 seconds for that just-baked warmth. Perfect midnight snack solved.

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