These butterscotch chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy in the center with crisp edges, loaded with creamy butterscotch and rich chocolate chips. A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt on each cookie balances the sweetness and adds a pleasant crunch, creating an irresistible sweet-and-salty treat.
No electric mixer required: the batter is mixed by hand, making this an easy recipe to prepare. The cookies bake up golden around the edges and remain tender and gooey in the middle, delivering caramel, toffee and buttery notes with every bite.
The butterscotch chips bring a deep caramel flavour that pairs beautifully with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. A pinch of mixed spice is optional but gives a warm, seasonal twist that works especially well around the holidays, though these cookies are delicious year-round.
This recipe is adapted from a classic chocolate chip cookie formula, with a few tweaks such as using melted butter for simplicity and adding mixed spice for extra warmth.
Ingredients
Below are notes on a few ingredients and substitution ideas, followed by the full ingredient list in the recipe card.
- Flour – Use plain (all-purpose) flour. For extra chewiness, substitute part of the plain flour with bread flour.
- Sugar – Light brown sugar adds caramel depth. You can use white (caster or granulated) sugar, dark brown sugar, or a mix of brown and white sugar for balanced sweetness and texture.
- Butter – Unsalted melted butter simplifies the process and removes the need for an electric mixer. Allow melted butter to cool slightly before mixing with eggs.
- Mixed spice – Optional. A small amount adds warming seasonal flavours (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice). Omit if you prefer a pure butterscotch-chocolate taste.
- Butterscotch chips – Golden butterscotch chips deliver a distinct caramel flavour. If butterscotch chips are not available, use caramel fudge chunks or chopped caramel pieces instead.
- Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chips balance the sweetness of butterscotch. Dark chocolate works well if you prefer a more bitter contrast.
- Sea salt flakes – Sprinkle on warm cookies to lift the flavour and add a delicate crunch.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card and the complete ingredient list and instructions.
Instructions
Follow these straightforward steps to bake the cookies:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together cooled melted butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, the egg and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add the dry ingredients (plain flour, baking soda, mixed spice if using, and salt) and fold with a spatula just until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
3. Fold in the butterscotch and chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Reserve a few chips to press onto the tops after baking, if desired.
4. Scoop dough into roughly 2-tablespoon balls, place them on lined baking sheets about 5 cm (2 inches) apart and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to prevent excessive spreading.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 170°C (350°F). Bake cookies for 10–11 minutes, or until the edges are set and light golden while the centers remain slightly soft.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle each warm cookie with a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Storage
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To freeze cookie dough: shape dough into balls and arrange a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm, then move the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw dough to room temperature before baking, then bake according to the recipe timing.
Top Tips
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Chilled dough prevents cookies from spreading too thin and helps create that desirable chewy center.
- For easier handling, scoop dough into balls before chilling. Trying to scoop very cold, hardened dough is more difficult.
- To speed chilling, freeze the scooped dough balls for 30–40 minutes instead of refrigerating.
- Remove cookies from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly under-baked; they will finish setting as they cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use a 2-tablespoon (30 ml) cookie scoop for these cookies. If you make smaller 1-tablespoon cookies, reduce the baking time to about 7–8 minutes.
How do I know when cookies are done?
Cookies are ready when the edges are lightly golden and set while the centers still appear slightly soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool, so err on the side of slight under-baking rather than over-baking.
Why did my cookies come out flat?
Flat, thin cookies are usually the result of dough that was not chilled long enough. Chilling lets the butter firm up so cookies spread more slowly in the oven and retain a better texture.
📖 Recipe
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sweet, salty and gooey in the middle—these cookies are simple to make and don’t require an electric mixer.
Ingredients
- 225 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 150 g soft light brown sugar
- 50 g white caster or granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 220 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp mixed spice (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 g butterscotch chips
- 100 g chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together cooled melted butter, both sugars, the egg and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add flour, baking soda, mixed spice (if using) and salt. Fold with a spatula until just combined—do not over-mix.
- Fold in butterscotch and chocolate chips, reserving a few to press on top if desired.
- Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon balls, arrange on baking sheets about 5 cm (2 inches) apart and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 170°C (350°F). Bake cookies 10–11 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden while centers remain soft.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle each warm cookie with flaky sea salt, and cool on a rack for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Note: This recipe is developed and tested using metric weights. For best results use digital scales; conversions to other units are estimates and may not have been tested.
Notes
Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze dough balls up to 3 months and bake from thawed or at room temperature, following the recipe timing.
Recipe tips: Chill the dough to prevent spreading, scoop before chilling for easier handling, and remove cookies from the oven when slightly underdone in the center so they finish setting as they cool.
Nutrition
Per cookie (approximate): 347 kcal, 44 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, 3 g protein. Values are estimates.