Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

These look like normal chocolate chip cookies, but they most definitely are not! Made with homemade butterscotch sauce, and a bit of cinnamon, they’re all you love in chocolate chip cookies, but with an extra yummy Fall kick. Thick, crumbly cookies, which are crispy on the outside, and soft and gooey on the inside. . . if this is your cookie vibe – you’re gonna love these!
Let’s talk a little bit about how these cookies compare to some others I’ve made on the blog. You know when people say baking is a science? It truly is when it comes to cookies. For example, when there is more brown sugar in a recipe ( as there is in this one due to the butterscotch), you’ll get thicker cookies. Also here, an increased flour to butter ratio, gives you smaller, thicker, more crumbly cookies. Like my marshmallow funfetti cookies, adding cornstarch to these gave them a little lighter color and crispier edges. Another thing I noticed when recipe testing for these – the butterscotch flavor comes out more when you refrigerate these overnight instead of just a couple hours. And lastly, unlike in my s’mores pretzel cookies, I didn’t do any pan banging for these, since I wanted to keep them thicker – but you totally could do that with these too, if you prefer your cookies a bit flatter.
So, as with any science, there is always more to learn. And I’m happy you guys are here on this baking and learning journey with me. Now go make some cookies!
What you’ll need. . .
For the butterscotch sauce:
unsalted butter
brown sugar
heavy cream
kosher salt
vanilla
For the cookies. . .
unsalted butter
brown sugar
granulated sugar
eggs
vanilla
flour
baking soda
cinnamon
cornstarch
salt
butterscotch sauce
chocolate chips
First, let’s make the butterscotch sauce. Butterscotch is actually very similar to caramel, except that it’s made with brown sugar instead of granulated sugar! Add the butter, sugar and heavy cream to your sauce pan and cook on medium, stirring until the butter is melted. Once it is melted, switch to low heat and allow it to cook without mixing for 4-5 minutes. Next, remove from heat and add in your salt and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Let the butterscotch cool a few minutes, then transfer it to a jar (preferably a microwave safe one). Let it cool completely, and then seal and refrigerate. The longer it cools the more it thickens. When ready to use, reheat it in a microwave safe container for 10-20 seconds, and stir, or heat in a saucepan.
Now for the cookies! Cut room temperature butter into cubes and toss into the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on. Add in the sugars and mix about 3 or 4 minutes until well incorporated and soft. Mix in the egg, then egg yolk, and the vanilla until smooth. Add in the butterscotch sauce and mix in completely. Next, in a large bowl, mix together your flour, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and mix until it comes together into a cookie dough. Add in the chocolate chips and mix on very low speed until incorporated in the cookie dough. Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out your cookies. This recipe makes 16 cookies. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and push in a few extra chip on top of each cookie. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350F. Bake cookies, 6-8 per sheet, depending on the size you scooped, for 15 minutes. Remove, let cool for 2-3 minutes, then place on cooling rack to cool, or better yet, eat warm! Enjoy!
Some notes . . .
- Make sure to oil or butter your cookie scoop for smoother cookie dough removal.
- The cookies will be very soft when you first remove them from the oven – they will harden up as they cool.
If you liked this recipe, you might want to try . . .
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Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Butterscotch Sauce
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cup flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butterscotch sauce
- 1½ cup chocolate chips reserve 1/4 cup chips for top of cookies
Instructions
Butterscotch Sauce
- Add the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream to your sauce pan and cook on medium, stirring until the butter is melted. Once the butter is melted, switch to low heat and allow mixture to cook without mixing for 4-5minutes.
- Remove from heat and add in your salt and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Let the butterscotch cool a few minutes, then transfer it to a jar (preferably a microwave safe one).
- Let butterscotch sauce cool completely, and then seal and refrigerate. The longer it cools the more it thickens. When ready to use, reheat it in a microwave safe container for10-20 seconds, and stir, or heat in a saucepan.
Cookies
- Cut room temperature butter into cubes and toss into the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on. Add in the brown and granulated sugars and mix about 3-4 minutes until well incorporated and soft.
- Mix in the egg and egg yolk and the vanilla until smooth. Add in the butterscotch sauce and mix in completely.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together your flour, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.
- Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and mix until it comes together into a cookie dough. Add in the chocolate chips and mix on very low speed until incorporated in the cookie dough.
- Use a 1.5-2 inch cookie dough scoop to scoop out your cookies. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and press in a few extra chocolate chips on top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, preheat oven to 350F. Bake cookies, 6-8 per sheet, for 13-14minutes, or until edges are golden brown and chips looks melty. Remove, let cool for 2-3 minutes, then place on cooling rack to cool, as centers will be quite soft.
Notes
- I like to use a little extra butter or vegetable oil on the cookie scoops before scooping, so cookie dough comes out easier.
- Bake less cookies per sheet if you use a larger scoop.
- You can make the butterscotch sauce ahead and use the extra as a topping on top of muffins, ice cream, or brownies. Also great for dipping fruit!