These Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with the perfect mix of melty chocolate and buttery butterscotch chips. They’re cozy, simple to make, and just the right twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie. Whether you’re baking for an after-school snack, a cookie tray, or just because you deserve something sweet — these cookies deliver!
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
This is the cookie I bake when I want something simple that still feels special. These chocolate chip butterscotch cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with just the right mix of buttery caramel sweetness and melty chocolate.
The dough comes together in minutes with no chilling required, and every batch bakes up perfectly golden with crisp edges and soft centers. I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count, and it’s one of those dependable cookies that turns out beautifully every single time. It’s the same base dough I use to make my Heath Bar Cookies — proof that it’s a tried-and-true recipe that never fails.
Whether you bake them for a cozy weekend treat or just because the craving hits, these chocolate chip butterscotch cookies never last long once they’re out of the oven.
Tools I Recommend
For these Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies, I find the following tools quite handy (Amazon affiliate links):
Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
- Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs mix more easily into the dough and help create a smooth, cohesive texture. This simple step makes a noticeable difference in how soft and chewy your cookies turn out.
- Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are active. There’s nothing worse than baking a batch of cookies only to have them spread flat. To check freshness, stir a teaspoon of baking powder into a little hot water — if it bubbles, it’s still good. For baking soda, mix with vinegar — if it fizzes, it’s ready to use.
- No butterscotch chips? No problem. This recipe uses the same dependable dough as many of my cookie recipes. You can easily swap in chocolate chips to make a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies instead. The base dough is soft, buttery, and bakes beautifully no matter which mix-ins you choose.
- Keep your brown sugar soft. Brown sugar adds that caramel depth of flavor that makes these chocolate chip butterscotch cookies so good. To keep it from hardening, store it with a brown sugar disc, or tuck a piece of bread or apple slice in the container to help maintain moisture.
- Make evenly sized dough balls. Consistent cookie size ensures even baking. Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to portion out the dough so each cookie spreads and browns the same.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should look just slightly underdone when you pull them out of the oven — they’ll continue to cook on the baking sheet. This is the secret to keeping that perfect soft and chewy texture instead of crisp, overbaked cookies.
Ingredients
You don’t need anything fancy for these Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies—just a few pantry staples and a good handful of chocolate and butterscotch chips. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- All-purpose flour: Use standard all-purpose flour for these cookies. If you need a gluten-free option, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work just fine.
- Baking powder and baking soda: A combination of both gives these cookies their perfect soft, chewy texture and helps them rise evenly without spreading too much.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness and that classic homemade flavor. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the added salt slightly.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar brings that warm, caramel sweetness that pairs perfectly with butterscotch chips. Light or dark brown sugar both work, though dark brown sugar gives a deeper, richer flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Don’t skip it! Vanilla adds warmth and enhances both the chocolate and butterscotch flavors. Use pure vanilla extract if possible for the best taste.
- Egg: One room-temperature egg binds everything together and keeps the dough tender and chewy.
- Chocolate and butterscotch chips: The real stars of this recipe. The melted chocolate adds richness, while the butterscotch gives a buttery caramel sweetness that sets these cookies apart.
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to make these Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies your own. The base dough is soft, buttery, and versatile — perfect for switching up flavors and textures without losing that classic chewy bite. Here are a few ideas to try:
Salted Caramel Drizzle
After baking, drizzle the cooled cookies with melted caramel and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt for a bakery-style finish. It makes them look (and taste) extra special without much effort.
Espresso Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the dough for a subtle coffee flavor that deepens the sweetness of the butterscotch. It’s an easy way to make these cookies taste just a little more grown-up.
Oatmeal Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fold in ½ cup of old-fashioned oats for a heartier texture and a touch of nutty flavor. The oats pair beautifully with the caramel tones of the butterscotch chips.
Brown Butter Butterscotch Cookies
Swap the softened butter for browned butter. It adds a rich, toasty, almost nutty flavor that enhances both the chocolate and butterscotch — perfect if you love that bakery-style depth.
Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies
Replace the chocolate chips with ½ cup of crushed pretzels for the ultimate salty-sweet cookie. The crunch contrasts beautifully with the chewy dough and gooey butterscotch chips.
How to Store or Freeze
These Cookies store and freeze beautifully, which makes them perfect for make-ahead baking—especially for those holiday cookie trays!
To store: Once cooled, keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days. I like to layer them with parchment paper if I’m stacking them, especially if any chocolate bits are exposed—they can get a little sticky.
To freeze the dough: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet until firm. Then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Bake straight from frozen by adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time—super convenient for last-minute sweet cravings.
To freeze baked cookies: Let the cookies cool completely, then freeze in a single layer or with parchment between layers. They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, just let them thaw at room temp or pop them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for a warm, gooey treat.
More Cookies To Try
- 4 Ingredients Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- Easy Heath Bar Toffee Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cookies
Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
18
cookies11
minutes30
minutesSoft, chewy chocolate chip butterscotch cookies made with brown sugar, vanilla, and melty chips. Easy, cozy, and ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Directions
- Make the Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the unsalted room temperature butter and brown sugar.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg to the bowl, then beat the mixture until it becomes creamy and well combined, which should take about a minute.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, mixing until your cookie dough forms. Then, gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until they are evenly distributed throughout.
- Bake the Cookies
- Scoop the cookie dough into 3 tablespoon portions, and place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and space them 3 inches apart.
- Bake on the center rack of your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Once you remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
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