The Best Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Prepare to fall in love with these Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies! They are a symphony of textures and flavors, boasting an incredibly soft, wonderfully chewy, and intensely flavorful profile. Loaded with irresistible butterscotch chips, rich brown sugar, and wholesome oats, this recipe is destined to become your go-to for a comforting, homemade treat. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of buttery sweetness and satisfying chew, making them an instant classic in any cookie lover’s collection.
If you’re a fan of butterscotch, don’t miss our other delightful creations. Be sure to also try our Butterscotch Coconut Cream Pie for a creamy indulgence or these Butterscotch Cookie Bars for another easy-to-share dessert.
Why These Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies Are Irresistible
These deliciously chewy oatmeal butterscotch cookies are more than just a simple dessert; they are a delightful experience. Starting with a classic oatmeal cookie foundation, we elevate them by generously packing in buttery, molasses-rich, and wonderfully sweet butterscotch morsels. The combination of tender oats and the unique butterscotch flavor creates a cookie that is truly hard to resist. Every bite offers the perfect amount of chewiness, making them an ideal companion for a tall, cold glass of milk.
What makes this particular recipe stand out is the meticulous balance of ingredients that ensures a consistently soft and chewy texture. The interplay of brown sugar for moisture and chew, combined with the hearty texture of old-fashioned rolled oats, creates a cookie that holds its shape beautifully while remaining incredibly tender on the inside. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion, a family gathering, or simply to satisfy a craving, these butterscotch oatmeal cookies are guaranteed to impress. Their comforting aroma fills the kitchen, promising a treat that brings warmth and joy with every delicious bite.
Key Ingredients for Perfect Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
Crafting the perfect oatmeal butterscotch cookie starts with selecting quality ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that sought-after soft, chewy texture and rich flavor. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each ingredient is important:
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the exact amount of salt in your recipe. It’s crucial to have it at room temperature for proper creaming with the sugars, which creates a light and airy base for your cookie dough.
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: This dynamic duo provides both sweetness and texture. Granulated sugar contributes to the cookie’s structure and helps create those slightly crispy edges, while light brown sugar adds a deep, molasses-rich flavor and is essential for achieving that characteristic soft, chewy center.
- Large Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent, holding all the ingredients together. They also contribute to the richness of the dough and play a key role in making the cookies wonderfully chewy and tender. Ensure your eggs are at room temperature for better emulsification.
- Baking Soda: This leavening agent reacts with the acids in the brown sugar, giving the cookies a slight lift and contributing to their soft, chewy texture without making them cakey.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of your cookies. Measured correctly, it provides the necessary body without making the cookies tough.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: These are non-negotiable for the ideal oatmeal cookie. Rolled oats provide a hearty texture and chewiness that quick oats or steel-cut oats simply can’t replicate. They absorb moisture, contributing to the cookie’s dense, satisfying feel.
- Butterscotch Chips: The star of the show! These chips melt into pockets of buttery, caramelized sweetness, delivering the distinctive butterscotch flavor. Feel free to substitute half with regular chocolate chips if you desire a mixed-chip experience.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of good quality vanilla extract enhances all the sweet flavors, adding depth and a warm, inviting aroma to your cookies.
How to Bake Irresistible Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies: Step-by-Step
Follow these simple steps to create a batch of perfect soft and chewy oatmeal butterscotch cookies:
- Prepare Your Workspace and Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F (160°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature when your dough is ready. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and a hand mixer, combine the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream these ingredients together at medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step incorporates air, which is crucial for the cookies’ texture.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla: Gradually add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed until each egg is fully incorporated into the sugar mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract until just blended.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure these dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed to ensure even distribution in the dough.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until almost completely combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as overworking the gluten in the flour can lead to tough cookies.
- Fold in Oats and Butterscotch Chips: Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the old-fashioned rolled oats and butterscotch chips. Mix by hand until they are just incorporated. Again, avoid overmixing to maintain the cookies’ tenderness.
- Scoop and Shape the Dough: Using a 1¼-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop the dough into uniform balls. Roll them lightly between your palms to create neat spheres. Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, ensuring they are about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn a light golden brown, and the centers still look slightly soft. Remember, cookies continue to bake for a minute or two after being removed from the oven.
- Cool and Enjoy: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheets for just 1 minute before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This brief cooling period on the hot sheet helps them set without becoming hard. Once fully cooled, grab a cold glass of milk and enjoy your perfectly soft and chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies!
Expert Recipe Tips for Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Success
Achieving the perfect batch of soft and chewy oatmeal butterscotch cookies is easy with a few insider tips. Keep these in mind to ensure your cookies turn out exceptionally delicious every time:
- Avoid Overmixing the Dough: This is a golden rule for almost any cookie recipe involving flour. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can lead to tough, dense cookies instead of soft and chewy ones.
- Do Not Overbake: Precision in baking time is crucial for soft cookies. Even an extra minute or two in the oven can transform your soft and chewy cookies into hard and crunchy ones. Look for edges that are lightly golden brown and centers that still appear slightly underbaked. They will continue to set as they cool.
- Understand Carryover Baking: As mentioned, cookies continue to bake even after you pull them out of the hot oven, especially if they remain on the hot baking sheet. That’s why we recommend letting them cool on the baking sheet for only 1 minute before moving them to a wire rack. This allows them to firm up slightly without overcooking.
- Use an Ice Cream Scoop for Uniformity: For perfectly sized and evenly baked cookies, an ice cream scoop (or a cookie scoop) is your best friend. It ensures each cookie is the same size, which means they will all bake at the same rate, preventing some from being underdone while others are overbaked.
- Room Temperature Ingredients are Key: Ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. Room temperature butter creams better with sugar, creating a smoother, more aerated mixture. Room temperature eggs emulsify more easily into the batter, leading to a more consistent dough and a better final texture.
- Measure Flour Correctly: The most accurate way to measure flour is by weight using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, use the “spoon and level” method: spoon flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly with the measuring cup, as this compacts the flour and results in too much dry ingredient.
- Consider Chilling the Dough: While not strictly necessary for this recipe, chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) can help prevent spreading, intensify flavors, and result in a chewier cookie. If chilling, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats: Always bake on parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents sticking, promotes even baking, and makes cleanup a breeze.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Here are some common questions about making and enjoying these delightful butterscotch oatmeal cookies:
Absolutely! Oatmeal cookies freeze beautifully, whether as unbaked dough or fully baked cookies. To freeze unbaked dough, scoop balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months. When ready to bake, you don’t even need to thaw them – simply place the frozen dough on your ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the total baking time. For baked cookies, ensure they are completely cooled before freezing in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave.
Oatmeal Scotchies is simply another popular name for Oatmeal Butterscotch Chip Cookies. The “Scotchies” part of the name refers specifically to butterscotch chips, distinguishing them from other oatmeal cookie variations like oatmeal raisin or oatmeal chocolate chip. They are typically known for their soft, chewy texture and the irresistible, buttery sweetness of butterscotch, making them notoriously difficult to stop eating!
Yes, you certainly can! To transform this cookie recipe into delicious bar cookies, gently press the prepared oatmeal and butterscotch dough evenly into an ungreased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake at 325°F (160°C). The baking time will increase significantly due to the thicker size, typically ranging from 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are golden. Once baked, allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting them into your desired size. These bars are perfect for potlucks or when you need a quick dessert without scooping individual cookies.
For the best texture in oatmeal cookies, old-fashioned rolled oats are highly recommended. They provide a hearty chewiness and absorb moisture well, contributing to a soft and satisfying cookie. Quick oats (instant oats) can be used in a pinch, but they tend to produce a softer, less chewy cookie due to their finer texture and quicker cooking time. Avoid steel-cut oats, as they are too firm and will not soften sufficiently during the cookie baking process.
Flat cookies are often caused by butter that’s too soft or melted, or by using too much baking soda. Ensure your butter is at proper room temperature (soft enough to indent, but not greasy) and measure your leavening agents accurately. Hard cookies are typically a result of overbaking. Remember to remove them from the oven when the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to set as they cool, retaining their chewy interior. Also, properly measuring flour (not too much) and avoiding overmixing the dough can help maintain a tender crumb.
Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
The Carefree Kitchen
Pin
10 minutes
12 minutes
20 minutes
4
Dozen
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 11 ounces butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and cream at medium speed until light and fluffy, or about 3-4 minutes.
- Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until the eggs are fully incorporated (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides).
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture then mix on low speed until almost completely combined. Add the oats and butterscotch chips and mix by hand using a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Scoop and roll the dough into 1¼” balls and place on ungreased baking sheets about 2″ apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Serving:
2
cookie
|
Calories:
150
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
24
g
|
Protein:
3
g
|
Fat:
5
g
|
Saturated Fat:
3
g
|
Cholesterol:
26
mg
|
Sodium:
91
mg
|
Potassium:
60
mg
|
Fiber:
1
g
|
Sugar:
11
g
|
Vitamin A:
141
IU
|
Calcium:
16
mg
|
Iron:
1
mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Dessert
American
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We hope you thoroughly enjoy baking and sharing these irresistibly chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies. With their perfect blend of textures and the delightful sweetness of butterscotch, they are truly a cookie that brings comfort and joy. Don’t hesitate to dive in and make them your next baking adventure!