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Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfectly soft with a chewy center. Flavored with semisweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, and flakey sea salt, these are sweet and salty and perfect for dessert! 

Chocolate chip butterscotch cookies with a bite gone

I recently spent days perfecting my Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. After multiple taste tests, I finally created a cookie that was soft and chewy with a great flavor and the perfect amount of chocolate chips. But now that I’ve perfected my based cookie recipe, it’s time to get a little fancier. 

Add butterscotch chips, pecans and flaky sea salt to your classic chocolate chip cookie for these delicious Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Cookies. 

This chewy cookie is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The butterscotch morsels can be quite sweet in a cookie, so sprinkling the top of each cookie with flaky sea salt adds a delightful finish. I recently brought them to a family outing alongside a few other cookies, and these ones were always the first ones chosen from the pile! 

If you’re anything like my family, these cookies will soon be one of your favorite cookie recipes, too! Enjoy them with a glass of milk for a perfect treat. 

Why Make this Recipe? 

Chocolate butterscotch cookies with sea salt
  1. Twist on a Classic: Chocolate chip cookies are a must in every home, but sometimes you want something a little more exciting. This twist on a classic will be the first thing everyone grabs off of the dessert table! 
  2. Under 30 Minutes: Quick and easy is the way to go. Delicious cookies ready in just 25 minutes? It’s perfect!
  3. Sweet and Salty: The chocolate chips and butterscotch chips add a deliciously sweet base to this cookie while the pecans and flaky sea salt balance them out with a spectacular salty flavor. Sweet and salty is the best combination in these delicious Butterscotch Cookies.

What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

Ingredients

Labeled ingredient shot for chocolate butterscotch chip cookies
  1. Butter: I use unsalted butter so that I can more easily control the salt content in the cookies. Use room temperature butter that measures an internal temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar. Use dark brown sugar for a more molasses-y flavor. 
  3. Chocolate Chips: You will need semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for these Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies. 
  4. Nuts: There Is a small amount of pecans in this recipe. If you like your Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Chip Cookies more full of nuts, add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans instead of 1/4 cup. 

Tools

  1. Stand Mixer: I love making these cookies in an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can make these using a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer.
  2. Cookie Sheet: I prefer a light-colored cookie sheet, but this does mean that the cookies will have to cook for longer. 
  3. Parchment Paper: Parchment paper is only necessary if you have hot spots in your oven or on your cookie sheet. The parchment paper will distribute the heat more evenly. I do not use parchment paper to bake my Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies.

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Cream Together the Wet Ingredients

Creamed wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and creamy. 

Add the egg and vanilla extract into the cookie dough and beat again until well combined. 

Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients 

chocolate chip cookie dough
cookie dough with butterscotch chips and pecans

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined. Do not overmix. 

Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans until evenly distributed.

Step 3: Bake and Finish

cooked butterscotch chocolate chip cookie on a baking sheet

Scoop the Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2 ½ Tablespoons each). 

Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown but the centers are still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. 

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. 

Serve and enjoy!  

Expert Tips

  • Use the scoop and level technique to measure the flour for your chocolate butterscotch chip cookies! Too much flour and your cookies will be too cakey.
  • You can make these without butterscotch chips if desired which will make a delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie with Pecans. In that case, increase the amount of both the semisweet chocolate chips and the pecans
  • To get perfectly round cookies, wait until the cookies come right out of the oven, then use a spoon to push the edges of the cookies to form them into a perfect circle. 

Variations

baked cookie on a cooling rack surrounded by chocolate chips and pecans

Want to change the flavors of these Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies even more? Try these suggestions! 

  • Spices: Add some extra spices for more flavor! Cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg would be delicious additions.
  • Nuts: This recipe has a sprinkling of pecans, but you can add or subtract nuts as you please! Omit the nuts if you don’t want them, or add more if you want a stronger nut flavor. You can also add walnuts, macadamia nuts, or slivered almonds. 
  • Mix Ins: Remove the semisweet chocolate chips if you want only butterscotch flavor! You can also mix in chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, caramel pieces, or toffee. 
  • Toppings: I love the flaky sea salt on these cookies. Feel free to omit if you don’t prefer them, or add extra toppings. A caramel drizzle or sprinkles would be delicious. 
  • Butter: For even better depth of flavor, try browning your butter before assembling! In this case, allow the butter to soften to room temperature again before preparing. Brown butter would add a delicious flavor to these cookies! Check out my Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting for more brown butter goodness!

Baking Tips

Baked butterscotch chocolate chip cookies on a plate

These cookies bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-18 minutes. This is a lower temperature than most cookie recipes bake for because it allows the cookies time to melt and spread while not over baking. Here are some ways your cook time may change: 

  • Different Oven Temperature: For a faster cook time you can bake your cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, but your cookies will be taller and stouter than the cookies pictured here. 
  • Different Pans: Your cook time depends largely on the type of pan that you are baking your cookies on. If you are using a dark-bottomed pan, your cookies will take anywhere from 12-15 minutes. If you are using a shinier pan, your cookies can take up to 18 minutes before they are fully cooked through.

Pull the cookies out just a few minutes before they look done baking. They will continue to bake while they are cooling on the cookie sheet. 

How to Know Your Cookies are Done Baking

You will know your cookies are done baking when the edges brown a bit and are set. The center of the cookie should still be soft and should not be getting any color yet. 

Make sure that the center of your cookie is not shiny or liquid. You want it to be soft but not raw. 

Recipe FAQs

chocolate chip and butterscotch chip cookies on a cookie sheet
How to Store Leftover Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you decide to make these cookies and have leftovers, put them in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature for 3-4 days. 

You can also freeze already-baked cookies in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply remove them from the freezer and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating.

Can I Freeze the Dough? 

Yes! Before you freeze the dough, scoop it out into cookie dough balls. Place the cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes until they are no longer soft. Then put the cookie dough balls in a freezer bag. 

When you want to bake, simply place the frozen cookie dough balls back on a cookie sheet at room temperature and allow the dough to come to room temperature. Then bake as usual.

Can I Make this Recipe Gluten Free? 

Yes, just make sure to use 1:1 Gluten Free flour substitute! 

Did you enjoy this Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these recipes I picked out just for you: 

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Bite shot of Butterscotch chocolate chip cookies on a plate

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies

​These Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfectly soft with a chewy center. Flavored with semisweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, and flakey sea salt, these are sweet and salty and perfect for dessert!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 Cookies
Calories: 292kcal

Equipment

  • Cookie Sheet
  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment or electric hand mixer
  • Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup butterscotch chips
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans, optional
  • Flaky Sea Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla into the cookie dough and beat again until well combined.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans until evenly distributed.
  • Scoop the cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2 ½ Tablespoons each).
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes or until the edges turn brown but the centers are still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe copyright The Domestic Spoon. For educational or personal use only. 
  1. Butter: I use unsalted butter so that I can more easily control the salt content in the cookies. Use room temperature butter that measures an internal temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar. Use dark brown sugar for a more molasses-y flavor. 
  3. Chocolate Chips: You will need semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for these Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies.
  4. Nuts: There Is a small amount of pecans in this recipe. If you like your Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Chip Cookies more full of nuts, add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans instead of 1/4 cup.
  5. Use the scoop and level technique to measure the flour for your chocolate butterscotch chip cookies! Too much flour and your cookies will be too cakey.
  6. You can make these without butterscotch chips if desired which will make a delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie with Pecans. In that case, increase the amount of both the semisweet chocolate chips and the pecans
  7. To get perfectly round cookies, wait until the cookies come right out of the oven, then use a spoon to push the edges of the cookies to form them into a perfect circle.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were a hit with the family! I saw them posted on FB and had to make the same day. I made exactly according to the directions and they turned out perfect. I did add coconut to just 3 cookies because it sounded good to me and it was. Next time I’ll definitely double the recipe and possibly use a slightly smaller scoop so I get a few more cookies to go around.

    1. I’m so glad that you loved the cookies Laurie!! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 Coconut sounds like a delicious addition, I will need to try that next time!