Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies Recipe

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These chocolate butterscotch chip cookies are a slightly sweeter, more caramel-leaning cousin of the classic chocolate chip cookie. Two kinds of chocolate, a generous scoop of butterscotch chips, and a good sprinkle of flaky salt on top.

I started making these for my nephew, who has strong opinions about cookies and even stronger ones about butterscotch. They quickly became the cookie I make when I want something a little more nostalgic than a plain chocolate chip cookie, but still totally worth making as an adult.

Using three kinds of sugar, brown sugar, a touch of turbinado, and regular granulated sugar, gives these cookies chewy centers with slightly crisp edges and a faint caramel note running through the background.

A bit of oat flour swapped in for some of the all-purpose flour adds a subtle toasty flavor and keeps the texture tender. If that’s not something you keep around, it’s easy to skip.

These also happen to be the ideal size and thickness for ice cream sandwiches, which is honestly how most of them get eaten in my house.

Chewy centers, crisp edges, and pockets of melty chocolate and butterscotch in every bite.

Why These Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies Work

• Two kinds of chocolate plus butterscotch chips give these cookies more depth than a standard chocolate chip cookie.
• Three sugars work together for chewy centers and crisp, caramelized edges.
• A touch of oat flour adds a subtle toasty flavor and tender texture.
• The dough can be baked right away or rested overnight for even better flavor.
• Flaky sea salt on top balances all that sweetness perfectly.

Ingredient Notes for This Cookie Recipe

• Chocolate – A mix of milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips gives the best balance, but you can use just one kind if that’s what you have.
• Butterscotch chips – These melt slightly as the cookies bake, adding pockets of caramel-like flavor throughout.
• Turbinado sugar – This adds a bit of crunch and a subtle caramel note. If you don’t have it, just use a little extra brown sugar instead.
• Oat flour – Adds a toasty flavor and tenderizes the cookies. You can make your own by grinding rolled oats in a food processor, or simply use all-purpose flour instead.
• Flaky sea salt – A sprinkle on top right before baking helps cut through the sweetness of the butterscotch and chocolate.

Full Ingredients List for Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (or extra brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound total milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butterscotch chips, any combination
• Flaky sea salt, for topping

I use my food processor to grind rolled oats into oat flour in seconds, and it’s the same one I reach for whenever a recipe calls for it.

Shop My Favorite Food Processor

How to Make Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars

1. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar, turbinado sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined.

Tip: Room temperature butter creams much more smoothly than cold butter straight from the fridge.

Step 2: Mix in the Dry Ingredients and Chips

3. Whisk the all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Tip: For the best flavor, cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge overnight, though you can bake it right away if you’re short on time.

Step 3: Scoop, Salt, and Bake

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop the dough into balls and place them a couple inches apart on the sheets.
8. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
10. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

🖨 Print

Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Chewy cookies loaded with milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butterscotch chips, finished with flaky sea salt.

Prep Time15 minutes

Bake Time11 minutes

Total Time26 minutes

Servings24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (or extra brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound total milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butterscotch chips
• Flaky sea salt, for topping

Instructions

1. Cream the butter with the brown sugar, turbinado sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Whisk the flours, baking soda, and salt together, then add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
5. Rest the dough in the fridge overnight for best flavor, or bake right away.
6. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, sprinkle with flaky salt, and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking.
• Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.

Nutrition (per cookie, estimated)

• Calories195
• Total Fat10g
• Saturated Fat6g
• Cholesterol28mg
• Sodium150mg
• Total Carbs25g
• Dietary Fiber1g
• Sugars17g
• Protein2g
• Calcium25mg
• Iron0.8mg
• Potassium65mg

Nutrition values are estimates only and will vary based on the exact brands used.

Serving Ideas and Variations

• Sandwich two cookies around coffee or vanilla ice cream for an easy ice cream sandwich.
• Use just one type of chip if you want to simplify the shopping list.
• Swap in white chocolate chips for part of the mix for an even sweeter cookie.

Tips for Success

• Let the dough rest overnight if you have the time; the flavor really does improve.
• Don’t skip the flaky salt on top, since it balances the sweetness of the butterscotch.
• Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
• Pull the cookies out while the centers still look a little underdone; they’ll finish setting as they cool.
• Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup rather than scooping directly, to avoid dry, dense cookies.

Notes and Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to chill the dough overnight? No, you can bake it right away, though resting it improves the flavor and texture.
• How do I store leftovers? Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Can I skip the oat flour? Yes, just use all-purpose flour in its place with no other changes needed.
• Can I freeze the dough? Yes, scoop into balls and freeze, then bake straight from frozen with a couple extra minutes.
• What’s a common mistake to avoid? Overmixing once the flour is added, which can make the cookies tough instead of chewy.

A Few Final Thoughts

These cookies have a way of appealing to kids and adults in equal measure.

The mix of chocolate and butterscotch feels a little nostalgic, but the flaky salt keeps them from tasting one-note sweet.

I hope they earn a spot in your regular cookie rotation the way they have in mine.

If you give these chocolate butterscotch chip cookies a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comments below.

Jessica Moore
Hi, I’m Jessica! I bake and share simple, cozy recipes here on CookieRecipesOnline.com. Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.