Salted Butterscotch Cookies

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These Salted Butterscotch Cookies are crisp little butterscotch delights! Totally addicting and made even better by the touch of salt on top! You’ll be making these cookies over and over!

Heavenly Butterscotch Cookies

I am a BIG fan of butterscotch. I often hear from people that butterscotch chips are super sweet and possibly too sweet, but there’s very rarely such a thing in my vocabulary. I LOVE the sweetness and flavor of those little butterscotch morsels. They are dangerous – even on their own. When you bake them into things, they get even better (like with this Ultimate Butterscotch Cake and Loaded Butterscotch Cheesecake) and such is case with these cookies.

These cookies come from the new cookbook, “Crazy for Cookies, Brownies and Bars,” from my friend, Dorothy, who blogs over at Crazy for Crust. I’ve long been a fan of Dorothy’s and am happy to call her a friend. Am I’m totally in love with her new book. It has everything from classic cookies, to brownies and bars, to skillet cookies, sandwich cookies and even a couple cookies for your furry four-legged friends. These Salted Butterscotch Cookies stood out to me most because I love butterscotch, but there are many others calling my name, like her cookie stuffed into another cookie. Yes, please!

So definitely be sure to check out her book and while you wait for it to arrive in the mail, make these cookies.

Butterscotch Cookie Ingredients

These cookies have a pretty simple list of ingredients, so you should have everything in your pantry, except for maybe the butterscotch chips. I have those on hand, but I know not all do.

• Butter: This is be browned prior to adding it to the cookie dough for even more awesome flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Packed. I used light brown sugar, but dark brown would work too.
• Egg: For structure and moisture.
• Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
• Baking Soda: For rise and moisture.
• Salt: For flavor.
• All Purpose Flour: For structure.
• Butterscotch Chips: You can find them on the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.
• Sea Salt: You want the bigger chunks for sprinkling on top.

How to make Salted Butterscotch Cookies

About 20 minutes of prep and an hour of chilling stand between you and these cookies. Let’s get going!

1. Brown The Butter: Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt, then cook, stirring often, until the butter browns, about 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. The butter will foam, and then little brown flecks will appear and the butter will turn a golden amber color. Don’t walk away from the stove, because it can burn quickly.
2. Combine Cookie Dough: Pour the browned butter into a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir or mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt, then stir in the flour. Stir in the butterscotch chips.
3. Make Cookie Dough Balls: Scoop balls of cookie dough (each about 2 tablespoons) and place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill for 1 hour.
4. Bake Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a second sheet with parchment paper. After they have chilled, place the cookie dough balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the cookie sheets. Bake each batch separately for 10-14 minutes or until the tops just lose their glossy sheen.
5. Add Salt and Cool: Sprinkle the hot cookies with sea salt. Let cool for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips for Success

Don’t walk away from the stove: The browned butter can burn quickly, so keep an eye on it. When the brown flecks begin to appear, you can cook it a touch longer, but remove it from heat before it burns.

Use a Food Scale: I’m a big fan of using a food scale for measuring ingredients to ensure everything is correct. Over or under measuring flour especially can make a big different in your results.

More Flavor Options: You could also add chocolate chips or toffee bits for additional flavor.

Storage and Freezing

I’m always a fan of eating things fresh, but you can store the cookies for later, if needed. The cookies should be ok at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 months.

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