These Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, sweet and indulgently delicious! The edges are slightly crispy and the centers are soft and topped with some flaky sea salt! This is one of my favorite recipes using butterscotch chips, and I know you’ll love it too!

Hungry for more butterscotch recipes? Try my Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies, my Scotcharoos and Scotcheroo Cake recipe! I even turned the butterscotch chips into a delicious butterscotch buttercream frosting for my 7 Layer Bar Cake recipe that I know you’ll love! 

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies topped with sea salt.

Why This Recipe Works

  • No need to chill the dough. This recipe is a super quick cookie recipe because you don’t need to worry about taking time to chill the dough. The cookies come out super delicious like you did chill the dough (helps develop the flavor) but without actually needing too! 
  • Rich, warm flavor. I love these cookies for their rich, warm flavor! The warmth from the cinnamon in the cookies is so comforting and delicious. Paired with the rich molasses flavor from using dark brown sugar really helps enhance the flavor. 
  • Crispy edges. Soft centers. My favorite thing is how deliciously crispy the cookie edges are with the middles still being soft and chock-full of the butterscotch and chocolate chips!  

Ingredient Notes

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookie ingredients in glass bowls on a beige textured background.
  • Cornstarch: The cornstarch adheres to the liquid in the dough and helps tenderize the cookie. 
  • Cinnamon: The cinnamon gives a bit of warmth to the cookie and adds a nice depth of flavor. The cinnamon pairs really well with the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. 
  • Unsalted Butter: softened to room temperature
  • Dark Brown Sugar: I opted for dark brown sugar instead of light because I wanted a richer molasses flavor to pair better with the butterscotch chips. Using dark brown sugar will not only affect the flavor, but it will also make your cookies a bit darker. Picture the difference between the color of sugar cookies (which uses granulated sugar), regular chocolate chip cookies (which uses light brown sugar), and the color of these in the pictures (which uses dark brown sugar). That will show you how each sugar used treats a different texture and color of cookie. 
  • Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips: Feel free to use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you would prefer. I love the semi sweet chocolate with the butterscotch chips so that’s why I chose semi sweet. 
  • Butterscotch Chips: I’d say these are the star of the show, but there are so many delicious elements to these cookies that I just can’t decide! I’m going to say the combo of butterscotch + chocolate is the star! 
  • Flaky Sea Salt: You know I love adding flaky sea salt to my dessert recipes! This is a necessary ingredient in my opinion because the salt hitting your taste buds right away, followed by the sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips, you just can’t beat!

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Combine dry ingredients. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
  2. Cream together the wet ingredients. Cream the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and egg. Beat until combined. 
Four photo collage showing the making of Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies: bowl with dry ingredients, bowl with butter and sugars, then creamed.
  1. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the stand mixer and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and mix until just incorporated. 
Four photos showing the making of Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies with the batter in a glass bowl and adding of ingredients.
  1. Portion out the cookies. Using a 2T-sized cookie scoop, portion the dough and place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (About 12 cookies at a time)
  2. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly golden. The centers will still appear soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Three photos: left, a glass bowl with Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookie dough in it, right photo is the dough formed into balls, and photo on bottom is baked cookies.

Recipe Tips

Variations: These cookies are super yummy as is! But it’s also fun to add some mix-ins occasionally. My favorite mix-ins are dark chocolate pieces (take a baking chocolate bar and chop it into pieces), chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts are great options!), toffee pieces (easiest way would be to chop up a heath candy bar and add that! If you love a good cookie with toffee, try my Crumbl Chocolate Cake ft. Heath Cookies), or add some pretzel bits. 

Don’t over mix the cookie dough when combining the wet and dry ingredients. It’s best to mix until just barely combine, then fold in the chocolate chips if you are worried about over mixing. Over mixed cookie dough will create tough cookies that won’t be as soft.

If you’re a frequent visitor here at Salt & Baker, then you know how much I love a good dash of flaky sea salt on top of my cookies! It’s the crowning jewel on my Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe! There’s just something so yummy about the sweet cookie and the flaky sea salt that hits your taste buds right away!

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for 1 week. 

To freeze, let the cookies cool completely and wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for 1-2 months. 

To freeze cookie dough, roll into cookie dough balls and flash freeze on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid (about 20 minutes). Transfer to a ziplock bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Remove and bake from frozen (you may need to add another minute to the bake time). 

Baked Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies topped with sea salt on a white parchment lined baking sheet.

FAQs

Do you sprinkle the flaky sea salt on the cookies before or after baking them?

I do it right after removing them from the oven!  

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes you can! I prefer freezing the cookie dough because then I can just bake a tray of cookies whenever I want and have some fresh cookies! Flash freeze the dough balls and then transfer to a Ziplock bag and store in the freezer for 1-2 months. Bake from frozen (may need to add another minute onto the baking time.) You can also freeze the baked butterscotch chocolate chip cookies too! Wrap individually and freeze in a Ziplock bag! 

Do I need to chill the dough?

No you don’t! You can bake these cookies right away! However, if you want to chill the dough to be able to make the dough ahead of time and bake the cookies later so they are fresh out of the oven at a later time, you definitely can chill the dough.

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies on a light brown background with a small black bowl full of flaky sea salt.

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Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies topped with sea salt.
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5 from 5 votes

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweet butterscotch and chocolate chip loaded cookies!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter - softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar - packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
  • flaky sea salt for sprinkling overtop

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  • In a medium bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. 
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat again. 
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and mix until just incorporated. 
  • Using a 2 T sized cookie scoop, portion the dough and place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. I have room to bake 12 at a time.
  • Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly golden. The centers will still appear soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for 1 week. 
To freeze, let the cookies cool completely and wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for 1-2 months. 
To freeze cookie dough, roll into cookie dough balls and flash freeze on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid (about 20 minutes). Transfer to a ziplock bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Remove and bake from frozen (you may need to add another minute to the bake time).

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 26g (9%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 4g (20%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mg (7%)Sodium: 110mg (5%)Potassium: 68mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 17g (19%)Vitamin A: 165IU (3%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 19mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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