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Butterscotch Cookies are soft, chewy, and absolutely loaded with butterscotch chips, with a secret box of pudding mix that keeps them bakery-tender every time. I baked a double batch for my girls’ after-school snack and they disappeared before dinner. If you love an easy drop cookie, they are a butterscotch twist on our cookies and cream cookies.
Instant butterscotch pudding mix in the dough gives these cookies their soft, chewy texture and deep butterscotch flavor in every single bite.
Butterscotch Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 12 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 22 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 29 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 165kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, chewy cookies packed with sweet butterscotch chips
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a simple drop cookie like our cookies and cream cookies
Quick Answer
To make butterscotch cookies, cream softened butter with brown and granulated sugar, then beat in the eggs. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and a box of instant butterscotch pudding mix until no dry streaks remain, then fold in butterscotch chips. Scoop two-tablespoon balls of dough onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops just begin to brown. Let them cool slightly and enjoy.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Pudding mix for softness. Instant butterscotch pudding mix keeps these cookies soft and chewy for days while boosting the butterscotch flavor.
- Brown sugar depth. Light brown sugar adds moisture and a hint of caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with butterscotch.
- Loaded with chips. A full cup and a half of butterscotch chips means a sweet butterscotch bite every time.
- No chilling needed. This dough scoops and bakes right away, so you can have warm cookies in about 20 minutes.
- Salted butter balance. Salted butter balances all that sweetness and rounds out the butterscotch flavor.
- Easy drop cookies. Just scoop and bake, no rolling or cutting, making these perfect for beginners and kids to help with.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are soft, chewy, and packed with sweet butterscotch flavor in every bite.
- They come together fast with no chilling, like our cookies and cream cookies.
- The pudding mix keeps them tender for days, so they are great for making ahead.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for butterscotch cookies. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Butterscotch pudding mix: The secret ingredient. Instant butterscotch pudding mix makes the cookies soft and adds rich butterscotch flavor.
- Butterscotch chips: Folded into the dough for sweet pockets of butterscotch throughout.
- Butter: Salted, softened butter creams with the sugars for a tender, flavorful cookie.
- Brown and granulated sugar: The mix gives the cookies chew, moisture, and the right sweetness.
- Flour and baking soda: The structure and lift that give the cookies their soft, chewy texture.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These butterscotch cookies are easy to make your own. Here are a few ideas.
- Add chocolate chips: Mix in semisweet or milk chocolate chips along with the butterscotch.
- Make them salty-sweet: Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before baking.
- Add nuts: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for a butterscotch-nut cookie.
- Try a different pudding: Swap in vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix for a new flavor.
- Make ice cream sandwiches: Sandwich a scoop of our ice cream between two cookies.
How to Make Butterscotch Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugar until smooth and homogenous.
- Add the eggs and beat again until fully incorporated into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and butterscotch pudding mix until no clumps of dry ingredients remain.
- Gently fold in the butterscotch chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop two-tablespoon balls of dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops just begin to brown. Let cool slightly, then serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use softened butter. Room temperature butter creams with the sugars for the best texture.
- Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the tops just begin to brown so they stay soft and chewy.
- Scoop evenly. A two-tablespoon cookie scoop gives uniform cookies that bake at the same rate.
- Let them rest on the pan. Cooling a few minutes on the hot pan helps them set without overbaking.
- Measure flour correctly. Spoon and level the flour so the cookies do not turn out dry or cakey.
- Store them soft. Keep them airtight, like our cookies and cream cookies.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Butterscotch cookies are made for an ice-cold glass of milk. Serve them slightly warm so the butterscotch chips are melty, or at room temperature for a perfectly chewy cookie.
They are great on a cookie tray for the holidays or bake sales alongside our peanut butter brownies and caramel corn.
For another easy, crowd-pleasing dessert, try our cookies and cream cookies next.
Butterscotch Cookies FAQs
The secret is a box of instant butterscotch pudding mix in the dough. It keeps the cookies soft and chewy for days and adds extra butterscotch flavor. Brown sugar and not overbaking also help keep them tender.
Absolutely. A mix of butterscotch and chocolate chips is delicious and gives you the best of both. Just keep the total amount of chips the same so the dough holds together well.
No chilling is required for these cookies. The dough scoops and bakes right away. If your kitchen is very warm and the dough feels soft, a 15 minute chill can help the cookies hold their shape.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The pudding mix keeps them soft. You can add a slice of bread to the container to help maintain moisture.
Yes. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time. This way you can have fresh cookies anytime.
Use a 3.4 ounce box of instant butterscotch pudding mix, not the cook-and-serve kind. Instant pudding dissolves into the dough and works without being cooked, giving the cookies their signature soft texture and butterscotch flavor.
Craving more easy cookies? Try our cookies and cream cookies next.
Our ding dong cake recreates the classic Hostess treat as an easy sheet cake.
Add our oreo brownies to your dessert tray for a rich, cookie-stuffed chocolate treat.
Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3.4 ounce box instant butterscotch pudding mix packet
- 1 & 1/2 cups butterscotch baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and beat the butter and sugars together in a medium sized mixing bowl.1 cup salted butter, 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Once the butter and sugars are homogenous, add in the egg and beat the mixture again until the egg is fully incorporated.2 large eggs
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and butterscotch pudding mix until no clumps of dry ingredients remain.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3.4 ounce box instant butterscotch pudding mix packet
- Gently fold in the butterscotch chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.1 & 1/2 cups butterscotch baking chips
- Scoop balls of dough the size of 2 tablespoons onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown slightly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Easily double this batch to make more for larger crowds.
- Make sure that you use instant butterscotch pudding in these and not cook and serve.
- Other mix-ins can be used, see my tips above for some that we enjoy.
- These butterscotch chip cookies can be frozen, again see above on how to do that.
- These do not need to be chilled, they are ready for the oven right away.
Nutrition
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