Brown Butter Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

My friend Julia mentioned to me these amazing oatmeal butterscotch cookies she had at a restaurant when she was working on a project out of town. So even though her description of them was just that they were delicious and chewy, and I had no photos or anything to go off of, I decided to try and make them! Are these cookies anything like the original? I don’t know! Couldn’t tell you! Because I’ve never tasted the originals, which are from a city I’ve never been to! But that is okay, because even if they don’t resemble the original cookies, these guys are GOOD.

I tested these a few times – less oats, more oats, three different oven temperatures, with salt, without it, etc. Ultimately I landed on this version which are super chewy and toothsome, with a great salty/sweet element from the sweetness of the cookie dough and butterscotch chips but the saltiness of the flaked salt on top. I love that combo, but you definitely need a sweet tooth to enjoy these!

The first thing you will do is brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. In order to brown the butter, the water needs to evaporate. So the butter will bubble and then foam before it browns. You will want to stir frequently while the butter is foamy so that none of the mild solids burn at the bottom of the pan. You will want to let the butter cool for a bit before you add it to your dough. It should be beginning to solidify, but not quite solid yet. The brown butter will add some awesome caramel notes to the finished cookie.

Once the butter is cooled, you will beat it with the brown and granulated sugars until combined. Then add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. It will get lightened and thickened.

Then you’ll add your dry ingredients, including the flour, baking soda and salt and mix to combine. Then on low speed, you will mix in the oats and make sure they are combined with the dough. Then with a wooden spoon or spatula, add in your butterscotch chips. These cookies don’t spread a ton in the oven because you are using colder butter. So you will form balls of cookie dough of 2 tablespoons each and then flatten them into discs as shown below. Top with flaky seat salt before baking.

Then bake the cookies for about 12 minutes until they are golden brown and set. There are very toothsome and have a lot of texture from the oats. I like them this way, where they are crisp at the edges and very chewy in the middle. If you want a cookie with more spread, do not let the brown butter cool as much.

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are sooo chewy from the oats and brown sugar and have deep caramel notes from the browned butter and the butterscotch chips.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time32 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown butter, butterscotch, cookies, oatmeal

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats not quick oats!
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1.5 cups butterscotch chips (this is about 1-11oz bag)
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, brown the butter. The butter will melt, then bubble, then foam, and then brown. Stir frequently to keep the butter from burning.
• Transfer the butter to a bowl and put it in the refrigerator or freezer to cool slightly. You want the butter to be about room temperature and starting to solidify.
• Once the butter is cooled, add it to a large bowl and beat the brown butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until the butter and sugar are thickened and combined, about 1-2 minutes.
• On medium speed, add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and combine until lightened in color.
• On low speed, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined.
• Add the oats on low speed until fully combined.
• With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the butterscotch chips.
• Scoop 2 tbsp. sized round balls of dough and then flatten into discs. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Top each with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
• Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cookies are golden and the edges are firm. You want these cooked through more than say a chocolate chip cookie so they are more chewy than soft.