Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies (Scotchies)

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Chewy cookies that are thick, delicious, and a one-bowl recipe. Also called oatmeal scotchies, they have a great caramel flavor and bake to a golden brown. They can be out of the oven in less than 30 minutes, or you can keep the dough refrigerated for a day or frozen for a month.

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Close up of oatmeal cookie on white surface

I'm pretty sure you'll love this sweeter and more festive twist on one of our favorite cookie recipes, the Oatmeal Walnut Cookies. Who doesn't love them?

Oatmeal cookies can have a plethora of add-ins, and they all work so well. It's an amazing canvas for different flavors. Butterscotch adds a caramel tone that is fantastic.

No matter the time of year, we're always baking cookies. And come the holidays or a celebration, it's the perfect homemade gift. This is a great recipe because it travels well and can be frozen if you want to make it ahead. Other cookies that I love to bake and gift or take as hostess' gifts are Lemon Crinkles, Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, and gingersnaps.

Bitten butterscotch oatmeal cookie on wooden board, stack of cookies in background

Ingredients

Oats: I like traditional oats because of the rustic feeling and bite it adds to these cookies, but instant can also be used. My tests show that they will make it the cookies softer and chewier.
Sugar: at the moment I'm using only brown sugar for these cookies, but we have used that magic combination that is white and brown sugar together and it also works really well and makes the cookies a tad crunchier.
Butterscotch chips: use the store-bought ones that are easily available, but I also love chunks.
Unsalted butter.
Vanilla - I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
Salt: I use kosher salt for my baking, but table salt also works.
All purpose flour.
Baking soda: make sure it's active and not expired.
Milk: you can use whole milk or alternative ones like almond milk.
Egg: fresh, large.

I post links to my favorite brands of ingredients in the Notes section of the recipe card, at the end of this post.

Bowls with ingredients for butterscotch oat cookies on white surface including butter, brown sugar, vanilla, egg

Easy steps

This is a one-bowl cookie recipe that can be made with a whisk and spatula or an electric hand-held beater. If doubling it I recommend a stand mixer for easier mixing.

First mixing: softened butter is mixed with the brown sugar and eggs (image 1). Make sure it's thoroughly integrated. You can use an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Flavorings: we only use vanilla (image 2), but this is when you would add ground spices or other extracts if using.
Adding the dry ingredients: or flour mixture as it's also called and also the oats. Mix until it starts to come together and add the milk. Images 3 and 4
Final dough: it's very thick and there are no traces of dry ingredients. Image 5
Butterscotch chips or chunks: they're added at the end (image 6).
Baking the cookies: at this point you can bake the cookies immediately or cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for a day.

Adding eggs to oatmeal cookie mix, adding vanilla extract; a collage

Glass bowl with oatmeal cookie dough and flour, and adding milk; a collage

Oatmeal cookie dough in glass bowl, and after adding butterscotch chips; a collage

WATCH THE STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO👇🏻

Baking butterscotch oatmeal cookies

Chips: you can mix all the butterscotch morsels into the dough or leave some of them to add manually to each scoop (image left, below).

The flavor will be the same, but having the chips on top makes the flavor more easily recognizable (good if you're serving or gifting several types of cookies) and maybe prettier, though they are rustic cookies (image below, right).

Collage showing metal pan with unbaked and baked butterscotch oatmeal cookies

Freezing

This is one of the best ideas not only for holiday baking but also to have at all times and bake fresh butterscotch oatmeal cookies every time you feel like it.

Short freezing: my favorite way is scooping the cookies like in the image below and popping the cookie sheet directly into the freezer until you want to bake it. This is great when you're making them the next day or two. No need to defrost them, simply bake them directly from the freezer. They might take an extra minute of baking.
Longer freezing: cookie dough can be frozen for a month, and if this is your intention, scoop the cookies in the same way as the image below, but don't leave space between them. You will be able to pack probably the whole recipe in one sheet. Put the sheet in the freezer and when the mounds are rock solid, transfer them to a bag and remove the cookie sheet from the freezer. This way you'll save a lot of space.

Storing

Room temperature: ss with most cookies, they can be stored in airtight tins or cookie jars. They usually become softer as the days go by. If you leave them outside they will harden as the hours and days go by.
Freezer: also, cookies can be frozen after they are baked, well wrapped. But I think the method mentioned before in the freezing section is better. The freezer dries them out in the long run and, since they are already baked, and they will be drier than fresh ones. If you do freeze them after baked, warm them slightly in a medium oven before eating.

A bitten oatmeal cookie on a white cloth and several others in background

Frequently asked questions

Which oats are best for baking cookies?

Traditional oats are the best option because of the texture. Instant oats will work if that's all you have. I don't recommend steel-cut oats for this recipe as it's a very different texture and they don't bake completely.

Why do my oatmeal cookies come out flat?

The most probable cause is the butter being too soft or almost melted. This might happen with the butter you use when making the batter and also if the batter is left out at a high room temperature before baking. When this happens the cookies spread too much before the edges bake.

How many calories are in a butterscotch oatmeal cookie?

It depends on the size of the cookie, but a medium one is around 160 calories (see Nutrition info at the end of the recipe card, below).

How do I stop my cookies from spreading so much?

Refrigerating the cookie dough before baking will prevent them from spreading too much. Also, check that the oven temperature is the right one; a low oven might have the same negative result.

Stack of oatmeal butterscotch cookies on wooden board, loose chips around

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
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Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones here, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.