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Oatmeal Scotchies are a chewy oatmeal butterscotch cookie loaded with oats and butterscotch chips – with crispy edges, chewy centers, cozy buttery brown sugar flavor, and melty pockets of creamy butterscotch. They’re always a cookie that disappears fast.
Love butterscotch desserts? Try my no bake layered Butterscotch Lush and Butterscotch Peanut Butter Cookie Bars made in a sheet pan.
Oatmeal Scotchies
These oatmeal butterscotch cookies strike the perfect balance between hearty and indulgent. The oats add texture and warmth, while the butterscotch chips bring that buttery caramel sweetness that makes them unforgettable, and unlike most cookies.
Oatmeal scotchies are a chewy cookie with creamy butterscotch chips, and an incredible buttery caramel flavor thanks to the all brown sugar recipe and creamy butterscotch chips.
Enjoy these cookies warm (my personal preference) or at room temperature with a tall glass of cold milk. There’s something so comforting about oatmeal scotchies. They taste and smell like home to me ❤︎
Why You’ll Love This Cookie Recipe
- Soft and chewy centers
- Perfectly crisp, golden brown edges
- Deep caramel flavor from the all brown sugar cookie, no white sugar
- Creamy, melty butterscotch in every bite
Simple Baking Ingredients Needed
- Whole Old-Fashioned Oats : These are not quick oats or 1-minute oats! They are the whole, old-fashioned oats.
- All-Purpose Flour : I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Sea Salt
- Unsalted Butter : Make sure the butter is well softened so it blends in smoothly without any lumps.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Butterscotch Chips : For the best taste and creamy butterscotch flavor, I recommend using the name brand butterscotch chips (like Nestle or Guittard) as they taste much better than the store brand.
How To Make Oatmeal Cookies With Butterscotch Chips (Printable Recipe Card)
In a medium mixing bowl, add the whole old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy; about 3-4 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until combined and no flour streaks remain in the dough.
Stir in the butterscotch chips until combined.
Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, and then place them onto a baking sheet or large plate (something that can fit in the fridge). Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Place 12 cookie dough balls per cookie sheet.
Bake for 13-16 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are mostly set.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the warm cookie sheet for about 5-10 minutes, before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies can be eaten warm or at room temperature.
How To Store Leftovers and Freeze Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies
- Leftovers : Store the cookies in an airtight container, or Ziplock bag, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze Baked Cookies : Freeze baked and cooled cookies in a freezer-safe, airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag, in a single layer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving and eating.
- Freeze Cookie Dough/Unbaked Cookies : Place the scooped cookie dough balls in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Instead of chilling in the fridge, freeze them for 2 hours. After the flash freeze, place the semi-frozen dough balls in a single layer, inside a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Cookies can be defrosted and then baked, or you can bake from frozen making sure to add an extra 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Substitutions & Ingredient Notes
- Whole Old-Fashioned Oats : No substitutes! The larger, more texture whole old-fashioned oats are a big part of what gives the cookies their chewy texture. Quick oats won’t work because you won’t get that texture and they will make the cookies drier and cook too fast in the oven.
- Unsalted Butter : I prefer using unsalted butter in this recipe because of the strong, rich butterscotch flavor. However, you can use salted butter, just make sure you reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Light Brown Sugar : Light is best but dark brown sugar could be used if preferred. When you are measuring out the amount, make sure you are packing it into the measuring cup tightly; not just loosely scooping it. When you dump the light brown sugar into the bowl, it should retain the shape of the measuring cup; and that is how you know it was packed and measured correctly.
- Butterscotch Chips : For the best, creamy butterscotch flavor I highly recommend using a name brand, more quality butterscotch chip. They taste so much better than the store brand – use the Nestle brand or Guittard brand makes a butterscotch chip or Giradelli brand.
Recipe FAQs
Why Should I Chill The Dough Before Baking?
Chilling the dough after scooping it helps the cookies from spreading out too much, but also allows the flavors to deepen and develop. It’s also important to scoop the cookie dough first, because if you refrigerate the dough before scooping, it’s much harder (almost impossible) to scoop it into dough balls with a cookie scoop.
Can I Make The Cookie Dough Ahead of Time?
Yes, the dough for these cookies can be made and refrigerated up to 72 hours ahead of baking.
Could I Add Nuts To The Cookies?
Yes, you can add some nuts if you would like. Finely chop some pecans or walnuts and add them in with the butterscotch chips. I would only add 1/2 cup max, so as not to overload the dough.
I Overcooked The Cookies. Is There Something I Can Do?
If you accidentally overcook the cookies and they are too dry, try placing them into a large Ziplock bag with a few slices of white bread. The cookies will pull the moisture out of the bread and return back to a soft texture. This actually works and it’s magic!
How Do I Know When The Cookies Are Done?
The cookies should be spread out slightly, the edges should be a light golden brown, and the centers should look mostly set (with some golden brown color to it) but it’s ok if they still look slightly wet. As the cookies set and cool, they will continue baking slightly, and the oats will come together and help the cookie set more.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- BEST No Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No Flour Monster Cookies
- Cosmic Cookies
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
- Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Easy No Bake Avalanche Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Scotchies
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole old-fashioned oats (NOT quick oats)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 bag (11 oz) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the whole old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside.3 cups whole old-fashioned oats, 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy; about 3-4 minutes.1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and beat just until combined.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until combined and no flour streaks remain in the dough.
- Stir in the butterscotch chips until combined.1 bag (11 oz) butterscotch chips
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, and then place them onto a baking sheet or large plate (something that can fit in the fridge). Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Place 12 cookie dough balls per cookie sheet.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are mostly set but still look slightly "wet".
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the warm cookie sheet for about 10 minutes (so they can set and continue baking slightly), before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies can be eaten warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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