These Oatmeal Scotchies are incredibly soft, chewy, packed with butterscotch chips, and easy to make too. The perfect cookie for any occasion! 

A stack of oatmeal scotchies on a rustic clay plate with a striped napkin in the background.

Sometimes I feel like butterscotch is such an underrated flavor. Even though it’s delicious, it tends to be one that I don’t think of very often. But today we’re changing that with these oatmeal scotchies, also known as oatmeal butterscotch cookies!

These cookies use my favorite oatmeal cookie base so they’re incredibly soft and chewy. There’s also a hint of cinnamon in the cookie dough which pairs perfectly with the oats and butterscotch chips. This recipe will make about two dozen cookies, but you can easily double it to make even more.

I actually made a batch of these to take to a family gathering and everyone loved them. I guarantee you and your family will adore them too!

A glass mixing bowl filled with cookie dough.

How To Make Oatmeal Scotchies

These oatmeal scotchies are incredibly easy to throw together and use simple ingredients too. Here’s a little breakdown of how to make them:

  • Cream butter and sugars together: You’ll want to cream your butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well combined or 1-2 minutes. As always, I use more brown sugar than granulated sugar in these cookies because it adds moisture, flavor, and makes them chewier!
  • Beat in one egg and vanilla extract: I suggest stopping to scrape down your bowl before you mix in the egg and vanilla extract. I also recommend using a room temperature egg so it mixes together more evenly. If you forget to set it out ahead of time, simply place your egg in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes before using it.
  • Add the dry ingredients: Once the wet ingredients are mixed together, you’ll mix together your dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, and some old-fashioned rolled oats. Then, just mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. 
  • Mix in the butterscotch chips: You can mix in the butterscotch chips on low speed with the mixer or mix them in by hand with a rubber spatula.
  • Cover and chill the cookie dough: I recommend covering and chilling the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. This will help the cookies bake up thicker and the flavors will have a little time to come together too!

An antique baking pan lined with parchment paper with slightly flattened cookie dough ready to go into the oven.

Once the cookie dough is chilled, you’ll remove it from the refrigerator and scoop it onto two prepared baking sheets. I like to use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for these cookies because it makes the perfect size cookie – not too big and not too small.

I also suggest rolling each ball of cookie dough and slightly flattening it before you bake them. This will help the cookies spread a little more in the oven. If you prefer your cookies thicker or more rounded, feel free to skip this step.

Baked oatmeal scotchies scattered on a rustic gray surface.

For softer cookies, it’s best to bake them for 10-13 minutes. The cookies will still be a little soft when you take them out of the oven, but they’ll continue to firm up more as they cool. If you prefer your cookies a little crispier, you can increase the baking time by 2-4 minutes.

To make these cookies a little prettier, I like to use a spoon to shape them and make them perfectly round right after they come out of the oven. I also love to set aside some extra butterscotch chips and press a few into the tops of each cookie too.

A stack of oatmeal scotchies with one having a bite taken out to see the inside detail of the cookie.

Baking Tips

  • When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it from the container. Instead, stir your flour around to aerate it, then spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
  • I recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats for best results and chewier cookies. However, quick-cooking oats should work fine too.
  • It’s best to let the cookie dough chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors have time to come together and the cookies bake up thicker. You can refrigerate the cookie dough for 2-3 days too, just let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes if it’s too hard to scoop.

More Cookie Recipes To Bake!

Oatmeal Scotchies on top of a rustic gray surface.

Oatmeal Scotchies

5 from 5 ratings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
These Oatmeal Scotchies are incredibly soft, chewy, packed with butterscotch chips, and easy to make too. The perfect cookie for any occasion! 
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Ingredients

Servings: 24 cookies
  • ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 and ½ cups (150 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup (180 grams) butterscotch chips

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well combined (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the old-fashioned rolled oats.
  • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, then mix in the butterscotch chips until evenly distributed in the cookie dough.
  • Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
  • Once the cookie dough is chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave some space between each one. Roll into balls and slightly flatten each ball of dough.
  • Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10-13 minutes or until the cookies are set and edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. 
Cookie dough may be prepared 2-3 days in advance, make sure to cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. If the cookie dough is too hard to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Freezing Instructions: Cookie dough will freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Baked cookies that have cooled completely will also freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw to room temperature before serving.
Unsalted Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter since the amount of salt in salted butter can vary quite a bit between different brands. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the salt to a tiny pinch.
Room Temperature Egg: If you forget to let your egg come to room temperature ahead of time, simply place it in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes before using it.
Oats: I highly suggest using old-fashioned rolled oats for these cookies to give them a chewier texture. You may also use quick oats, but keep in mind that the cookies won't be quite as chewy. 
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle
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