These cookies bring together crisp edges, a gooey, chewy center, and pockets of melted butterscotch and chocolate in every bite. Chopped pecans add crunch, and a finishing touch of flaky sea salt balances out all that sweetness. It’s a cookie that hits every texture and flavor note you’d want.
Quick facts
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 12 minutes
- Total time: 32 minutes
- Makes: 15 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (165g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup (120g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (90g) butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup (25g) chopped pecans (or more butterscotch chips)
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
How to Make Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Part 1: Mix the Dough
1. Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set this aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter together with both sugars, either by hand or with an electric mixer. Keep mixing on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture lightens in color and thickens.
4. Add the vanilla and egg. Mix these in until the batter looks smooth.
5. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.
6. Fold in the mix-ins. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans.
Part 2: Shape and Bake
7. Scoop the dough. Portion the dough onto the baking sheet using a regular 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, spacing the mounds a few inches apart since they spread quite a bit.
8. Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges turn light golden brown and the center looks pale and puffed. The cookies will continue to bake slightly and settle once out of the oven, so it’s fine if they look a little underdone at this point.
9. Finish and cool. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky sea salt while warm, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before digging in.
Tips for the Best Cookies
Space the dough well. These cookies spread a fair amount in the oven, so give them room on the baking sheet.
Mix the butter and sugar long enough. The full 3 minutes helps the mixture lighten and thicken, which contributes to the final texture.
Don’t worry if they look underdone. Pulling them while the centers still look pale and puffed is intentional. They finish setting as they cool.
Add the sea salt while warm. Sprinkling it on right after baking helps it stick to the surface.
Use a standard cookie scoop. A consistent 2-tablespoon portion helps all the cookies bake evenly.
Final Thoughts
These butterscotch chocolate chip cookies pack in a lot of texture and flavor for a fairly simple recipe. The combination of crisp edges, a chewy center, melted chips, crunchy pecans, and a sprinkle of sea salt makes them hard to stop eating after just one. Bake a batch and let me know how they turn out.