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High Altitude Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies (Oatmeal Scotchies)

January 7, 2023 by Heather Smoke 2 Comments

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An easy, high altitude recipe for thick, soft and chewy oatmeal butterscotch cookies, made with brown butter, nutty pecans, sweet butterscotch chips and a hint of cardamom and cinnamon. These oatmeal scotchies have a delicious balance of sweet, salty, nutty and buttery flavors, and they’ll quickly become a family favorite.

You might also love these high altitude recipes for brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cranberry almond oatmeal cookies, and old fashioned iced oatmeal cookies.

Oatmeal butterscotch cookies with pecans and flaky salt.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No Mixer Needed. You don’t need a mixer for today’s oatmeal cookie recipe, just a bowl, whisk and spoon to make the cookie dough.

So Thick and Chewy. These are really thick cookies. When you take them out of the oven, you might think they’re under-baked, but trust me, they’ll be perfect as they cool and set. An oatmeal cookie is one that you definitely don’t want to over-bake, or it will end up dry and crunchy as it cools, rather than moist and chewy.

Salty, Sweet, Nutty, Buttery. Oatmeal butterscotch cookies, also known as oatmeal scotchies, take a classic oatmeal cookie made with brown sugar, old fashioned oats and cinnamon, and kick things up a notch with lots of sweet, creamy butterscotch chips. I added even more flavor to mine with browned butter, crunchy chopped pecans and a little cardamom. And a pinch of flaky salt on top makes them even better. They’re sweet and salty, nutty and buttery, and completely addictive.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet.

Oatmeal butterscotch cookie with a bite taken.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

  • Unsalted Butter. Use unsalted butter so that you can control the saltiness of your cookies. I also begin by browning the butter first, which adds a much richer and deeper flavor to the cookies.
  • Sugar. A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and a hint of molasses. It also helps caramelize the edges of the cookies for a crisp golden brown edge with chewy centers.
  • Butterscotch Syrup. Since I had butterscotch syrup on hand already, I used a few teaspoons in today’s recipe. The syrup adds moisture and helps keep the cookies chewy, as well as adds more butterscotch flavor. If you don’t have butterscotch syrup, you can use light molasses, golden syrup (light treacle) or light corn syrup instead.
  • Eggs. The eggs add structure and moisture, keeping the cookies chewy, rather than crumbly.
  • Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
  • Flour. Use all-purpose flour to give the cookies structure and strength.
  • Oats. You need old fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats or steel cut oats.
  • Salt. Balances the sweetness of the butterscotch chips and enhances the flavor of the pecans and brown butter.
  • Baking Soda. Leavening agent.
  • Spices. Cardamom and cinnamon adds warmth and complements the flavors of the other ingredients.
  • Pecans. Use raw, unsalted pecans. You can also make these butterscotch oatmeal cookies without the pecans, if you prefer.
  • Butterscotch Chips. The butterscotch chips are creamy, very sweet, and just so yummy in these chewy oatmeal cookies.
Butterscotch chips in a dish.
Oatmeal scotchie with a bite taken.

Instructions

Make the brown butter.

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter for about 4-5 minutes, swirling occasionally to see the bottom of the pan, until the butter is very fragrant, and nutty, golden brown solids have formed on the bottom of the pan.
  • Pour the brown butter, scraping up all of the browned bits, too, into a medium-sized mixing bowl, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Step 3 for making the crust for apple pie bars.

Make the cookie dough.

  • After cooling the brown butter, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and whisk vigorously for 1 minute.
Step 1 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
Step 2 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
Step 3 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
  • Add the butterscotch syrup, eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk vigorously for 1 minute, until lightened in color.
Step 4 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
Step 5 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
  • Separately, whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture and the chopped pecans to the butter mixture, use a spoon to stir everything together until moistened, then stir in the butterscotch chips.
Step 6 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
Step 7 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
Step 8 for making oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
  • Divide the dough into 20 portions using a cupcake or ice cream scoop with a release lever. Roll the dough into balls, and flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for 20 minutes.
  • While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of your oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or baking paper.

Bake the cookies.

  • Place the chilled dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheet (keeping the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you bake the first batch). Bake the cookies for about 9 1/2 – 10 minutes. They should appear set around the edges, underdone in the middle, and very pale. Do not over bake, or they will end up dry.

TIP: For perfectly round cookies, immediately after taking the pan out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter that’s larger than the circumference of the baked cookies, and “scoot” it around the hot cookies. This pulls in the uneven edges and makes beautifully round cookies. You have to do this quickly, before the cookie sets.

Oatmeal cookie dough scooped into balls.
Unbaked oatmeal butterscotch cookies on a baking sheet.
Just baked oatmeal butterscotch cookies on a baking sheet.
Oatmeal butterscotch cookies on a cooling rack.
  • Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool and set completely. If you like, decorate the tops of the hot cookies with a few extra butterscotch chips, and a sprinkling of flaky finishing salt, such as Maldon.
Oatmeal butterscotch cookies on a baking sheet.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do oatmeal butterscotch cookies stay fresh?

Leftover cookies should be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.  Since oats are very absorbent, oatmeal cookies tend to dry out faster than other cookies, but a slice of plain sandwich bread in a cookie jar does wonders to keep them soft for days.

Can these cookies be frozen?

Store these cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3-6 months.

What can I use if I don’t have butterscotch syrup?

If you don’t have butterscotch syrup (which I found at my local World Market), you can use golden syrup (light treacle syrup), light corn syrup or light molasses instead.

Will this recipe work if I don’t live at high altitude?

Please see my site FAQs for information on adjusting recipes for various altitudes.

What salt did you sprinkle on top?

I sprinkled my cookies with flaky Maldon salt.

Can I make these cookies without the pecans?

You can make them with or without the pecans, or you could use almonds or walnuts instead.

Oatmeal butterscotch pecan cookie with a bite taken.

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Favorite Product

Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

Oatmeal butterscotch cookies with pecans and flaky salt.

High Altitude Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies (Oatmeal Scotchies)

Heather Smoke
An easy, high altitude recipe for soft and chewy oatmeal butterscotch cookies, made with brown butter, nutty pecans, sweet butterscotch chips and a hint of cardamom and cinnamon.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Chill Time 20 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings20 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 tsp butterscotch syrup (see notes for substitutions)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • ¼ tsp flaky finishing salt (optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter for about 4-5 minutes, swirling occasionally to see the bottom of the pan, until the butter is very fragrant, and nutty, golden brown solids have formed on the bottom of the pan.
    Pour the brown butter, scraping up all of the browned bits, too, into a medium-sized mixing bowl, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • After cooling the brown butter, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and whisk vigorously for 1 minute.
  • Add the butterscotch syrup, eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk vigorously for 1 minute, until lightened in color.
  • Separately, whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture and the chopped pecans to the butter mixture, use a spoon to stir everything together until moistened, then stir in the butterscotch chips.
  • Divide the dough into 20 portions using a cupcake or ice cream scoop with a release lever. Roll the dough into balls, and flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for 20 minutes.
  • While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of your oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or baking paper.
  • Place the chilled dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheet (keeping the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you bake the first batch). Bake the cookies for about 9 1/2 – 10 minutes. They should appear set around the edges, underdone in the middle, and very pale. Do not over bake, or they will end up dry.
    TIP: For perfectly round cookies, immediately after taking the pan out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter that's larger than the circumference of the baked cookies, and "scoot" it around the hot cookies. This pulls in the uneven edges and makes beautifully round cookies. You have to do this quickly, before the cookie sets.
  • Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool and set completely. If you like, decorate the tops of the hot cookies with a few extra butterscotch chips, and a sprinkling of flaky finishing salt, such as Maldon.

Notes

  • Leftover cookies should be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.  Since oats are very absorbent, oatmeal cookies tend to dry out faster than other cookies, but a slice of plain sandwich bread in a cookie jar does wonders to keep them soft for days.
  • The cookies can also be wrapped well and frozen for 3-6 months.
  • If you don’t have butterscotch syrup, you can use golden syrup (light treacle syrup), light corn syrup or light molasses instead.
Keyword Brown Butter, Butterscotch, Cookies, High Altitude Cookies, Oatmeal, Scotchies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/

Filed Under: Cookies

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shannon

    February 6, 2023 at 11:06 am

    What kind of butterscotch syrup do you use?

    Reply
    • Heather Smoke

      February 6, 2023 at 4:20 pm

      “Lyle’s Squeezy Syrup Butterscotch Syrup”

      Reply

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