Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies
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These soft and chewy oatmeal scotchies are spiced with cinnamon and molasses, jam packed with oats, and loaded with sweet and creamy butterscotch chips. My tried-and-true oatmeal cookie base which yields firm edges and a gooey interior that make these sweet and salty cookies absolutely irresistible. You can also find this recipe on page 36 of my cookbook.
As an oatmeal cookie enthusiast, I spent a surprising amount of time without oatmeal scotchies in my life. It wasn’t until I started baking from scratch that butterscotch made its way into my pantry and I realized that what I originally thought was too sweet of a flavor is actually the perfect flavor to pair with things like pumpkin and Biscoff.
Enter the perfect pairing: my favorite cinnamon-y, molasses-y oatmeal cookie base.
The base for these butterscotch oatmeal cookies comes from my tried and true chewy oatmeal cookie recipe. That recipe was carefully tested over a decade of perfecting just the right combination of ingredients to make a soft, moist, and chewy oatmeal cookie that lets oats take the spotlight in both flavor and texture.
Butterscotch, with its notes of caramel and hallmark sweetness reminiscent of brown sugar, is the perfect complement to the warm flavors of cinnamon and molasses that make my oatmeal cookies so delicious. The butterscotch aspect takes those beloved cookies to a fun and nostalgic place, especially if you, like I, grew up with a stereotypical butterscotch grandparent (you know the type).
INGREDIENTS FOR OATMEAL SCOTCHIES COOKIES
You’ll need 12 basic ingredients for this recipe.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: just a touch of flour goes into these cookies for binder. The oats will make up the bulk of the cookie dough.
BAKING SODA: this leavener will help the cookies rise and spread just a touch. You’ll see the baking soda reacting with the molasses while the cookies are in the oven! See notes in the recipe about this as an indication of doneness.
GROUND CINNAMON: this is a wonderful complement to oatmeal cookies as well as the super sweetness of the butterscotch. It’s a must for oatmeal cookies!
SALT & VANILLA EXTRACT: for flavor, even with all the other goodies going on. Don’t leave them out!
UNSALTED BUTTER: be sure your butter is at room temperature and no warmer. This cookie dough is very sensitive to butter that is too warm!
WHITE & BROWN SUGAR: white sugar will help bring sweetness, and brown sugar will lend depth of flavor and mega moisture.
MOLASSES: yes, you will need the molasses for the ultimate flavor. Looking to use up molasses? Consider making shoofly pie, molasses iced oatmeal cookies, homemade apple butter, or gingerbread coffee creamer.
OLD FASHIONED OATS: do not use quick oats in these oatmeal scotchie cookies. They will absorb too much of the moisture in the dough and the cookies will not spread well at all. Plus, old fashioned lend much better texture.
BUTTERSCOTCH CHIPS: my preferred brand is Nestle, as I find they are the creamiest.
HOW TO MAKE THIS OATMEAL SCOTCHIE RECIPE
This is a super quick recipe! While you don’t have to chill the cookie dough, you will want it to rest for about 10 minutes to allow the oats to absorb some of the moisture of the wet ingredients.
STEP #1
Start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, then set this mixture aside.
STEP #2
Next, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high until combined. Add the vanilla and molasses and beat on high again until completely combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
STEP #3
Reduce the mixer speed to low, then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oats and the butterscotch chips, then allow the cookie dough to rest for 10 minutes.
STEP #4
Use a cookie scoop to drop scoops of dough onto the baking sheet, then bake.
VARIATIONS
I love making my oatmeal cookies extra large, bakery style! If you want extra big cookies, stack two cookie dough balls on top of each other. Bake time will be 12-14 minutes.
You can swap out the butterscotch chips for any kind of chips you want to! Cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips go really well with this oatmeal base.
OATMEAL SCOTCHIES FAQs
Oatmeal Scotchies Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 1 and ½ Tablespoons (102g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30mL) unsulphured molasses1
- 1 and ½ cups (120g) old fashioned oats do not use quick oats
- ¾ cup (128g) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.¾ cup + 1 and ½ Tablespoons (102g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high until combined. Add the vanilla and molasses and beat on high again until completely combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons (30mL) unsulphured molasses1
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oats and the butterscotch chips. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.1 and ½ cups (120g) old fashioned oats, ¾ cup (128g) butterscotch chips
- Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), drop scoops of dough onto the baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes2 or until edges are just set. Remove from oven and allow to rest on baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Cookies will look underdone, and will "set" as they cool on baking sheets. Store cookies covered tightly at room temperature up to 5 days. Baked cookies freeze well, as does unbaked rolled dough (up to 2 months). Do not thaw and add an extra minute to baking time.
Notes
- Molasses: do not use black strap molasses in this recipe.
- Bake time: it is imperative you don’t overbake these cookies, which will dry them out. They will look very underdone and you may see some bubbles on the tops of the cookies from the reaction with the leavener and the molasses. This is what you want!
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.