An old-fashioned cookie recipe with brown sugar and toffee bits for double the butterscotch flavor plus toasted pecans for added crunch. Freeze and cut for picture-perfect cookies any time you have a craving!
JUMP TO RECIPEThe first thing I should tell you about this recipe is that there is no actual butterscotch in it. Ha! It’s a very old recipe (you know it's old when the recipe card uses the term “oleo”) so I can’t tell you much about the origin of it either.
What I can tell you is that they are addicting! And they are my go-to cookie when I want to have something without chocolate. Like when I’m making lots of different types of cookies at Christmas or I’m craving something a little different.
I’m sure “butterscotch” comes from the use of all brown sugar (and no white sugar) because that’s what butterscotch is made of (whereas caramel is made from white sugar). And toffee or brickle is also made with brown sugar so there may be some correlation there.
There are so many things I love about these cookies like…
They are frozen and cut – I keep them in the freezer so when I get a hankering for something sweet, I just slice and bake and within minutes the house smells like heaven!
They’re chewy on the inside but still have a crisp texture on the outside which makes for the perfect cookie in my opinion!
The dough is so so sooooo flavorful – many cookies depend on chips and chunks and nuts to bring the flavor but this dough is delicious all by itself!
FAQ FOR BUTTERSCOTCH CRUNCH COOKIES
You may have some questions about the recipe. Some I can answer, some I can’t and some I’m just going to have to guess but here goes…
Do I have to use shortening and butter? Or can I just use butter? You technically can use all butter though I have never made them that way and don’t suggest it. Shortening is used because it has a higher melting point so it keeps the cookies from spreading too much. It also makes for a more tender dough. If you use all butter, the cookies will be flatter and not as soft.
Two tablespoons of vanilla?? Yep. The original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons (and no salt) and though I LOVED the texture of the cookies I always thought the flavor of the original recipe was a bit lacking so I tripled the vanilla and added a hefty amount of salt. I mentioned it in my recent Oatmeal Cookies recipe but I’ve started really beefing up the vanilla in cookie recipes and looooooove the results.
Do I have to use Cream of Tartar? I dunno. I know it’s a leavening agent and Google tells me it can be substituted but I’ve never made these without the cream of tartar so I can’t tell you how they will turn out if you substitute it with something else.
Do you have to freeze the dough? No. And yes. You can make these as soon as the dough is ready but the cookies will be pillowy and uneven. They are delicious but if you’re looking for gorgeous, uniform cookies then roll, freeze and cut.
Can you double the recipe? 100% yes! I almost always do so I can stock the freezer.
Do I have to use a stand mixer for this recipe? I highly recommend it because the dough is very thick. A sturdy handheld mixer can get the job done too but I doubt the whisk-style attachments for the hand-held mixers will be able to mix the dough properly. Unless you have Popeye arms, I don’t think you’ll be able to mix these by hand.
Do I have to use pecans and/or toffee bits? Nope! You don’t have to add anything or you can add your own favorites (butterscotch chips are amazeballs) but the “crunch” comes from the toffee bits and the nuts so keep that in mind.
I mentioned that I like to make these at Christmas… here are my go-to recipes for holiday baking and Christmas cookie trays!
- JIM-JAMS - An old-fashioned heirloom cookie recipe for molasses cookie sandwiches filled with raspberry jam.
- COCONUT MACAROON KISSES - A tender and light, yet rich and dreamy recipe for chewy coconut cookies topped with Hershey’s Kiss chocolate drops.
- MAN BARS - An easy and unique cookie bar recipe made with graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips, cut and rolled in powdered sugar.
- SNOWBALL COOKIES - A tender shortbread cookie recipe with pecans and powdered sugar (also called Mexican Wedding Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes) perfect for holiday baking!
- TRIPLE CHOCOLATE NO-BAKE COOKIES - Classic no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies made with DOUBLE the cocoa and studded with chocolate chips for three times the chocolate goodness!
- CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES - A fool-proof recipe for tender and chewy sugar cookies perfect for sprinkles!
- CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS - All the goodness of chocolate chip cookies made easy in one big batch of bars. Top with seasonal M&M's for a special holiday cookie recipe.
Recipe for Butterscotch Crunch Cookies
Butterscotch Crunch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 10-oz bag English toffee bits
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans*
Instructions
- Mix butter, shortening and brown sugar in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until well combined and no lumps remain (mixture will resemble wet sand).
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
- Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to the brown sugar mixture and mix well.
- Mix in toffee bits and pecans.
- Shape into two 10-inch rolls then wrap each in plastic. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Unwrap dough then cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place frozen cookie dough portions 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
- Bake at 375 degrees 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool until set before moving from the pans.
Notes
- I HIGHLY suggest toasting the pecans. I just toss mine in a skillet then heat over medium-high heat until fragrant. Let them cool before using.
- Yes, that's 2 TABLESPOONS of vanilla.
- Double-wrap in plastic wrap to freeze if not baking the same day. Dough will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
These sound amazing! Do you have any idea how the recipe would work using gluten-free all-purpose flour? Not being one of THOSE people; unfortunately, I have celiac disease and I don't cook anything I can't eat. I also don't like to put out effort for something that's doomed not to turn out :) so I'm always glad to see a recipe I can make with GF ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about gluten-free flour options to say. Sorry!! If you try them, please let us know how it goes!
DeleteThank Mandy for this delicious recipe. I haven't made them yet!! but I'm going to this week. They look so good and with everything I like in a cookie too. I saw a couple of more of your cookie recipes and while I'm at it I think I will make 3 or 4 of them just for a test run for my "cookie Platters" for Christmas. Thanks again
ReplyDeleteThank you!! It's never a bad idea to make cookies! I hope you enjoy them (ALL of them)!!
DeleteI made these with my daughter (our fave bonding activity) and dipped the bottoms in tempered chocolate. Highly recommend!
ReplyDeleteYou are my kind of girl…extra everything. I’m going to try this recipe. My grandmother use to make butterscotch cookies but she was gone before I started baking, and I couldn’t find anyone who knew the recipe.
ReplyDeleteDo you use light or dark brown sugar ?
ReplyDeleteLight brown sugar works best but dark can be used as well.
DeleteOMG! Delicious! I doubled the recipe. Also, forgot to put vanilla in when I should have, and then wondered why so dry. Then read recipe again. Added all vanilla needed and mixed with hands. So much better. I didn't read whole thing ahead to see I was supposed to freeze it. I ended up freezing half and went ahead with baking the rest. I used a medium cookie scoop to portion them equally, then flattened slightly. SO GOOD!!! I also used some coarse sea salt on some. I love salty sweet treats! YUM!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 12/10/23
ReplyDeleteI made these exactly to recipe and they are delicious. The dough, however, was so dry that when I tried to form it into rolls, it would not hold shape. I got a wonderful upper body workout to get the logs formed, froze them, thawed them, then tried to cut them - the dough completely fell apart. I wound up having to form each cookie by hand. I WILL make them again, after adjusting the recipe. Maybe more butter/shortening, or less brown sugar? Or maybe use another cookie recipe that I know works and just change the last two ingredients to the toffee bits and pecans! Also, be sure to FINELY chop the pecans to help the dough stick together.
I wonder how they would turn out with Splenda brown sugar for us diabetics?
ReplyDeleteJUST CURIOUS but this recipe sounds close to what the Lexington cookies by Pepperidge Farm would have been. It is one of my senior neighbors favorite which they no longer make. I have never had them, but for any baker who knows, would this be a base start in trying to come up with a recipe. Have only seen one online and it wasn't what he was thinking.........Any help?
ReplyDelete