Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies (also called Oatmeal Scotchies and Oatmeal Scotch Chippers) are a delicious pairing of sweet butterscotch chips, nutty walnuts, and hearty oats!
Another summer gone, and gosh, it went fast!
I remember as a kid, summers seemed to be never-ending. I’d spend hours each day riding my bike, swimming, or exploring, only surfacing to eat and sleep.
And when summer ended and school started up again I actually felt refreshed, like I had had a sufficient break.
Not so anymore; summers these days are a fleeting moment or a passing glance.
I’m not complaining though. Actually, I prefer crisp days and chilly nights. Cable knit sweaters and soft blankets, steaming bowls of soup, or cups of cider.
Fall, with its beautiful foliage, abundance of apples, and almost palpable sense of anticipation, is my absolute favorite time of year.
Even though I would never give up baking completely during summer’s heat, what I love about the weather turning colder is that it really makes home feel more homey. And it makes baking even more enjoyable.
In the wake of a few chilly, rain-filled days, cookies are the perfect thing to brighten up a dreary week.
Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies Recipe (aka Oatmeal Scotchies)
These delicious cookies have the perfect texture. They’re crispy around the outside and chewy in the center.
The sweet flavor of butterscotch is balanced by the nuttiness of oats and walnuts.
Pro Tip: To take these cookies to the next level, you can sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before baking (I use Maldon, which is available on Amazon)!
How to Fix Flat Cookies
If you have issues with cookies spreading out and are wondering how to fix flat cookies, here are a few tips to help you troubleshoot.
- Use a combination of butter and shortening instead of all butter.
- Make sure your leavening agent (such as baking soda or baking powder) is fresh.
- Carefully measure the ingredients; it’s helpful to use a kitchen scale when baking. (Amazon has a lot of affordable kitchen scales.)
- Chill the dough before baking.
- Make sure your cookie sheets are not hot when you place the dough on them.
- Ensure that your oven is calibrated correctly, or check its temperature with an oven thermometer. (You can find a decent oven thermometer for less than $10 on Amazon.)
More Cookie Recipes to Try:
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies
- Chewy Cinnamon Pecan Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Soft Keto Sugar Cookies with Sugar Free Vanilla Frosting
- Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
- Small Batch Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies (aka Oatmeal Scotchies)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 18 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup butterscotch chips you can add up to 1 1/2 cup, but I go light because they are so sweet!
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
- Cream together the butter and shortening in a large bowl. Cream in the sugar, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet, then mix in the oats, butterscotch chips, and walnuts.
- Chill the dough until stiff but not completely hard, about 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer.
- Scoop the dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 to 3 inches between each cookie (I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon measure to scoop out the dough).
- Bake until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges and look ever so slightly doughy in the center, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through cooking.
- Cool for 5 to 10 minutes, on the tray, then transfer to a parchment paper-lined surface to finish cooling.
Faith's Tips
- You can use pecans instead of walnuts if you prefer.
- Store these cookies in a covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also freeze these cookies for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on September 9, 2011. I updated it with more information on May 22, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Bless you! Finally an oatmeal scotchie recipe where the cookies don’t flatten out to crispy nothingness. Just made these tonight. Delicious! I know I will be making them again in a few days. (Oatmeal scotchies are a family favorite – I just haven’t found a good recipe until now.)
Lisa, You are so sweet and you totally made my night! So happy you enjoyed the cookies! :)
Perfection!! They remind me of my childhood in Minnesota and of the cold and rainy afternoons my mom and I spent baking! Thanks for the memories and the yummy cookies!
i like chilly nights too…the problem is getting out from under the covers in the morning!
if you were to ask me my favorite cookie, most days i’d say oatmeal scotchies. sometimes it’s snickerdoodles, but usually oatmeal scotchies. :)
Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite cookies!
The Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year and my oven also got a little more workout lately. However, I haven’t written out summer yet…we’re still having a lot of warm weather ;o)
Faith…your cookies warm my heart as well as my tummy, especially since I love butterscotch in my treats.
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
These cookies look absolutely delicious! We send you our prayers and warm wishes during this week on memorial.
I love colder days for the same reason….bring on the warm kitchens! Thank you for sharing another delicious recipe. These cookies sound too good! As always, your posts make me smile. I hope you have a blessed beginning to your week. Much love from Austin!
Mmmm, butterscotch oatmeal sounds like a delicious departure from chocolate chip and oatmeal! Love the contrasting colors and styling – so beautiful, Faith. Fall is my favorite time of year, too!
These cookies sound absolutely scrumptious with butterscotch chips!
I demolished an entire bag of butterscotch chips this week (don’t ask…rough week) and wish I would have had the foresight to save them for these! What a great cookies! Perfect to see summer out and start up the fall baking!
These look fantabulous! We don’t get butterscotch chips in Australia though – would there be a more accurate substitution than white chocolate chips? That’s the best I could come up with.
Sarah, I think toffee bits would be a nice substitution…if you decide to try it, let me know how it turns out! :)
Oatmeal cookies are so adaptable — what with the additions of butterscotch, milk, dark or white chocolate or any dried fruit you can name. No wonder they never go out of style and are beloved by every cookie lover of every age.
all i can say faith is these look like heaven on a plate. i swear i can smell the sweet butterscotch through the computer!
I’m sad summer is over but am also looking forward to autumn if it means getting to eat these gorgeous cookies! Totally agree with autumn being perfect baking weather too.
Those cookies are simply droolworthy!
Butterscotch chips–nice touch.
Your photos are beautiful, as always! I’m really sad that I can’t get butterscotch chips here, because these look great! Maybe I’ll just use white chocolate instead.
I’m ready to get back to baking, serious baking! I did bake a few batches of cookies this Summer, sure would love a few of these beauties, thanks for sharing your recipe;-)
This summer I did very little baking, which probably had something to do with a lack of air conditioning. It\’s just now getting a bit cooler and I\’m finally feeling like I want to make cookies or even a pie. :) These cookies look like perfect cookie jar stuffers- just right for an after school snack. :)
These cookies look great! I love fall too. It just makes me want to bake and bake. Unfortunately then I have to clean the kitchen…which I never love.
Delicious ~ so many good things mixed together got to be the best :)
What I wouldn’t give for a couple of those right now! Yum! Thanks for the recipe Faith!
I could use a few of these cookies right now! YUM!
I’d love to have a couple of these today to brighten my day!
Those cookies are so beautiful and droolworthy! A great combination of ingredients.
Cheers,
Rosa