Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies — 😍❤️🎉 Soft, chewy, and hearty without being too dense! They’re thick enough, but not overly thick, and are just enough to sink your teeth into. Best of all, they’re loaded with sweet butterscotch chips!
Table of Contents
Oatmeal Scotchies Recipe
These butterscotch chip cookies are a tasty trip down memory lane. My grandma used to make them, and I hadn’t had them in ages. So, I changed that.
They turned out to be my favorite oatmeal cookie to date. They’re soft, chewy, and hearty without feeling like I need to strap a backpack on and take them mountain hiking. Sometimes oatmeal cookies get a little too oaty and hearty. I want a cookie, not a granola bar.
They’re also thick enough, but not too thick. Sometimes really thick oatmeal cookies turn dry or cakey, a total deal-breaker. Plus, really thick cookies take longer to bake, and you run the risk of the bottoms getting too dark before the tops are set.
And they’re not too thin. There’s nothing worse than biting into a paper-thin cookie that just sort of disappears. I don’t like thin cookies in general, but thin oatmeal cookies are particularly unsatisfying.
Best of all, they use butterscotch chips. I just love butterscotch and I find it’s very under-represented in recipes in general. After making my favorite peanut butter to date, I vowed to use more butterscotch in my baking.
For anyone who dislikes raisins in your oatmeal cookies, your wishes have been granted. No raisins, nor chocolate chips. Just loads of butterscotch.
Oatmeal cookies, when done right, are some of my favorite cookies. I found myself going back for one more, one more. The chewiness, the hearty texture, the nuttiness of the oats, and nostalgic memories of gobbling vast quantities of my Grandma’s oatmeal cookies make these my new favorite oatmeal cookies. And the abundance of sweet butterscotch chips doesn’t hurt, either.
What’s in Oatmeal Scotchies?
To make these oatmeal butterscotch cookies, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Old-fashioned oats
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – I prefer my oatmeal scotchies to be well-spiced, so I wasn’t shy about adding the cinnamon or nutmeg. Adjust to your preferences, as needed
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butterscotch chips – When measuring the butterscotch chips, I measured 1 heaping cup. Don’t be skimpy on the butterscotch
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Oatmeal Scotchies
These oat scotchies require a bit of planning, but they’re simple to make. Here’s an overview of the process:
- Cream the egg, butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the dry ingredients, and beat again. Incorporate the butterscotch chips.
- Use a 2-inch medium cookie scoop to portion the dough into about 20 mounts, place them on a plate, and flatten them slightly. Cover the plate with plastic wrap, and chill.
- Arrange the cookie dough on two baking sheets lined with Silpat mats or parchment paper greased with cooking spray, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake just until the edges are soft and the tops are barely set. Cool on the trays for about 5 minutes, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Before baking, you must chill the dough. It’s too soft coming out of the mixing bowl for immediate baking, and if you don’t chill it first, I guarantee the cookies will spread out into thin puddles.
Chill it for at least 3 hours or up to 5 days. Bake as many mounds as you want at one time, and keep the remaining dough in the fridge.
No, quick oats are more finely ground than old-fashioned oats and will make your oatmeal scotchies dry.
You can store leftover cookies in an airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or, freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes! Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. So, consider baking only as many cookies as desired, and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment
- 1 (2 inch) Medium Cookie Scoop
- 2 Baking Sheets
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats, not instant or quick cook
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 heaping cup butterscotch chips
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl and hand mixer), add the egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high to cream ingredients until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Stop, scape down the sides of the bowl and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, optional salt, and beat to just incorporate, about 1 minute.
- Add the butterscotch chips and beat momentarily to incorporate.
- Using a 2-inch medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), form dough mounds (I made 20). Place dough mounds on a large plate. Flatten mounds slightly. Cover plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough; cookies will spread and bake thin and flat.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheets with Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mats, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. I bake 8 to a tray.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until edges are set and tops are barely set, even if slightly underbaked in the center and glossy. Cookies may not appear to be done, but they firm up dramatically as they cool. Baking longer results in cookies with dark or burnt bottoms and that set up too crisp and hard and don’t stay soft over time.
- Allow cookies to cool on trays for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:
ALL OF MY OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPES!
Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – The cookies are very texture-filled and are loaded with oats and an abundance of raisins in every bite. You won’t stop at just one!
Easy Oatmeal Cookies — An incredibly FAST and EASY recipe that produces perfectly thick cookies with chewy edges and soft centers! One bowl to wash, no mixer to drag out, and no waiting around!
Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Cookies — These cookies are soft, moist, and oh-so chewy. They taste like banana bread and chocolate chip cookies rolled into one dessert!
The Best Chocolate Chip Oatmeal M&M’s Cookies — Soft, chewy, and LOADED with M&Ms and chocolate chips in every bite! Make them today! The cookies are SO GOOD they got me a marriage proposal!
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — 3 favorite cookies combined into 1 so you don’t have to choose! Easy, no-mixer recipe, and always a hit!
Cowboy Cookies— These cowboy cookies are packed with oats, chocolate chips, Cornflakes, and shredded coconut. This is a flexible recipe that you can make with different mix-ins to suit whatever is in your pantry!
One-Bowl, No-Mixer, Extra-Large Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie — A FAST and EASY recipe for ONE XL soft and chewy very THICK cookie loaded with chocolate! No mixer needed and so DELISH!
You are definitely the soft and chewy cookie queen, Averie! Every cookie you create is more amazing than the one before! These scotchies are no exception!!!
You’re too sweet, Carol. Thank you!
I’ve been having major oatmeal cookie cravings lately :) these look like they will fix that for sure! I love the butterscotch chips, yum :)
Such a good cookie for those cravings, too!
You’re so right about an urge to hike and oatmeal-y anything – they do go hand in hand. These scotchies look Perfect! I wouldn’t mind having a plateful as I venture into the abyss of Pinterest. :)
Oh boy, do these look incredible. My grandma used to make the most incredible oatmeal cookies. They were ALWAYS ooey, gooey soft and moist, just like these. I think it is great you made these with butterscotch chips and omitted the raisins and chocolate. I think my boys would love these. Especially Seraphim, who does not want raisins in his cookies, ever! :-)
I didnt know you had a raisin aversion kiddo :)
You are the cookie queen! I want to try everything you make.
And I wish you were here to help me eat it!
Oatmeal butterscotch are my favorite EVER. These look truly amazing, Averie!
You definitely know how to make a soft and chewy cookie, that’s for sure. These look so incredible. I love the oatmeal and butterscotch combo but then again, who wouldn’t? So yummy!
Averie, these look amazing! You can see how soft and chewy they are! I need to get some butterscotch chips and make these ASAP! Or maybe I will try them with PB chips…
Mmm, pb chips would be delish! Or cinnamon chips!
I need more butterscotch in my life!
Averie! Dude, you are seriously the cookie/sweet treat/ baked goods QUEEN! Oh my gawd! I love these cookies. . LOVE the addition of the butterscotch chips! What?!!! Freaking love this.
Mmm, I love butterscotch, and also find it to be highly underrated. Definitely trying these out – especially since they say they’re your favorite thus far!
If you try them, LMK!
I’ve tried them, they are AMAZING! seriously great, I just added a tbsp. of milk to make them stay soft for days… but other than that followed the recipe precisely and they are great
It’s been a long time since I’ve even had an oatmeal cookie. And I totally agree with the butterscotch – I need to use it more myself. Once again I feel like you’re pointing me in the right direction. I love knowing this is your “just right” oatmeal cookie and it saves me time from having to bother with anything else.
Thanks for sharing! Soft and chewy FTW!
“saves me time from having to bother with anything else” <-- AMEN. I would not steer you wrong on this dough base. It's a keeper and so happy with it! If you try it, LMK how it goes!
Butterscotch and oatmeal remind me of my grandmother too. I would give anything to be sitting in her kitchen while she whipped up a batch of cookies very similar to these :)
I would give anything to be sitting in her kitchen while she whipped up a batch of cookies <--- me too. It's almost tear-inducing some times for me, and what I wouldn't give, to be in my grandma's kitchen again, just one more time :)
Oatmeal cookies are by far my favorite – but I’ve never had them with butterscotch – also LOVE, I cannot wait to try the two together! and your pics are always SO stunning!!
I swear butterscotch and oats were made for each other…a must try and thanks for the pic compliments. These are okay. I have some real stunners coming tomorrow :) Well in 3.5 hours :)
looks amazing.. i once made these a long time ago and my nieces devoured them. love the butterscotch in these cookies.
Lucky nieces!
These butterscotch chips used to be my favorite as a kid ~ now I crave ’em again ;)
I can see you liking them! I always have a stash on hand!