Today, I’ve got something a little different. These strawberry butterscotch cookies are buttery and soft in the middle with perfectly crisp edges. They’re packed with toffee and butterscotch flavours through the butterscotch chips plus brown butter to bump up those flavours!
These butterscotch cookies are amazing and something a little different to mix up your cookie game but yet still simple. They’re definitely a sweeter cookie but the bites of freeze dried strawberry as well as the browned butter help to cut the sweetness a little.
I really enjoy trying to create different recipes and it’s definitely hard to come up with unique combos these days but as far as I can tell, these are one of a kind. If you give these a go, make sure to tell me what you think down below!
If you’re interested in some other cookie recipes, check out my chewy ginger molasses cookies or if you need something gluten free, try my almond flour chocolate chip cookies or my monster cookies which are just made with basic oats.
Can I Use Fresh or Frozen Strawberries?
No, these butterscotch cookies are made with freeze dried strawberries which bring so much strawberry flavour without adding any moisture to the cookies. I do not recommend baking these with fresh or frozen strawberries as they will add too much moisture and ruin the texture.
I know freeze dried berries can be hard to find, especially here in Canada, without spending an arm or leg. However, I did find mine at a local dollar store, so I totally recommend trying that first. I’ve seen some EEExpensive brands online but there is no need to spend exorbitant amounts on these strawberries.
How Brown to Make the Butter
When I make these butterscotch cookies, to get all the nutty and toffee like flavours I can, I like to brown the butter to the edge of burnt. This is of course optional but it adds so much flavour it’s amazing. It also makes the cookies smell divine and it’s hard to just not eat all the dough straight out of the bowl. If you do decide to be an extreme butter browner, just make sure you keep an eye on it. Once on the edge, the butter will burn very quickly and this will definitely not add a nice flavour. Once the butter is a dark brown, immediately transfer it to a heatproof bowl so it doesn’t continue heating.
When making brown butter, ensure to continue whisking the butter, especially towards the end or the milk fats will stick and burn to the bottom of the saucepan.
How to Properly Measure Flour
So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!
If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.
1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.
2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)
4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.
How to Freeze and Bake Chilled Cookie Dough
If you’d like to freeze the dough to save time in the future, follow these simple steps.
- Prep the dough as instructed.
- Chill the dough as instructed. DON’T SKIP THIS STEP. (Chilling the dough helps the flavours marinate and the sugar dissolve. Not properly chilling the dough as instructed can alter the flavour and texture of the cookie.
- Roll the dough into balls.
- Place in an airtight container or bag.
- Label with type or flavour of dough, date, bake time and baking temperature. This makes life much easier when you pull the bag out of the freezer in a couple months and have forgotten what it is. (If you’re using a reusable bag, you can just write this information on a piece of masking tape or something similar.)
- Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven and place balls on baking sheet.
- Add 1-2 minutes to bake time as baking from frozen and enjoy!
Baking Tips
- Don’t replace the freeze dried strawberries with fresh or frozen strawberries. They will add too much moisture to the cookie and ruin the texture.
- When browning your butter, start whisking it once it starts to foam. Continue whisking as it starts to crackle and keep an eye on the colour. You’ll know it’s “ready” when it starts to smell nutty. However, if you feel daring, you can continue to brown it a little more to pull out the most flavour. This is my favourite way to make these cookies but you do have to be cautious not to burn the butter. To be on the safe side, once your butter is browned, pour it into a heatproof mixing bowl immediately.
- I recommend chilling the batter for a minimum of at least 2 hours or your cookies will spread. For a thicker bakery style cookie, chill the batter overnight. For me, it depends on my mood if I do a shorter chill for a more buttery cookie or an overnight chill for a thicker cookie.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Unique Recipes
Gingersnap Pumpkin Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
Orange Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Spiced Plum Overnight Oats
Monster Cookie Icebox Cake
So today, we’re due for some CanCon (Canadian content)! Also a member of the Matt Mays band, who are awesome, here’s a song by Adam Baldwin. This is Daylight by Adam Baldwin. Happy baking!! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Strawberry Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (180g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (160g) butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup (20g) freeze dried strawberries, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat your butter on the stove over a medium heat. Once the butter begins to crackle and then foam, start whisking. Continue to heat for another couple of minutes until it starts to turn an amber colour. I like to take mine right to the edge to get the most flavour but if you're worried about burning it, remove the butter from the heat once you get the nutty aroma. Transfer to a heat proof large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Add the sugars to the butter and beat for 1 minute. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat additional 20 seconds or until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Add in the strawberries and butterscotch chips and mix until combined.
- Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. (*see notes)
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line or spray a baking pan.
- Scoop 2 tbsp size cookies and make sure to keep them about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges have just started to brown and feel slightly firm to touch.
- Let cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes and enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
