Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies are everything that gingerbread should be! Ditch the rock hard and brittle gingerbread for these soft and chewy cookies that will literally melt in your mouth. The butterscotch chips add the perfect hint of sweetness to make these cookies a new Christmas favorite!
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Gingerbread at Christmastime
Classic gingerbread that we know and love is a staple during the holidays. Gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, and ginger snaps are everywhere!
It’s hard not to love the gingerbread men off of Shrek and his gum drop buttons. I digress.
Gingerbread wasn’t always a sweet holiday treat. This article contends that it dates back to 2400 BC in Greece! Centuries upon centuries later once it had made its way through China and back to Europe, Queen Elizabeth I suggested decorating the cookies and Germans began building decorative houses out of it.
It’s fascinating to see how this beloved cookie trekked around the globe!
Next time you sit down with the family to build a gingerbread house or make these butterscotch gingerbread cookies, take a moment to read this informative article and learn about its rich history.
To be a recipe that’s lasted millenia, it MUST be a keeper.
Make it a Meal!
The name of the game here is WARMTH! Ginger and butterscotch are amazing complements to fall flavors like maple, apple, and cinnamon.
Drinks
- Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino – A spiced coffee for a spiced cookie = perfect pairs
- Cinnamon Apple Cider Cocktails – The cinnamon in this seasonal cocktail balances beautifully with the warmth of the ginger and butterscotch of the cookies
Mains
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions – Whoever first thought of putting apples and gingerbread together was a genius
- Ham & Eggs Scramble – Okay here me out – these butterscotch gingerbread cookies taste like they were made for coffee, so serve them up alongside a great savory breakfast dish
Sides
- Homemade Cornbread Without Cornmeal – Typically served with warm, savory dishes, this cornbread totally deserves a spot on the dinner spread
- Maple Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts – Are you sensing a theme here? Serve up these cookies after a meal full of any dish that’s full of warm, fall flavors
How to: Make Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
If you’ve never made gingerbread before, don’t be intimidated! These butterscotch gingerbread cookies come together so easily and will be out of the oven in under 15 minutes.
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F.
Using a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Next, beat in the egg and molasses.
This was my first time using molasses and it is incredibly thick! Do your best to measure out ⅓ cup but don’t stress over it – a little more or little less won’t hurt.
Pro tip: as tempting as it may be, do not taste test the molasses before it is cooked unless you know you like it. It is VERY pungent and I am not a fan. But somehow baked into cookies it’s magical!
Mix your dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then pour into the wet mixture and stir until combined. Don’t forget to add in the butterscotch chips!
Roll the dough into 1 tbsp balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Make sure there is PLENTY of space between each ball of dough – I thought I had lots of space between them but they still ran together. This dough seems like it will spread as far as it can so try to keep at least 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned and no longer soft. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy warm with a glass of your preferred milk or coffee!
Ingredients Needed
Materials Needed
Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ cup butterscotch chips
- Additional sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat in the egg and molasses.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Pour into the wet mixture and stir to combine. Mix in the butterscotch chips.
- Scoop out the dough in 1 tbsp portions. Roll into balls then roll in additional sugar until covered. Place on a lined cookie sheet leaving enough room for the dough to spread while baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy!
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What do you prefer: soft gingerbread or crunchy ginger snaps? Share below!
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Awesome recipe, I haven’t tried it before. This can be good for this weekend. Thank you for sharing!
I hope you enjoy them!
These look so delicious, I can just imagine myself biting into one now! Definitely adding this to my bookmarks 🙂 x
Aww, I hope you enjoy!
These look absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much! I can’t get enough of these cookies
This sounds interesting. I make gingersnaps but never ginger with butterscotch.
These look so good. I’ve never thought of adding butterscotch chips to gingerbread cookies.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a butterscotch flavored cookie. I can’t wai to try these.
These sound amazing! I’m sending the recipe to my daughter who loves to bake cookies. Thank you.
I’ve never been huge on gingerbread before but this year, I’ve developed a right taste for it! These sound delicious 🙂 x
Looks yummy. Will try it this Christmas. Thanks
These look amazing! I love adding some sweet butterscotch to the spicy gingerbread to add some extra flavors! Thanks for sharing!
I have to give these a try — I’ve not really had much butterscotch in my life but these cookies sound amazing!
I wish I had seen this when I made my round-up of butterscotch recipes. (Don’t worry I’m adding it to my post, but I’m sure it would have been a huge hit earlier on!)
Thank you for sharing these delicious-looking recipe with us!
I love butterscotch and I love gingerbread! Why not put them together!
Molasses is a very popular ingredient in Jamaica 🇯🇲 baking. It’s a byproduct of sugar cane production. It’s very bitter- sweet. But as you said, it give baked products a nice flavor and texture. In 🇯🇲 it one of the main ingredients in Easter Bun. The Food Explora in me love your butterscotch gingerbread cookie recipe; could eat a dozen. 😋 😋
I love gingerbread ☺️. This looks yummy 😋
These look delicious! I’ll have to give them a try!
I love butterscotch! This sounds like a must bookmark recipe!
I love butterscotch and your cookies sound amazing. Printed to be made, I am sure my family will love them.
Perfect for a holiday cookie exchange!
These butterscotch cookies were so delicious, we ate them all in one sitting!
I’ve never tried adding butterscotch to gingerbread cookies, I’m definitely curious now. They look very tempting 😀
Love this new approach to gingerbread! These cookies disappeared quickly in my house!
I normally am not a huge fan of gingerbread but I love butterscotch so I had to try these. They are so delicious with the butterscotch! The family loved them too, will be making these again for Christmas.
I am a butterscotch fan here so adding the flavor to a cookie is a must try for me.
I am so intrigued by the addition of butterscotch chips to your gingerbread cookies. I think this is a must try this holiday season!
These look so good. I love butterscotch and ginger especially in the winter. They’re such warm ingredients! Makes me want to snuggle in bed, light a scented candle, read a good book and have a munch!
This looks unreal. Thank you for the in depth post, definitely going to have to try this one day when I’m off over the Christmas period x
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These cookies look so yummy! I’ve never had butterscotch with gingerbread so I definitely want to try them!
These look and sound delicious! I love the idea of combining gingerbread with butterscotch.
Oh my days, these look and sound absolutely delicious. I love the use of ginger this time of year and pairing that with butterscotch… yes please!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us lovely Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
I love everything and anything gingerbread. Combining it with butterscotch was just the icing on the cake. Great recipe!
I had no idea gingerbread was such an ancient recipe! These are absolutely perfect for a Holiday treat for friends and family. Now I just need to buy molasses! 🍪
xo Alli |
A super combination of flavours!
You had me at soft and chewy! And the meal planning along with the recipe is a great idea!
These cookies are fantastic, just the right amount of butterscotch and sweetness! So good, thanks!!
Gingerbread and butterscotch, what could be better! Especially at Christmas. Thanks for this recipe and for sharing it,
These look delicious! Do you know if there’s a way to save molasses if they’ve hardened? I don’t know what happened to mine; maybe it was how I stored it or what, but it’s super sticky and hard now. I want to use that molasses to make these cookies. Thank you so much ☺️
I am going to brew up a batch of ginger beer for Christmas. Fortunately, I saw this.
Santa is going to get a bottle of ginger beer and a plate of butterscotch gingerbread cookies this year.
Ha, I follow Presotn on Twitter, and that’s how I came over here!
Often ginger has a sharp little kick that I don’t like too much (once a year is fine) but I think the butterscotch may soften that. Good idea!
And good excuse to eat more molasses. It’s the healthiet sweetener there is, but it doesn’t get much use in my cupboard!
These were so delicious! I made them to include in my holiday treat boxes. Highly recommend. I had no issues. Effortless recipe.
OHHHH… YUMMY! Butterscotch and gingerbread — delish
I may have overlooked this in the recipe, but about how many cookies does this make? Thanks!