Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

After several requests for this recipe, I am finally posting it. If you are a family member and you've been waiting ever since our summer camping trip, well, what can I say? Sometimes, I get distracted by chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

Chewy oatmeal and butterscotch chips are always a delicious combination in a cookie. (I have since discovered that these are also called Oatmeal Scotchies. Cute name, right?) I have made these cookies numerous times in the past and they are always a hit. This time, I made these cookies with 100% fresh whole wheat and I didn't notice even a slight difference in the taste or texture. I've noticed that whole wheat combined with oatmeal is a great combination when converting my recipes over to 100% whole wheat instead of AP (all-purpose) flour.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh whole wheat flour (if you are using AP flour, reduce this amount to 1 1/4 cups total)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 2/3 cups (approximately 11 oz) butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth again.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the butterscotch chips. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, half at a time. Stir until fully combined. Add the butterscotch chips and stir well.

I used a medium size cookie scoop (about a tablespoon in size) to drop the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with a silpat mat. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned and when they still look soft in the center. Let them cool on the same tray for 5-10 minutes; this will allow them to finish baking without overcooking.

When the cookies are firm enough to handle, transfer them to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely. The finished cookies freeze well and the dough also freezes well. When I am baking the cookie dough straight from the freezer, I allow a few extra minutes for the baking.

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