Butterscotch Bars

These Butterscotch Bars have such a rich flavor with browned butter, butterscotch, and brown sugar in every bite – all wrapped up in a chewy oatmeal cookie bar. The bars are sweet, chewy, and practically irresistible.

I love the flavor of butterscotch and oatmeal together, like in oatmeal scotchies, they have such a rich, sweet, flavor, and I love the chewy texture the oatmeal gives.

I originally got this recipe from Grandma Loy’s Kitchen when I participated in a cookie recipe exchange. These bars would definitely be delicious for an actual Christmas cookie exchange. I love them all year long. If you love butterscotch as much as I do, you’ll also love this homemade Butterbeer Recipe.

Why make this recipe?

• Chewy Texture: these oatmeal cookies have such a nice chewiness thanks to the old fashioned oats.
• Rich Flavor – The flavor combination of brown butter, brown sugar and butterscotch is rich and delicious! This means you’ll want to cut the bars small to enjoy too.
• Quick and Easy – The butter is browned in a few minutes on the stove, and because we are making bars we don’t need to cool it back down. The bars are so much quicker than making individually cookies, but just as delicious.

Ingredients Needed

This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Chewy Butterscotch Bars Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

• unsalted butter – browned to add a nutty, caramelly flavor to the bars. If you use salted butter, cut out the added salt completely.
• brown sugar – adds a nice caramel flavor that pairs with the butterscotch
• butterscotch chips – melted in the bars and glaze for that butterscotch flavor
• old fashioned oats – adds a chewy texture, and structure to the bars
• all purpose flour – forms the base of the bars
• shredded sweetened coconut – if you don’t like, or don’t want to use coconut you can skip it.
• baking soda – helps the bars rise ever so slightly
• salt – balances the sweetness of the bars
• egg – helps bind the ingredients together
• vanilla extract – enhances the flavor
• powdered sugar – sweetens the glaze, and gives it more structure
• whole milk – creates a smooth consistency for the glaze

How to make Butterscotch Bars

Step 1. Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and once it is melted, let it keep cooking until it is a golden brown color, stirring often. Be careful to not let it burn.

Step 2. Mix the wet ingredients. Pour the melted butter over the butterscotch and whisk until they are melted. Then add in the brown sugar and stir until combined. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract.

Step 3. Add in the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, coconut, baking soda, and salt. Mix it into the butter mixture until you have a nice soft cookie dough.

Step 4. Bake the bars. Scoop the batter into a foil lined baking pan, spreading the top out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 5. Make the glaze. Add the butter and butterscotch chips to a small sauce pan and heat over low heat until melted. Stir often until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and milk into the melted butterscotch, and whisk together until you have a nice smooth glaze.

Step 6. Add the glaze to the bars. Pour the glaze over the top of the bars and spread it to the edges until smoothly applied over the top. Let the bars and the glaze sit at room temperature until cooled and set. Cut into pieces and enjoy.

Storage Instructions

Store the cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

The bars can also be frozen for up to 3 months, by wrapping the pieces individually in plastic wrap them place them in a ziplock bag. Remove as many bars as you want to enjoy and let them thaw at room temperature.