This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Butterbeer Cookies are thick & chewy brown butter butterscotch cookies topped with ultra creamy butterbeer frosting and a luscious salted butterscotch sauce. These are truly the most unique & delicious cookies you’ll ever taste!
Why you’ll love these Butterbeer Cookies:
Everyone who has tasted them agrees they’re pure magic. The phrase “best cookies I’ve ever had” has even been tossed around. These brown butter butterscotch flavored cookies are chewy with crisp edges, & plenty of butterscotch flavor in the frosting & sauce.
Even though there are a few elements, these cookies are easy enough for any skill level of baker!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- All-purpose Flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar beautifully enhances the flavors in these cookies – I highly recommend using it! It’s a wonderful addition to most cookie recipes in place of light brown sugar.
- Cream cheese – Use full fat, block style cream cheese for best results.
Recipe Variations:
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe but I suspect it would work well with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend based on reader’s experiences with some of my other cookie recipes (which share the same base).
- Butterscotch Pudding Mix – You can use about half a package of dry butterscotch pudding mix in the frosting if you want to skip the sauce. This is how I flavor the frosting in my Butterscotch Cake!
- Cream Soda – Reduce 8 ounces of cream soda (1 cup) down to 2-3 tablespoons and add to the frosting with or in place of the butterscotch sauce if you prefer more of a cream soda flavor.
How to Make Butterbeer Cookies:
Step 1: Make the Butterscotch Sauce. Combine salted butter, dark brown sugar, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then let cool.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough. Brown your butter (it adds SO much flavor!), then whisk in melted butterscotch chips. Whisk in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla next.
Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl well to make sure everything is incorporated.
Step 3: Roll into Balls. Roll the dough into balls that are 60 grams in size. Roll balls in granulated sugar. They can be baked off right away, or chilled for 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. See more in the FAQs below.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies. Bake cookies at 365 degrees F. They’ll be a bit puffy when done, but the edges should appear and feel just set. Gently press down on the tops to flatten them out for frosting later.
Step 5: Make the Frosting. Cream together brown butter, cream cheese, some of our butterscotch sauce from earlier, powdered sugar, and vanilla. You’ll have a luxuriously creamy butterscotch frosting!
Step 6: Decorate the Cookies. Dollop frosting onto the cooled cookies, and make swirls with an offset spatula. Drizzle on the butterscotch sauce and add some sprinkles for a little extra flair.
Serving + Storing:
Once frosted, store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. See make-ahead tips in the FAQs below. Serve these cookies at a Harry Potter party or a Halloween themed party!
If you love butterbeer inspired desserts, make my Butterscotch Cake or Butterbeer Cheesecake next!
Expert Success Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
Yes. Cookie dough balls can be frozen on a lined baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 minute or so to the bake time. Unfrosted cookies can be stored in a container at room temp for up to 24 hours before decorating. Butterscotch sauce & frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Let frosting come to room temperature for 10 minutes and beat with mixer to get it back to a spreadable consistency.
Yes, any of the components of this recipe can be halved or doubled!
If you stir it at all while it’s boiling, it will turn grainy. You must let it be. I also find that a stainless steel pot works better than a nonstick for things like this. My in-depth Butterscotch Sauce post covers more tips!
It’s a popular drink and flavor from the Harry Potter series. Butterbeer has a butterscotch flavor and cream soda is often used with butterscotch flavor and butter extract to make the butterbeer drink.
Yes, you can go down to 40 gram balls per cookie to stretch the yield. Bake for 7-8 minutes.
More Cookie Recipes to Love:
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Bakery-Style Monster Cookies
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
More Magical Desserts to Love:
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Salted Butterbeer Cookies with Butterscotch Frosting
Ingredients
For the Butterscotch Sauce:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, 120 grams
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 110 grams
- 1/2 cup salted butter, 113 grams or 8 tbsp
- pinch of flaky sea salt
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp salted butter, See note below if you want to skip the brown butter. You'll start with 254 grams and want 206 grams left after browning.
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp butterscotch chips, melted
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 163 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar , 156 grams
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, 390 grams
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Butterbeer Frosting
- 6 tbsp salted butter, Brown it if desired, or not if you want one fewer step – 85 grams
- 4 and 1/2 ounces cream cheese , This only needs 5 mins or so at room temp – 127 grams
- 2 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar , 258 grams
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup butterscotch sauce
- pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Butterscotch Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and heavy cream. Then, let the mixture come to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes. Do not stir it at all during this time. When the time is up, remove from the heat and stir in a generous pinch of flaky sea salt (to taste). Transfer to a jar or bowl to cool completely before using.Make-Ahead Tip: This can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Store in a jar in the fridge.1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 1/2 cup salted butter, pinch of flaky sea salt
- Brown the Butter: (Optional step, see note below.) In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the butter – stirring lazily. The butter will get foamy, then turn golden, then start to turn brown and develop a nutty/caramely sort of aroma. Once it reaches a deep golden color, pour into a heat safe container and pop into the freezer for 10-20 minutes, to cool down to room temperature.1 cup + 2 tbsp salted butter
- Make the Cookie Dough: Add the room temperature melted brown butter to a mixing bowl and whisk in the melted butterscotch chips. Whisk in the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined, about 30-45 seconds. Stir in the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to get any straggler bits of flour.1/3 cup + 1 tbsp butterscotch chips, melted, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 3/4 cup granulated sugar , 2 large eggs, at room temperature, 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Rest Dough & Ball Cookies: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 365℉. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Once dough is rested, scoop into balls 60 grams in size. Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar. (Keep extra dough in the fridge while other pans are baking.)
- Bake Cookies: Bake 5-6 cookies per cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will be slightly puffy and the edges will appear set. Gently press down on the cookies with the back of a measuring cup to make them a tad flatter, for frosting. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together softened butter and cream cheese well with an electric mixer on high speed. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, then add the butterscotch sauce, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth. If your frosting becomes weepy, pop it in the fridge or freezer for 10-30 minutes to stiffen up a bit. Make-Ahead Tip: This can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Cover tightly and store in the fridge. Let come back to room temp for 10 minutes or so and beat with your mixer to get it back to spreadable consistency before using.6 tbsp salted butter, 4 and 1/2 ounces cream cheese , 2 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar , 3/4 tsp vanilla extract , 1/3 cup butterscotch sauce, pinch of salt
- Assemble Cookies: Use a small cookie scoop to drop a dollop of frosting onto each cookie, then use a small offset spatula to spread it and make a swirl. Drizzle butterscotch sauce onto each cookie and add some sprinkles if desired.
- Serve & Store: Enjoy once decorated! They can also be refrigerated for a day before serving once decorated if making ahead. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. They need to be refrigerated because of the frosting and sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious. Lots of steps but so worth it! I did not roll balls in sugar. Was sweet enough without it. Will make again.
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
A friend made these for me and OH. MY. GAWD! I had never had such a delicious cookie before.
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Amber!