My middle/high school in St. Louis served lunch “family-style,” which basically meant you either ate what they were serving or you ate salad bar. Let me tell you – that salad bar got old fast. Before you start to feel too badly for me, I should tell you that dessert was usually damn good (and my Mom would pack me a healthy bag lunch to eat in my free period, but that’s another story for another time)!
My all-time favorite dessert that they served, the one dessert that still makes me giddier than chocolate flourless cake, was Butterscotch Brownies.
You heard me right: more than chocolate. I’ll give you a moment to process that.
I got so excited about these brownies, and thus endeared myself to the kitchen staff. So much so that they would pack up a plate for me to bring home. No joke. I would stop by the kitchen on the way to swim practice, and they would hand me a foil-wrapped plate.
Maybe I would share, maybe I wouldn’t. I loved those Butterscotch Brownies.
And then one tragic day my junior year, my school switched cooking companies, and not only was my favorite brownie smuggler gone but so were the butterscotch brownies! Tear.
Since then, I have searched every cookbook I owned and lots I didn’t (shhh, don’t tell Barnes & Noble!) for a butterscotch brownie recipe only to come up with nada. Rien. None. Until one day, my wonderful fiancé brought home two 1950’s cookbooks that he bought at an estate sale for $1 each. I could barely contain my excitement when I saw that Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (1984 Edition) included a recipe for my beloved butterscotch brownies!
These butterscotch brownies are dangerously delicious. And they are remarkably fast and easy to pull together. One bowl. One pan. One magical dessert. Chewy and sweet. Addicting. They would be an amazing base for some mix-ins, but today, I am a purist.
I know that everyone else in the Free World calls these Blondies. If I had figured that out 15 years earlier, my search for a recipe would have been a whole lot quicker. But I didn’t, okay? My Butterscotch Brownie clouded brain was a little slow on the uptake.
And in case you are wondering, which I know you are, this is not a Wedding Fairy Approved recipe. I ate almost an entire pan of these sweet treats with a smile on my face while the Wedding Fairy sat by FUMING. I don’t even care. They are that good!
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Butterscotch Brownies aka Blondies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
These butterscotch brownies are dangerously delicious and remarkably fast, and easy to make. One bowl. One pan. One magical dessert.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped nuts [Majorly optional. Loath nuts in most baked goods. Bleh]
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease an 8×8 baking dish.
- Melt butter over stovetop or at 50% power in the microwave. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, egg and vanilla; mix until completely incorporated.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. The mixture will be thick. Spread in greased baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes in preheated oven. The bake time will depend on the dish you choose!
- Betty Crocker suggests cutting these while still warm. I think they actually cut cleaner when completely cooled. Not that I waited until they were cooled to eat one. No patience! Makes 16 bars.
Notes
Recipe from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook 1984 Edition
Note: The only thing I modified in this recipe was the butter. Betty Crocker calls for shortening, but, in my humble opinion, it’s not butterscotch without butter.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Keywords: butterscotch brownie recipe, butterscotch blondie brownie recipe, betty crocker butterscotch brownies
88 Comments
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
August 30, 2013 at 9:07 amawwwwww that’s so lovely that you found your long lost butterscotch blondies! But girl…BETTER than flourless chocolate cake? I dunnoooo 😛
Lindsey
August 30, 2013 at 10:46 amLOL I know. It’s a tough call!
Liz
October 10, 2019 at 6:04 amI just made these, and like every other time I have tried to make butterscotch brownies, they were gooey inside. Maybe they’re supposed to be? But chocolate brownies aren’t.. I usually bake them extra long, still gooey.
Lindsey
November 21, 2019 at 4:10 pmHi Liz! They are gooey inside generally. The “gooey” texture isn’t necessarily because they are underbaked but because of the combination of lots of butter and brown sugar. Just cool them before cutting. If you don’t like the gooey texture use a different recipe like these which are less “gooey”
Susan Marshall
July 1, 2020 at 2:54 pmSupposed to be gooey
Lindsey
July 5, 2020 at 11:04 amBake them less, Susan…
#9: Butterscotch Brownies | Clean Plate Club
November 15, 2013 at 2:17 pm[…] Original Recipe: Butterscotch Brownies aka Blondies […]
Jen
January 21, 2021 at 6:58 pm1. I love this recipe – I still work from the original Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook that I inherited from my mum
2. I refuse to call them “blondies”
3. I NEVER put nuts in them (blech)
4. It IS hard to get consistency in the result. A crinkly top usually means the right doneness inside, but as a teenager I repeated this recipe a zillion times, and nothing seemed to guarantee perfect results. I tried different sized pans, cold eggs, room eggs, soft butter, melted butter, etc… You get what you get. The universe seems to decide.
Lindsey
January 23, 2021 at 11:07 amHaha! I couldn’t agree with you more, Jen! Happy Butterscotch Brownie baking!
Maple Pecan Caramel Brown Butter Blondie | American Heritage CookingAmerican Heritage Cooking
November 21, 2013 at 10:30 am[…] even this one. If you want an easy, one pot butterscotch blondie that tastes amazing then this one is still […]
Grace
November 24, 2013 at 3:16 amI actually have everything to make these at home! Definitely going to try them 🙂 it’s lime the perfect recipe to make when you want something sweet but don’t want to find yourself stuck in the kitchen for hours. 🙂
Lindsey
November 24, 2013 at 9:33 amIt is definitely an excellent, no-fail, easy blondie recipe! My only advice is to double the recipe! Let me know how it goes!
When you have more time, you should try the blondie recipe from this post. It will blow you away!
Stefanie Wallingford
January 29, 2021 at 9:09 pmHelp! I always fail. I never get the slightly crunchy top and gooey center. It’s like a cake. Please help! I had these as a kid and the baker did it perfectly. I know how it should be. Just like the picture.
Lindsey
February 12, 2021 at 11:18 amHey Stefanie, you probably need to bake them slightly less. Baking them in a pyrex (glass baking dish) can also help because they bake a bit slower than a metal pan and don’t get as crispy.
Kim
April 20, 2019 at 6:48 pmThis was my go to after school sweets recipe. My mom was not into sweets or anything processed but we always had these ingredients on hand. Our recipe came from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book.
Surprise! | 303 Miller
January 31, 2014 at 12:27 am[…] For those who need a break from chocolate (or just don’t like chocolate to begin with), here’s a delicious recipe, courtesy of this website! […]
Kerrie
June 12, 2014 at 4:43 pmI remember these as a kid and called them Butterscotch Brownies. My mom still has her 1950s edition of her Betty Crocker cookbook where we got the recipe. She sent me the recipe but I couldn’t find it (hadn’t made them in awhile). I looked on the internet and found your recipe but then subsequently found mine. They are very similar but the Betty Crocker version calls for a cup of light brown sugar (packed) and only 1/2 tsp of vanilla. They sure are good!! I made a blondie recipe recently a friend gave me and they were not nearly as tasty.
Lindsey
June 12, 2014 at 5:02 pmHi Kerrie! These are from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1984 edition. She must have revised the vanilla since the 1950’s version! I’ll have to try the older one out. I don’t remember but I probably just used dark brown sugar because that is what I had on hand! 🙂 I’ve tried a couple more modern blondie recipes that I like…some I’ve posted about.
Deraysa
October 5, 2014 at 12:03 amSame recipe as in The Joy of Cooking (1971) entitled “butterscotch brownies” save for 1/2 cup of sifted flour resifted with the baking powder and baked in a 9×9 inch pan. This is my go-to cookbook for the classics!
Lindsey
October 5, 2014 at 9:08 amI don’t have that edition! I have a facsimile of the 1st edition but it has yet to become my favorite probably because of this incident. I got this recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook (1984) – but I substituted butter for shortening. I’ll have to search out the 1971 Joy cookbook!
Barb P
December 22, 2019 at 1:28 pmI just made the JOC recipe and doubled the recipe for a 9 x 13 pan. Twice as much sugar as flour, wow, but they sure are good!! I added chocolate chips.
Lindsey
January 27, 2020 at 1:09 pmHhah! There is soooo much sugar! Love the addition of chocolate chips!
Jason
May 28, 2015 at 11:32 pmI also have been searching for about 15 years for this recipe, at one time it was listed on the usda recipe site, who’d DID have several of my favorite from school lunches, alas I failed to print the recipes before the new standards went into effect, but now I am pretty sure these Re the same ones, thanks for posting them!
teal
June 5, 2015 at 6:23 pmYES! These were delicious!…I am especially happy to say so, since I was told to make a double batch using someone else’s recipe…and they were dry and icky. Luckily, I found your recipe and despite being strictly instructed to use the other recipe, I boldly used yours with beautiful results! AND, I was happy to substitute the shortening for butter..and I wasn’t ashamed to drop them off! Thanks a million!
Lindsey
June 6, 2015 at 12:47 pmLOL! You are so very welcome!!! I am overjoyed that you loved them! I am picky about my butterscotch brownies and these are one of my favorites! They are also incredibly easy! If you have a little bit more time you should try these brown butter blondies…omg so goooooood! If you want them plain you can leave out the chocolate chips and caramel…the base recipe is delicious by itself too!
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February 26, 2016 at 2:54 am[…] Butterscotch Brownies […]
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February 26, 2016 at 10:21 am[…] Butterscotch Brownies […]
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February 26, 2016 at 11:53 am[…] Butterscotch Brownies […]
Grateful
November 27, 2016 at 10:51 pmThank you for posting this recipe. My husband has been talking about his love for Bernice’s Butterscotch Brownies for the last 20 years that I have known him. He would tell me how he would devour them for lunch at his STL middle/high school cafeteria. Sound familiar? So today after google-ing it and reading your recipe, I suspected I found it which was later confirmed after he ate half of the pan. Thank you for making his day awesome. And btw, he is flummoxed on how you were able to get an extra plate on the side….:)
Lindsey
November 28, 2016 at 8:58 amNo way!!!!! I am so happy you found the recipe! I got extra because I made friends with the kitchen staff and they would save me some for after school 🙂 I was crazy about them and so grateful for extra! lol
Butterscotch Chews - American Heritage Cooking
December 4, 2016 at 7:01 am[…] no secret that I have a blondie obsession. I think I made it pretty clear here and also to anyone who works with me that blondies are my […]
Diane Decker
January 7, 2017 at 7:40 pmI too have spent many many years searching for the Butterscotch Brownies my mom made in the fifties and sixties. Thank you so much for sharing it. Of course, now I’ve been diagnosed with very advanced celiac disease, so will need to find a way to convert it to gluten free. Just looking at the pictures satisfied a longing for home.
Lindsey
January 18, 2017 at 3:06 pmWell I’m glad you found them! Let me know if you find a way to make them gluten free and just as tasty!
Linda Phillips
May 7, 2017 at 5:19 pmThank you for posting this! I was frantically searching my recipes for my moms butter scotch brownie recipe to no avail! This is it!!!!!
Thanks again!!
Lindsey
May 9, 2017 at 11:15 amI’m so glad you found it Linda!! This recipe is a keeper! Happy baking!
Nickie
December 3, 2017 at 12:34 amhoping these turn out like the ones I had as a kid…. Waiting on this slow oven…..thanks for the receipe
Lindsey
December 26, 2017 at 11:01 pmHaha! I hope they did, Nickie!
Amy Barrett
February 10, 2018 at 1:50 pmDid you go to Burroughs?! Because I loved the butterscotch brownies that the school cafeteria served at family-style meals. And that’s what I was thinking of when I found your recipe!
Lindsey
February 15, 2018 at 10:30 amI DID go to JBS! I assume you did too! When did you graduate?!
Amy Barrett
February 15, 2018 at 11:52 amI graduated many moons ago… 1989. So I don’t think we were there at the same time. This recipe was so like the brownies they served. Thanks!
Lindsey
February 21, 2018 at 10:50 amI actually stalked you on your website after responding! We weren’t there at the same time but I bet the blondies were the same! They switched kitchen companies my Junior year and the blondies went with the old company 🙁 I’m so glad you enjoyed them. It took me years to find something similar.
Amy Barrett
February 21, 2018 at 12:26 pmThanks so much for searching for years. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to find the recipe!
Lindsey
February 21, 2018 at 5:46 pmWell that is why I do this! To bring joy to others 🙂
Karol
March 19, 2018 at 5:57 pmCould I make these in a 9×13 pan? Double the recipe?
Lindsey
March 20, 2018 at 1:50 pmYes, absolutely!
Niki
March 28, 2018 at 2:24 pmI have made these for years for my family. I have a Betty Crocker 40th anniversary edition cookbook from 1991 that has the butterscotch brownies recipe (with shortening) though I always leave out the nuts (daughter who is allergic). This is one of my family’s favorite desserts. I always double the recipe and have even quadrupled it for church potlucks and cooked in a large roasting/steam table pan. I will have to try the recipe substituting butter.
Lindsey
March 28, 2018 at 3:28 pmI left out the nuts too! But only because I don’t feel like they belong in brownies or blondies lol. It is so delicious with butter! Happy baking!
Lindsey
March 24, 2018 at 3:43 pmThis recipe is SO similar to the one my mom made all the time growing up. She used to add shredded coconut sometimes too! Ever tried that? Makes me love them even more!!
Lindsey
March 28, 2018 at 3:36 pmHi Lindsey! I haven’t but that sounds fantastic! I’ll have to give it a try!
Sally J Savage
November 29, 2019 at 8:09 amI have th recipe out of a cook book before 1950 and the recipe was Butterscotch Brownies, they called for sweetened coconut, my husband has been looking for this recipe for over 40 years. Found it on Thanksgiving at a friends house
Lindsey
February 10, 2020 at 5:53 pmI’m so glad my life-quest helped you too!
Beth
April 28, 2018 at 10:44 pmI went to JBS in the late ‘70s, and we had them then! I still remember them, and Bernice!
Lindsey
May 1, 2018 at 3:37 pmThat is so crazy!
Gracie Wood
May 27, 2018 at 10:09 pmThese were awesome! I LOVE butterscotch, so I decided to add about a cup of butterscotch chips as well, and man these were great. Thanks so much for the recipe, my family is raving!
Lindsey
May 31, 2018 at 4:02 pmA perfect addition, Gracie! I am so glad your family enjoyed them! Happy baking!
Shelley
July 2, 2018 at 6:10 pmoh my goodness….delicious….thank you….I cut them smaller…..and YES butter is better
Lindsey
July 3, 2018 at 5:07 pmI’m so glad you liked them!!! a
Dominique
July 6, 2018 at 11:48 pmWill it turn out the same if I double the recipe to make a bigger batch?
Lindsey
July 7, 2018 at 7:02 pmAbsolutely!!!
Vicki
July 23, 2018 at 2:20 pmfunny…until I read the narrative and comments for this recipe, i thought I was the only person harboring fond memories and cravings for my hs’s blonde/butterscotch brownies. cant wait to try these!
Lindsey
July 24, 2018 at 8:58 amGlad you found it!
Monica F
November 9, 2018 at 12:23 pmFollowed recipe exactly but in my 8×8 glass dish the edges were too dry and the middle was still mushy. Is there a different oven temp for glass?
Diane Godfroy
February 16, 2019 at 9:30 pmI thought you forgot to include Butterscotch Morsels until I did more research. Crazy how they taste of Butterscotch but with no morsels. Awesome, thank you!
Lindsey
March 30, 2019 at 10:13 amYou can put butterscotch morsels in the batter too if you want! I don’t like butterscotch morsels so I didn’t include them!
Patricia Hellman
May 5, 2019 at 4:10 pmMy husband is dieting so I’m counting calories. How many are in one of these?
Lindsey
June 14, 2019 at 12:37 pmI find it best in my profession not to look at those things lol! There are plenty of websites where you can plug in the ingredients and find out!
Tamy
August 9, 2019 at 2:05 pmMy mom made the butterscotch brownies from a Betty Crocker cookbook all the time. It was a much earlker edition, but same basic recipe. Her’s had choices though, butter, shortning or oil. I totally agree with you though, butter all the way! Anyway, I related to your love of these so much! I loooove chocolate, but I would go right past it for these EVERY time. ☺ Such a strong childhood connection to them! But more than that… They are completely amazing. Thanks for sharing. I know what I’m doing this adternoon! Lol!
Lindsey
September 2, 2019 at 9:40 amI hope you made them, Tamy! I can’t believe her cookbook had three choices – I can’t imagine a cookbook today having that!
karen
November 30, 2019 at 4:56 pmWhen I saw the pictures of your butterscotch brownies I had to check your recipe. I make this frequently and am getting ready to make them for a potluck tomorrow. Yes, butter only and no nuts. Yes, they cut better cold and Yes, I could eat a whole pan myself, which is why I make them when I am going some place to share.
Lindsey
February 10, 2020 at 5:51 pmHaha! They are addicting!
Debbie
February 6, 2020 at 8:05 pmThese are the same as from the 1996 edition. “Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook.” I looked up the recipe because I was too lazy to pull out my book, and then had to check my book after reading the comments! These are the best – chewy and gooey and oh so easy to throw together. I’ve mostly made them with butter, or non-dairy margarine nowadays (and egg substitutions and whole wheat flour), but I’ve been making them for decades now. The sugar content is !!! but when the craving hits, there’s nothing else. And I didn’t know blondies were the same thing – I picture a blondie as like a vanilla bar cookie rather than butterscotch, but I’m clueless apparently!
Kerrie
March 16, 2020 at 5:02 pmYou must have gone to Burroughs! I did too and 25+ years later these are still one of my all time favorite desserts!
Lindsey
March 25, 2020 at 9:37 amHaha! I did go to Burroughs, Kerrie! When did you graduate? Had to have been before 2009 because my brother graduated then and he never got to experience them 🙁
Kerrie
March 25, 2020 at 10:12 am93, I’m so old!
Lindsey
March 27, 2020 at 5:09 pmHaha! Not that old! I only graduated 10 years after you 🙂
MemoriVitae
March 25, 2020 at 6:53 pmI, too, have long searched for my beloved BUTTERSCOTCH BROWNIES – read NOT BLONDIES! – from my childhood. I can’t wait to make these and melt in their gooey, delicious glory! You. Are. A hero.
Lindsey
March 27, 2020 at 5:09 pmLOL. Me? A hero? {she blushes}
Enjoy! Happy baking
Vicky
April 15, 2020 at 6:36 pmI make these all the time now and they are very good and easy to make!
Glen
April 16, 2020 at 8:48 pmHi! I love your story. You’re a very good storyteller. The details make your mission to find the long lost butterscotch brownies so interesting. Well, I just wanted you to know that there are people like myself who actually prefer blondies or butterscotch brownies over chocolate brownies. I am one of those people who is a big fan of blondies. The combination of brown sugar and butter with vanilla extract is delicious. I totally get your fascination with blondies. As a cookie dough fiend, I do prefer to make my blondies without any baking soda or baking powder. After they have cooled but are still slightly warm, I like to place them in air tight container, and save them for the next day. For some reason they are so much better the following day. The flavors get bolder overnight or something happens. I’ve tried them with ground walnuts, mini m&ms, and Hershey sea salted caramel morsels. I will definitely try your recipe soon. It’s interesting because some recipes don’t even call for brown sugar. To me, the chocolate replacement is the brown sugar, which is the recipe’s bold superstar ingredient.
Well, thank you for sharing your recipe for “butterscotch brownies.”
Lindsey
April 17, 2020 at 9:02 amI couldn’t agree more on two points: They aren’t blondies with out brown sugar and they are much better the second day! I hope you do try this recipe!
Jackie
August 27, 2020 at 10:54 amWow, I had no idea that butterscotch brownies and blondies were the same thing! We always called them butterscotch brownies when I was a kid and that is what I still call them. LOL, I had heard of blondies but didn’t know what they were. However, I can’t fathom making them without nuts. To me, they’re just not butterscotch brownies without the walnuts (or pecans, hazelnuts, etc.). I’ve got to say though, when you said your husband brought home a “vintage” cookbook from 1984 it was a little depressing to read – I use a recipe from my 1974 edition of Joy of Cooking.
Barbara
September 6, 2020 at 5:31 pmI used to make these all the time. The recipe was in my first cookbook, 1978 Betty Crocker, kind of a spiral hardcover book. I still have that book, although it is much the worse for wear. These brownies were always wildly popular when I served them to friends, although I usually just made them for myself when I needed a treat. Back in the day, I used margarine and they usually were a little thicker. Now with butter they turn out really thin. Maybe I could swap in one tablespoon of shortening for butter, but thin or not they are always tasty.
Emily
December 13, 2020 at 6:04 pmOh I’ve been searching for these for years! I always thought they were called Butterscotch Brownies. So gooey and delicious! I used to make them all the time as a little girl from my moms Betty Crocker cookbook. We lost mom earlier this year, and I never found her cookbook. Thank you for sharing this beloved recipe. I can’t wait to make them for my family.
Lindsey
December 15, 2020 at 9:40 amHi Emily! I’m sorry to hear about your loss, but I am happy you found this recipe! They are super easy to pull together and, to me, they taste like childhood 🙂
Phyllis
May 4, 2021 at 4:57 pmThese are almost the same recipe as my Joy of Cooking which I bought in 1967. Love them! I made them along with other bars for a get-together over the weekend, and the men really went for the butterscotch.
Phyllis
May 9, 2021 at 3:37 pmThe only difference in the Joy of Cooking is that their recipe uses just 1/2 cup of flour, making the brownies thinner and even gooier. I think next time I make them I’ll split the difference and use 5/8 cup of flour.
★★★★★
Rebecca Clark
August 3, 2021 at 10:02 amThis is the recipe I made growing up! So simple and so delish! This is a classic for a reason!
★★★★★
Lindsey Farr
August 3, 2021 at 9:07 pmAwww! That’s so sweet. Agreed, so classic! 😍