Butterscotch bars are made using only 5 ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. These bars are thick, chewy, and taste like they came straight from a bakery!
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I have a lot of easy dessert recipes on my website, but this recipe for butterscotch bars might be the easiest of them all.
This recipe comes from a lovely woman named Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers. It uses 5 ingredients, comes together in one bowl, and the simplicity really lets the flavor of the butter and sugar shine. They're sweet but not too sweet, and chewy without being too gooey.
I encourage you to whip up a batch or two to enjoy as a quick snack or dessert - I guarantee you already have the ingredients on hand!
Ingredients
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
How to make butterscotch squares
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Stir in flour and mix until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Top tips
Don't over bake butterscotch bars
For the gooiest butterscotch bars, I recommend slightly under baking them. The bars should still be under baked in the middle when you take them out of the oven, but will continue to bake as they cool!
How to store bar desserts
Let your butterscotch bars cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, although they are best enjoyed the day they are made. They will stay fresher if you don't cut them until you're ready to serve.
You can also store them in an airtight container the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend cutting them into individual servings before freezing so you can remove just as many as you'd like.
Tips for customizing butterscotch bars
- Add butterscotch chips or any favorite combination of baking chips
- Add in your favorite chocolate candy, like M&Ms or Reese's Pieces
- Add in your favorite dried fruit, like cherries or cranberries
- For gluten-free bars, use all purpose gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
- Add your favorite chopped nuts, like macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, or almonds
- Sprinkle with finishing salt, like Maldon or fleur de sel
FAQ
Most bakers swear by unsalted butter for baking cookies. I don't usually have unsalted butter on hand and usually use salted.
You can use either, just keep in mind that if you use unsalted butter you'll want to add some salt to the dough yourself (up to 1 teaspoon), and if you use salted butter you will only need to add a pinch or maybe none at all.
Yes! These cookie bars freeze great, just make sure you let them cool completely before cutting and placing in an airtight container, separating any stacked brownies with parchment or aluminum foil.
If you prefer to thaw them, simply pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warmed.
More dessert bar recipes
- Congo Bars
- Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Recipe
- Scotcheroos
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
- Peanut Butter Oat Bars
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Gingerbread Bars
- Vegan Cookie Dough Bars
- Nutty Chocolate Oat Bars
- White Chocolate Pistachio Blondies
- Chocolate Chunk Blondies
- Butterscotch Bars
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Revel Bars
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Stir in flour and mix until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Sandy says
These are great! Few ingredients, easy to make and they taste great. They are great on their own, or if you wanted to add baking chips or my mom' s caramel frosting recipe on top. This one is definitely a keeper!! Thank you so much for sharing it with everyone!
Sandy says
Great tasting and easy to make!
Alex says
It tasted so good. The inside was so chewy. But mine turned out really flat though. What should I do next time?
Lindsay Moe says
It is a rather flat bar, which is what gives it that great chewy texture. It's possible your pan was a little larger than 9x13, which would cause them to spread more. You could try a smaller pan and adjust the baking time if needed to get them a little thicker.
Mary says
I am a premier baker going through at least 30 pounds of butter monthly and donate to fire stations and friends and events and to our church. I do know how to make a great cookie and I’m known as the cookie lady in our senior community. These were delicious when I read negative comments I always feel something wasn’t done right like the eggs being room temp the butter, being soft room temp, but not too soft And don’t over mix it properly measure flour and ingredients and properly whisk flour and baking powder and salt, etc. carefully into the flour and remember one egg at a time
Lindsay Moe says
I'm glad you enjoyed the bars Mary! Thanks for sharing your tips with everyone.