What’s chocolatey, warm, gooey, and deliciously easy to make? These skillet-baked Butterscotch Brownies are the perfect dessert for the whole family. With minimal prep and just one skillet, this simple recipe delivers a massive, melt-in-your-mouth brownie in only 40 minutes from start to finish!
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There’s something so comforting about a warm, gooey brownie fresh out of the skillet. These homemade butterscotch brownies are both decadent and easy, making them perfect for getting the whole family involved.
With just a few simple ingredients and one skillet, you can have a rich, fudgy batch of brownies ready in just 40 minutes. Made with pantry staples like butter, chocolate, sugar, eggs, butterscotch, and pecans, these brownies are an ideal dessert with no complicated steps. Just bake, grab a spoon, and dig in!
Looking for more easy brownie recipes? Try Peanut Butter Brownies, Caramel Brownies or Graham Cracker Brownies next.
Why You’ll Love Butterscotch Brownies
- No Fuss, Great Flavor: These brownies stand out for their unique flavor combination. Rich and fudgy, they offer deep caramel notes from the butterscotch, bringing complex flavors together in one skillet. Perfect for when you’re short on time but still craving something gourmet.
- Easy For Any Occasion: Whether you're whipping them up for a family night or a special occasion, this butterscotch brownies recipe is ready to bake in just 10 minutes. Once baked, enjoy them, as is, straight from the pan, or dressed up with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of hot fudge!
- Fun for the Family: Get everyone involved in the kitchen! From measuring and mixing to enjoying the sweet results, this recipe is a fun, family-friendly way to bring everyone together.
Ingredients
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture, contributing to the fudgy texture in this butterscotch brownie recipe.
- Flour: Provides structure for the brownies, affecting whether the consistency is more cakey or dense, depending on the amount used.
- Sugars: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps with texture and moisture, while brown sugar gives a chewier bite and enhances the caramel-like flavor.
- Eggs: Essential for binding the ingredients together, eggs contribute to the structure and moistness of the chewy butterscotch brownies.
- Salt and Vanilla: Salt helps balance out the sweetness, while vanilla deepens the overall flavor and complements the butterscotch.
- Chocolate Bar: Melted chocolate intensifies the rich, chocolatey flavor and helps create the dense texture.
- Mix-Ins: Semi-sweet chocolate chips provide extra chocolate flavor, butterscotch chips add a distinct caramel-like sweetness, and pecans introduce a nutty crunch.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Caramel Swirl: Gently fold in caramel sauce before baking to create sweet, gooey ribbons throughout the brownies. Don’t overmix to keep those beautiful, distinct caramel swirls.
- Rocky Road Inspired: Add mini marshmallows to give this recipe for butterscotch brownies a gooey, rocky-road inspired spin. The marshmallows will melt, creating a chewy contrast to the brownie’s richness.
- Sweet and Salty Combo: Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt or press crushed pretzels into the top before baking for a perfect contrast to the overall sweetness.
How to Make Butterscotch Brownies
Ready to grab a spoonful of these tasty, skillet-baked brownies? After following a few simple steps, you will have delicious brownies with butterscotch chips baking away in your skillet. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F, heat your 12” skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter, and gather the rest of your ingredients:
Step 1: Melt the Chocolate. Melt the chocolate bar and butter over low heat until smooth. Then, remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool.
Step 2: Beat Eggs and Sugar. In a large bowl or mixer, beat the sugars, eggs, and vanilla until they're light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add the Flour. Gradually add the flour and salt to the egg and sugar mixture, mixing until well combined.
Step 4: Add the Chocolate. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture until it's incorporated.
Step 5: Add the Mix-ins. Fold in the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and pecans.
Step 6: Transfer to Pan. Pour the batter into the preheated skillet and bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Top with ice cream and serve!
⭐️ Hint: Let the brownies cool for a few minutes before serving to help these old-fashioned butterscotch brownies firm up just enough to give you that perfect gooey center while still holding their shape.
Expert Tips
- Measuring is Key: Carefully measuring each ingredient is crucial to achieving the perfect consistency in your brownies. Too much or too little of any ingredient can throw off the recipe and affect the final result.
- Don’t Overbake: Brownies continue to cook after they are removed from the oven, so it’s important to take them out when they are still slightly underdone. The edges should be set, but the center should still be soft and slightly wobbly. As the brownies cool, they will firm up and set to the classic, gooey consistency.
- Storing: Store leftover chocolate butterscotch brownies in an airtight container, separated by parchment layers, at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the brownies for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Plating these butterscotch chip brownies is just as fun as making them because there are simply endless ways to enjoy them! Here are a few of my favorite ways to get creative with serving them up:
- Let everyone build their own sundae with a base of warm brownies, topped with their favorite ice cream, whipped cream, and a variety of toppings like caramel, butterscotch or chocolate sauce for a fun and interactive family night!
- Serve up a variety of sweet treats alongside your brownies with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon crisps, or cast iron popovers, for a fun, shareable dessert spread..
- Pair these gooey brownies alongside a classic, hearty meal like cast iron steak, corn on the cob, or fondant potatoes for a satisfying and complete dinner.
Recipe FAQs
While a cast iron pan is highly recommended for even baking and a crispy edge, you can use any oven-safe dish or an 8x8” baking pan. Just be sure to adjust the time in the oven as needed, since different pans may affect the baking time.
Yes! Brownies store really well, so these are a great make-ahead dessert. Once baked, simply follow the storing instructions above.
More Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes
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Get the Recipe
Gooey Butterscotch Brownies
Equipment
- 12" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 4 oz chocolate bar unsweetened; chopped
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar firmly packed
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup flour all-purpose
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Add 2 tablespoons butter to 12″ skillet and add to the oven to be preheated.
- In a pan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Let cool.
- In large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, vanilla until fluffy. You may need to use a mixer. Add flour and salt until mixed in well.
- Add chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture stirring until mixed well. Add butterscotch, chocolate chips and pecans. Add batter to skillet and bake 35-40 minutes.
- Top with ice cream.
Notes
- Don’t Overbake: Brownies continue cooking after they are removed from the oven. Remove them when the center is still soft for that perfect gooey consistency.
- Measuring is Key: Accurate measurements are crucial for achieving the ideal texture. Too much or too little of an ingredient can affect the outcome.
- Storing: Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Edward says
What an amazing dessert to share with the family!! They all loved it! Thank you!