Butterscotch Desserts Grandma Made Every December: 14 Haystacks, Puddings and Bars That Taste Like the 1970s

Butterscotch desserts were the sweet secret of every 1970s December, and most of them started with one yellow bag of butterscotch chips that somehow never lasted until Christmas. Grandma melted them for no-bake haystacks, stirred them into oatmeal cookie dough, poured them over crispy rice bars and folded them into pumpkin batter for Thanksgiving weekend. Then, when company was coming, she made the real thing from scratch: brown sugar and butter cooked slowly until it smelled like toffee. Butterscotch is the forgotten holiday flavor, quietly crowded out by peppermint and salted caramel, yet those warm, buttery treats still fill cookie tins and church bake sale tables every winter. This gallery starts with the easy party favorites and ends with the old-fashioned stovetop classics, so there is something here for every skill level and every holiday gathering..

Butterscotch Desserts Start Here: No-Bake Haystacks

Every family cookie tray in the 1970s had a little mound of these crunchy clusters, the simplest of all butterscotch desserts, and kids fought over the biggest ones. Melted butterscotch chips and a spoonful of peanut butter coat crispy chow mein noodles and salted peanuts, then the mixture is dropped onto wax paper to set. No oven, no mixer and no fuss, which is why haystacks became the first holiday recipe many of us ever made. They still get thousands of shares every December, and the classic version from Taste of Home is the one most grandmas would recognize..

You will need: 2 cups butterscotch chips, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 5 cups chow mein noodles, 1 cup salted peanuts.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a large bowl in 30 second bursts, stirring until smooth. 2. Fold in the noodles and peanuts until everything is coated. 3. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto wax paper. 4. Chill for 30 minutes until firm, then store in a tin.

Scotcheroos, the Bake Sale Bars With the Glossy Top

Scotcheroos are what happens when a crispy rice cereal bar gets a peanut butter makeover and a melted butterscotch and chocolate topping. They came from a cereal box recipe in the 1960s and spread across church basements and school bake sales so fast that many families who love butterscotch desserts think their aunt invented them. The bars stay chewy for days, which made them perfect for holiday tins and mailing to college kids. If you love this kind of potluck classic, our Midwestern grandma recipes gallery is full of them.

You will need: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1 cup peanut butter, 6 cups crispy rice cereal, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Bring the sugar and corn syrup just to a boil, then remove from heat. 2. Stir in the peanut butter, then the cereal. 3. Press into a buttered 9×13 pan. 4. Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips together and spread over the top. 5. Cool until set and cut into squares.

Five Minute Butterscotch Fudge for Holiday Tins

Among no-bake butterscotch desserts, fudge was the shortcut candy of the 1970s holiday kitchen. Instead of watching a candy thermometer, grandma melted butterscotch chips into sweetened condensed milk, stirred in vanilla and a handful of chopped pecans, and poured the whole thing into a buttered pan. The result is creamy, mellow and a little salty, with a softer bite than chocolate fudge. Cut it into small squares, because it is rich, and tuck the pieces into paper candy cups for gift boxes, neighbors and the mail carrier.

You will need: 3 cups butterscotch chips, 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup chopped pecans, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment. 2. Melt the chips, condensed milk and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. 3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt and pecans. 4. Spread in the pan and chill for 2 hours. 5. Cut into small squares.

Oatmeal Scotchies, the Cookie From the Back of the Bag

Oatmeal scotchies are the cookie recipe printed on the back of the butterscotch chip bag, and generations of home bakers learned to make them by reading it over and over. A touch of orange zest or cinnamon makes them taste like the holidays, and the oats give them a chewy, homey texture that pairs beautifully with the melted chips. Like most butterscotch desserts from that era, they are sturdy enough to ship, they freeze well and they disappear fast from any cookie swap. Bake a double batch, because one never seems to be enough.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 3 cups old-fashioned oats, 2 cups butterscotch chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Cream the butter and sugars, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. 3. Mix in the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, then the oats and chips. 4. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets. 5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden.

Soft Butterscotch Chip Cookies With a Pinch of Sea Salt

Some families skip the oats and go straight for a soft, thick butterscotch chip cookie with a buttery brown sugar dough. The trick is a little extra brown sugar and a short chill in the fridge, which keeps the cookies tall and chewy in the middle. A pinch of flaky sea salt on top balances the sweetness of the chips and makes them taste bakery fancy. These butterscotch desserts are lovely stacked on a holiday platter next to sugar cookies, and they make a great base for ice cream sandwiches too.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, 1 egg plus 1 yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups butterscotch chips, flaky sea salt.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. 2. Beat in the egg, yolk and vanilla. 3. Mix in the flour, soda and salt, then the chips. 4. Chill the dough 30 minutes. 5. Bake balls of dough at 350 F for 10 to 11 minutes and sprinkle with sea salt.

Chewy Butterscotch Blondies, the Easiest Butterscotch Desserts

A blondie is basically a brownie without the chocolate, and butterscotch is the flavor it was born to carry. Melted butter and brown sugar give the bars a deep, caramel taste, and an extra handful of butterscotch chips makes pockets of gooey sweetness throughout. The edges bake up crisp while the center stays soft and chewy, so everybody gets their favorite piece. They come together in one bowl with a wooden spoon, which is exactly how grandma liked her holiday baking: simple, quick and always a hit.

You will need: 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease an 8×8 pan. 2. Whisk the butter and brown sugar, then the egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. 4. Fold in the chips and nuts. 5. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, cool and cut.

Butterscotch Toffee Bars on a Shortbread Crust

These layered bars look like something from a bakery window, but they start with a simple press-in shortbread crust. Once the crust is golden, a quick stovetop toffee made from butter, brown sugar and a little cream is poured over the top, and toasted pecans are scattered across before it sets. The contrast of crumbly shortbread and chewy butterscotch toffee is what makes them so addictive. They keep beautifully in a cookie tin for a week, which makes them one of the smartest make-ahead butterscotch desserts for holiday parties and gift boxes.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup cold butter (divided), 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped toasted pecans.

How to make it: 1. Pulse the flour, powdered sugar and 3/4 cup butter into crumbs and press into a 9×13 pan. 2. Bake at 350 F for 18 minutes. 3. Boil the remaining butter, brown sugar and cream for 3 minutes, then add vanilla and salt. 4. Pour over the crust, top with pecans and bake 10 minutes more. 5. Cool and cut.

Pumpkin Bars With Butterscotch Chips for Thanksgiving Weekend

Pumpkin and butterscotch are a match made for late November. Moist, cake-like pumpkin bars spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg get a generous handful of butterscotch chips folded into the batter, and a quick butterscotch glaze is drizzled over the top. They bake in one big pan, travel well to family gatherings and taste even better the next day. Many families set out a pan of these butterscotch desserts on Thanksgiving weekend for snacking between leftover sandwiches, and the kids always come back for seconds before the football game ends.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 10×15 pan. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl. 3. Beat the pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs in another, then combine. 4. Fold in 1 cup of the chips and spread in the pan. 5. Bake 25 minutes, then drizzle with the remaining chips melted.

Butterscotch Monkey Bread for Christmas Morning

Before cinnamon roll tubes took over, Christmas morning in many homes meant a pan of sticky pull-apart monkey bread. The 1970s version used a box of butterscotch pudding mix sprinkled between the dough balls, then a buttery brown sugar syrup poured over the top before an overnight rest. In the morning it goes straight into the oven and comes out golden, glossy and impossible to resist. Everybody tears off their own pieces, which makes it the perfect slow breakfast while the kids open stockings and the coffee brews.

You will need: 2 cans refrigerated biscuits or 24 frozen dinner roll dough balls, 1 small box butterscotch pudding mix (not instant), 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Grease a bundt pan and scatter the pecans in the bottom. 2. Cut the dough into pieces and layer in the pan. 3. Sprinkle with the dry pudding mix and cinnamon. 4. Pour the butter and brown sugar over the top. 5. Rise or rest, then bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes and invert.

Butterscotch Bread Pudding With Crispy Corners

Bread pudding was the thrifty grandmother’s way to turn stale bread into a holiday dessert, and butterscotch makes it extra cozy. Cubes of day-old bread soak in a custard of eggs, milk and brown sugar, then bake until the middle is soft and the corners are crisp and caramelized. A warm butterscotch sauce poured over each serving makes it feel like a restaurant dessert. Leftover dinner rolls, brioche or even holiday panettone all work, so this is one of the thriftiest butterscotch desserts and a smart way to use up the bread basket after a big meal.

You will need: 8 cups cubed day-old bread, 4 eggs, 2 1/2 cups milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup butterscotch chips, butterscotch sauce for serving.

How to make it: 1. Butter a 9×13 dish and add the bread and chips. 2. Whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. 3. Pour over the bread and soak 20 minutes. 4. Bake at 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes until set and golden. 5. Serve warm with sauce.

Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding, the Best of the Butterscotch Desserts

This is the butterscotch most people have never tasted, because the boxed version took over the grocery aisle decades ago. Real butterscotch pudding starts with dark brown sugar and butter cooked together until bubbly and fragrant, then whisked into hot milk and thickened with cornstarch and egg yolks. A splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt finish it off. It is silky, deeply caramel flavored and nothing like the packet kind. Spoon it into small glasses, the way butterscotch desserts were served at grandma’s table, and top each one with softly whipped cream.

You will need: 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla, whipped cream.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and brown sugar and cook 3 minutes until bubbly. 2. Whisk the cornstarch and salt into the milk and cream, then whisk into the pan. 3. Temper the yolks with some hot liquid and return to the pan. 4. Cook, whisking, until thick. 5. Stir in vanilla, chill and top with cream.

Church Cookbook Butterscotch Pie With Meringue

Flip through any spiral-bound church cookbook from the 1960s or 1970s and you will find a butterscotch pie, usually with a handwritten note saying it was somebody’s specialty. The filling is a stovetop butterscotch custard poured into a baked pie shell, then crowned with a tall, toasted meringue made from the leftover egg whites. Of all the baked butterscotch desserts, it is old-fashioned in the best way, rich and silky with a light, sweet topping. Serve it chilled, cut with a wet knife for clean slices, and expect at least one person to ask for the recipe.

You will need: 1 baked 9 inch pie shell, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups milk, 3 eggs (separated), 1 teaspoon vanilla, 6 tablespoons sugar for the meringue.

How to make it: 1. Cook the brown sugar and butter until bubbly. 2. Whisk the flour, salt, milk and yolks, add to the pan and cook until thick. 3. Stir in vanilla and pour into the shell. 4. Beat the whites with sugar to stiff peaks and spread to the edges. 5. Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes and chill.

Homemade Butterscotch Sauce, the Butterscotch Desserts Topping

Once you make butterscotch sauce at home, the jarred kind is hard to go back to. Butter and brown sugar melt together, heavy cream goes in with a whoosh of steam, and a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt finish it in under ten minutes. Pour it warm over vanilla ice cream for an old-fashioned sundae, or spoon it over bread pudding, apple pie and pancakes. A small jar tied with ribbon also makes a sweet homemade gift for teachers, neighbors and holiday hosts.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, vanilla ice cream for serving.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 2. Stir in the brown sugar and cook 3 minutes. 3. Slowly whisk in the cream and simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened. 4. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. 5. Cool slightly and pour over ice cream.

Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Candy, Where Butterscotch Desserts Began

Long before the chips, butterscotch was a hard candy, often traced to Doncaster, England, in the early 1800s. It is simply brown sugar, butter and a little water cooked to the hard crack stage, then poured out and broken or cut into glossy amber pieces. Grandma kept these in a cut glass dish on the coffee table all winter, and a crinkly wrapped butterscotch still brings back memories for many of us. Making them at home takes a candy thermometer and patience, but the flavor is pure, buttery nostalgia.

You will need: 2 cups packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Line a small rimmed pan with buttered parchment. 2. Cook the sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and salt, stirring until dissolved. 3. Boil without stirring to 300 F on a candy thermometer. 4. Remove from heat, add vanilla and pour into the pan. 5. Score while warm, cool completely and break into pieces.