Take a break from the classic chocolate chip and try these butterscotch mountain cookies — studded with butterscotch chips, coconut and sliced almonds, and rolled in sesame seeds for a toasty crunch.
*Please note* this post was originally published in 2017. The text here has been updated for clarity; the recipe itself is unchanged.
One quiet evening we took the 16 personalities test for fun and compared results. I came up as an ENFP — outgoing, intuitive and a bit of a dreamer — while my partner was an INTJ, far more reserved and practical. We spent the night laughing over the descriptions, and of course, a thoughtful cookie recipe made the conversation feel cozier. These butterscotch mountain cookies were the perfect companion: sweet, textured and a little unexpected.
What is a mountain cookie?
The name “mountain cookie” describes a cookie packed with lots of different components — a miniature landscape of flavours and textures in each bite. For this version, the peaks and valleys come from crunchy sliced almonds and sesame seeds, chewy coconut, and sweet-buttery butterscotch chips. The combination gives you a cookie that’s interesting to look at and satisfying to eat: slightly crisp at the edges, a little soft inside, and dotted with surprises.
The butterscotch chips bring a caramel-like sweetness that blends really well with toasted almonds and coconut. Rolling each dough ball in sesame seeds before baking adds a nutty surface crunch and a visually appealing finish. If you enjoy cookies with a variety of mix-ins so every bite is a little different, these will become a go-to.
How to make butterscotch mountain cookies
The method is very similar to a classic drop cookie. You cream the butter and sugars, add the egg and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients. The key steps that set these apart are chilling the dough to prevent excessive spreading and rolling each portion in sesame seeds to create that crunchy exterior.
After the dough has chilled, portion it into roughly 1.5-tablespoon balls, press them into the sesame seeds, and arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown; the centers will remain slightly soft, which gives the cookies a pleasant chew.
If you want fewer cookies at once, the prepared dough balls freeze well. Store them in an airtight container (with or without sesame seeds) for up to two months, then bake straight from frozen — they may need an extra minute or two in the oven.
Butterscotch Mountain Cookies
Author: Katherine
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Description
These cookies swap traditional chocolate chips for butterscotch chips and layer in coconut and sliced almonds. Rolling each cookie in sesame seeds before baking adds a toasty, nutty crunch. They’re great warm from the oven or stored in an airtight container for snacking throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/3 cup coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the butter until smooth. Add both sugars and beat on medium-high for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat just until combined. Stir in the butterscotch chips, sliced almonds and coconut by hand with a large spoon. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge.
- Pour the sesame seeds into a shallow bowl. Using about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll each portion into a ball, then roll the ball in the sesame seeds, pressing lightly so the seeds adhere. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly browned. If the cookies don’t spread as much as you’d like, gently flatten them with the back of a fork while still warm. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage: Cookies keep up to 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container. Prepared dough balls (coated or uncoated with sesame seeds) can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
More cookie ideas
- Oatmeal caramel-stuffed cookies
- Caramel snickerdoodles
- Raspberry-filled sugar cookies