Based on a recipe from 1848, this recipe for authentic butterscotch candy contains only 4 ingredients (plus water), is well-balanced and chewy, and is easy to make with an accurate candy thermometer.
Truth be told, butterscotch in its original form is a crunchy candy, but using original proportions means that it ends up too bitter when cooked long enough to set up nice and crunchy. If you’d like a hard candy, try my butterscotch hard candy recipe.
For ease of browsing, here are all of my candy recipes in one place. Thanks for stopping by!
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Other candy recipes you may enjoy include honey peanut brittle, penuche, and old-fashioned cocoa fudge.
Chewy Butterscotch Candy, At a Glance
✔️Skill Level: Intermediate
✔️Skills: Cooking Sugar, Patience
✔️Type: Chewy Candy
✔️Number of Ingredients: 5
✔️Prep Time: 10 minutes
✔️Cook Time: about 15 minutes
✔️Yield: 48-64 pieces
Jump Straight to the Recipe
I am thrilled you are here to learn how to make this chewy version of a classic candy. Butterscotch is one of my favorite flavors, and I’m guessing you’re here because it’s one of your favorites, too!
The flavor of this candy is buttery, rich, and deep. Unlike my own recipes that I test and perfect, I am leaving this one with the same proportions in the newspaper article.
For that reason, some butter may leak out–it probably will–but most will get reabsorbed as the candy sits and crystallizes. Don’t be surprised if a bit of butterfat leaks out when you slice it, but most will get reabsorbed as the candy sits in the fridge.
Texture aside, if you want to experience the flavor of a true, authentic butterscotch candy recipe unadulterated with artificial ingredients or even any cream that will mute the flavor, do give this recipe a try.
And if you do try it, I have a favor to ask:
When you do make this recipe, it will help me and other readers if you:
✅Rate the recipes using the stars in the recipe card
✅Leave a review when prompted in the recipe card (If it’s a positive review, and I hope it is, I’ll use it in the post as social proof)
✅Leave a comment on the post
Thank you so much!
Why Chewy and Not Crunchy Butterscotch?
Using the original proportions of ingredients from the Doncaster recipe, the amount of treacle or molasses is much higher than what modern palates appreciate. And the longer you cook the molasses, the more bitter it gets.
I found that cooking the mixture to the firm/hard ball stages yields a delicious, deep butterscotch flavor that is molasses-forward but not super bitter. Continuing to cook the ingredients to anywhere from 285F to 300F or so just brings out more bitterness than most Americans enjoy.
If you would prefer to make butterscotch hard candy, I have a recipe with a more modern flavor profile (less molasses) that I think you will really enjoy.
Or you can go ahead and cook this version to hard crack and then decide if you’re a fan or not.
The Difference Between Caramel and Butterscotch
In the butterscotch versus caramel post, I said that both confections require salt, although butterscotch needs more than caramel.
And then I thought of that 1848 “recipe” for traditional Doncaster butterscotch, calling for one pound each of sugar and butter and a quarter pound of treacle.
I was also pondering the fact that the proportion of sugar to butter in butterscotch is 1:1 while butter doesn’t necessarily play a role in caramel, and that’s when it hit me.
Both confections were probably originally made using salted butter. So, the more butter called for, the more salt the end product contained. —Pronouncement by Me based on nothing but conjecture. But it feels right, doesn’t it?
I mean, back before refrigeration, salt was put in the butter as a preservative, so it stands to reason that the butter Back Then was Pretty Darned Salty.
I read on OChef.com that some salted butter can contain up to 3% salt, or about 3/4 teaspoon per stick. Or up to 1 whole Tablespoon per pound. So, if the original Doncaster recipe was made with a base of one pound of (presumably) salted butter, it would also contain about 1 Tablespoon of salt. Hence: salt is a Big Player in the flavor profile. Magical!
Stages of Sugar
Since temperature is critical to the success of candy-making, I want to make sure you’ve grabbed your Stages of Sugar chart. The butterscotch candy recipe is right below along with a couple of updates to avoid confusion when making the candy.
Ingredients
Here is the very short list of ingredients you’ll need to make butterscotch candy.
This is the part of the post where I usually tell you about substitutions you can make.
Since this recipe is not mine and shows the classic proportions of butterscotch ingredients, I’m letting the ingredients stand, as is.
The only addition I made was to add a bit of water to ensure the sugar dissolves completely. You could probably use coffee instead. I expect that would be good!
Procedure
Most candies are made in more or less the same way.
You put your ingredients in a pan, and cook them to a certain temperature.
You add mix-ins, and you stir or don’t.
Then you let it cool and cut it into pieces.
The tricky part is cooking each candy to the right temperature and then controlling crystallization through either stirring or just letting it alone.
For this butterscotch, you’ll:
- Cook the mixture to 250F.
- Pour it into a lined pan and leave it alone
- Sprinkle with a little finishing salt if desired
- Let it sit out for about 24 hours
- Cut and store in the fridge
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Here are some image collages to talk you through it:
Mixing the Ingredients
- Add the butter and salt to the pan. Once the butter is partially melted, add the molasses.
- Pour in some water. The water ensures the sugar will dissolve completely as the mixture is coming to a boil.
- Dump in the sugar after the butter has melted completely. Stir and stir to make sure the ingredients are smooth with no gritty texture of undissolved sugar crystals before heating it to a boil.
- Once the ingredients come to a boil, you’ll start to monitor the temperature.
Cooking the Candy
Keep the candy at a nice, rolling boil, and check the temperature periodically with an instant-read thermometer.
You are shooting for 250F.
The temperature might stick at 223-226F for a fairly long time. After it breaks 226F, the temperature will rise a bit more quickly.
Generally speaking, the higher the temperature climbs, the faster it heats, so keep an eye on it.
Equipment You’ll Need
Before we get started, here are the two most important pieces of equipment for candy making: an accurate kitchen scale and a precise thermometer.
If you own these items, great! If you don’t, I encourage you to pick up both. You certainly don’t have to purchase the specific models I suggest. Just make sure they’re accurate and you are good to go.
Still, I do have my favorites, and here they are for you to consider:
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
- Small probe won't make huge holes in your food
- Accurate and fast readings
- Results in either Fahrenheit or Celcius
- Display is backlit for easy readings
- Probe folds away for easy storage
Panning and Cutting the Candy
- Once your butterscotch hits your desired temperature (250F for a relatively soft-at-room temperature chewy candy that will not stick to your teeth when you chew it), immediately pour it into your prepared pan. Line your pan one way (or both ways to be safe) with either foil or parchment paper folded to fit exactly.
- Once the candy is still and not bubbling anymore…
- …sprinkle with a little finishing salt if you’d like. The candy needs to sit out for a good 24 hours with a tea towel over it (a lint-free kitchen towel) so it crystallizes correctly and so the butter has a chance to reabsorb into the candy.
- Score and slice the candy into your desired shapes.
Jenni says: To get nice cuts that don’t squish your candy, refrigerate the slab of butterscotch for 30-45 minutes before slicing. I like to use a pizza cutter for this. Store the cut candy in the fridge.
Adjusting Temperature for High Altitude Candy Making
Reader Charlie recently commented saying that his candy tasted great but was crumbly. He did his own research and realized that it was because (for example) 234F was too hot at his altitude (5000 ft above sea level).
This information will help a lot of you, so thank you so much, Charlie. And I know your next batch of candy will be Perfection!
Here’s the rule: reduce the temperature by 1 degree for every degree below sea level boiling temperature of 212F.
Make Adjustments for your Elevation Like This:
- Take the temperature of your boiling water.
- Subtract 1 degree from the target temperature for every degree below 212F your water boils.
If your water boils at 208F, then you will have to stop cooking your sugar at 230F (4 degrees below 234F since your water boils at 4F below 212F).
Another example: If you’re at 5000 ft above sea level, water *should* boil at 207F (check with a thermometer). Since the soft butterscotch needs to be cooked to 250F at sea level, you’ll only need to cook it to 245F at 5000 ft.
For reference, I found this Altitude Conversion Chart in a booklet titled “The Art of Candy Making” from the USU Extension/Utah County in Provo, Utah.
Butterscotch Candy Q & A
Cook the mixture to 260F rather than 250F. Keep in mind you’ll still need to let it crystallize for 24 hours. Since it will be firmer, score it while it’s still pretty soft so you have guidelines when you cut it completely once completely cool and crystallized.
Refrigerated, your candy should stay nice and fresh for a good 2-3 weeks.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.
Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.
If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.
Love This Butterscotch Candy? Please Rate and Review!
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You can use the stars to rate 1-5 (5 is best), and leave a review in the comments. It helps me make adjustments if any are needed, and comments help others decide whether the recipe is worth making.
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Butterscotch Candy
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter 4 sticks or 450 grams
- 10-14 grams fine sea salt or to taste (about 2-2 1/2 teaspoons)
- 4 oz water 1/2 cup or 113 grams
- 4 oz molasses, by weight and NOT by volume 112 grams, by weight. By volume: 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
- 1 pound granulated sugar 450 grams or about 2 1/4 cups
Instructions
- Cut a strip of non-stick foil or parchment to the same width as the bottom of an 8" or 9" baking dish. Line the pan, making sure the edges of the foil extend up and over opposite sides of the pan. Don't worry about the unlined sides.
- Spray the whole shebang very well with pan spray, especially the unlined sides. Set aside on a heat-proof surface. You can also choose to line the pan "both ways," covering all 4 sides like you can see in the photos. In that case, you won't need to use any pan spray.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, along with the salt, over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter is about half melted, add the molasses and water, and continue heating, stirring occasionally, until the butter has completely melted but the mixture hasn't come to a boil yet.
- When the mixture is good and liquidy, add the sugar, increase the heat to medium to medium-high, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until all the sugar has dissolved (it doesn't feel at all grainy when you rub a little between your fingers).
- Once the mixture comes to a good, rolling boil, cook the candy to 250F and then pour into your prepared pan. NOTE: You're not really supposed to stir during this part, but sometimes it's hard to stop yourself. If you do decide to stir, stir carefully with a clean, silicone spatula, and rinse it off between stirs.
- Let sit out until cool, and then score the candy into 1" squares for later cutting. Run a thin spatula between the unlined sides of the pan and the butterscotch, and and let it sit out, loosely covered with a lint-free towel, for about 24 hours in a cool kitchen.
- Remove to a cutting board, and cut into whatever shapes you want. This will make about 48-64 pieces of butterscotch, depending on how you cut them. NOTE: Because of all the butter in the candy, it will soften quickly at room temperature, so cut it and then store it in the fridge. A bit of butter may leak out when slicing, but most will get reabsorbed into the candy. See NOTES below for other target temperatures to make candies of different textures.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, y’all! I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and hopefully also learned a thing or two.
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And if you think you don’t like butterscotch, I hope this recipe will help to change your mind.
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What’s up, I read your blog regularly. Your writing style is awesome, keep up the good work!
Thanks very much. 🙂
The picture of butterscotch on here looked so beautiful and delicious I had to try this. I ended up with the same problem as James–an incredibly dark product that tasted so strongly of molasses it would not work to call it butterscotch. I do know why my results are so different, though, and it has everything to do with the molasses. You do not need to go “blackstrap” to have something waaaaay too strong for this recipe. To put it simply, the Grandma’s molasses you are using has less of what makes molasses molasses than many molasses products have.
In sugar production sugar cane is boiled with water to leach out the sugar. There are a lot of other byproducts leached out with it that need to be separated off to obtain table sugar. The leftover syrup is called molasses, but that molasses still has a lot of sugar in it so they run it through again to get more of the sugar out as it is the sugar that makes them money. In each generation of the process the remaining sugar gets more and more caramalized because of the heat involved, making the molasses darker and darker. Typical terms used in the process refer to a “first molasses” a “second molasses” and a “blackstrap molasses” at the end. This is a simplification, though, and there is pretty much an infinite number of grades that could theoretically be obtained. Grandma’s molasses is less molassessy, if I can use an invented word, than ordinary first molasses products as it is intentionally made to be so instead of being a happy byproduct of sugar production that can also be sold. There are many American molasseses like Grandma’s–molasses by definition because it is not fully refined sugar, but it is the intended product rather than a byproduct and ends up being not as strong.
The solution is simple enough. Just keep cutting back on the amount of molasses in the recipe until you get what you are after. Stronger molasses is for the most part more concentrated molasses. The water content doesn’t really matter as that is ultimately controlled by the candy thermometer. I’m pretty certain I’ll have to cut back by half or more for this recipe. Short of that people could always go out and buy Grandma’s molasses as is used in the recipe.
Interesting. It does go to show that sometimes using a specific brand of a particular ingredient can make all the difference in the world. And I’m all for using an invented word. Thanks, Chris.
Were you able to achieve the desired results by cutting back on the molasses you were using?
Is there any way to measure the ingredients without a scale? Sure would love to try this,but I don’t want to buy a scale if possible.
Hi, Dave. I cannot tell you how freeing it is to own a scale, but if you really *really* don’t want to buy one (eventhoughtheyreonly25dollarsandwillmakeyourlifesomucheasier) then I recommend you use this conversion chart from King Arthur. It gives the weights of standard volume measurements of almost any ingredient you can think of. You may have to do a little math, but I think it will be very helpful. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html And note that the molasses I use is Grandma’s Molasses which is apparently about as light a molasses as you can get. If you use something more robust, cut back on the amount some.
Hi, I tried this and I’m so sad to say that the proportions absolutely did not work. There was way too much butter; the sugar could not take the amount, and I wound up with a layer of butter over grainy candy. (I measured by weight, on a dry day.) The color was certainly beautiful, and the taste of the candy was good; but it ultimately was not edible because of the excess of grease. I’m sorry to leave unenthused feedback as your page is beautiful but butter is expensive and this just didn’t work. I imagine it could work with about 2/3 as much butter, maybe.
I’m sorry you had this problem, CJ. It did not happen to me, and if it had, I certainly would’ve told everyone about it. I wonder if you used a butter with a higher butterfat content than I used? I used “standard American butter” which is about 80% fat. If you used a higher-fat butter, maybe that might have had something to do with it?
I will say that when I first started melting all the ingredients together, the butter did want to separate. Stirring took care of the issue for me.
If you do reduce the butter and give it a whirl, let me know what you think.
I had a similar problem, the butter separated from the caramel durring cooling. I noticed this and poured the butter off. The result was a but grainy but haveing the flavor of Worthers butterscotch. It is delicous, I will probably try again with 1/2 the butter.
I know that the amount of butter makes it hard to keep it from separating, but serious stirring helps with that. The graininess makes me wonder about partial crystallization or perhaps humidity. I hope you liked it enough to give it another shot. It really is lovely when smooth and chewy! 🙂
I do measure all ingredients with my digital scale. Sorry again to be so cantankerous. I was so hopeful when I googled butterscotch and saw that picture. I’ll try again.
No, don’t apologize. I really do get it. I figured that you use a scale; just had to ask since many folks don’t. All I can say is dump everything in the pan, start it on medium and take it to 250F. Kim and I both had success, so I just don’t have any other good troubleshooting tips for you aside from suggesting you maybe cut back on the molasses to 2.5-3oz for your next go round. If you do try it again, do keep me posted, James!
Sorry if I sound a little frustrated. I have made literally thousands of caramels where I cook the sugar to 350 degrees to caramelize it to a dark amber and then add cream and butter and cook to 248 degrees. The color of those caramels is on the dark side due to the caramelization. They are smooth and delicious. I am looking for a recipe that still has depth of flavor but is a more golden, traditional butterscotch color…either caramels or butterscotch. I was excited to read your article on old fashioned butterscotch and I found it informative and interesting, but there is no way that adding 4 oz of grandmas molasses to one pound each butter and white sugar will yield the color in the photo above…is there?? Yes, the flavor is terrific, but I might call them Molasses Chews rather than butterscotch. I want the buttery richness of Butterscotch and the color you show in the photo. Thank you for your patience with me.
I made this candy exactly the way it is written, and the color was exactly as it appears in the photos. The flavor was rich and butterscotchy in a very old-fashioned and not-too-molassesy way. That’s really all I can tell you. I completely understand your frustration, and I wish I could give you more guidance. Since you have made a ton of candy, I’m guessing that you weighed all the ingredients, yes? I’m not sure what else I can say to be helpful. A friend also made them and blogged about it. Maybe her post will help to shed some light…? http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/2013/01/making-butterscotch-candy-while-burning-down-the-kitchen-with-jenni-from-pastry-chef-online.html
Hi PC, I just made your recipe for Butterscotch Candy. I must say the color of my batch with 4 oz. of molasses is way darker in color that the picture you show. Does your batch above have treacle or some other golden colored syrup?
No, I just used regular Grandma’s molasses, James. Were you using blackstrap molasses? That could make a difference. And how did it taste? Were you pleased with the results? If the flavor is good but you’re not in love with the color, maybe you could dip them in chocolate…? =)
It sounds DE-LI-CIOUS!!I just tried making this and is now cooling down.I hope I cooked it long enough :/ I don’t have a thermometer so I wasn’t sure if it was done or not.It was still a yellowish color when I poured it into the pan.Do you think its done?
It’s really hard for me to say, but if it’s not, you can do one of two things: you can just use it as an ice cream sauce and love it that way, or you can scrape it all back in the pan and continue to cook it until a tiny bit dropped into a dish of ice water turns into a firm ball that will hold its shape once you pull it out of the water. You should be able to “squish” it between a finger and thumb, but it should offer a little resistance. I hope you enjoy it, @22cd7b28219a495c8d385d8ed32e8f28:disqus
How long does this keep? My mom is goingto die…she loves soft candy. She loves butterscotch. WIN! I just FOUND your site and I am in love. Love your recipes AND your posts.
Hey there Stephanie! So glad you found me and that you like what’s going on in my corner of the Hinternets! I would think that the butterscotch would keep for a good 10 days or so. In our house, it lasted about 2 days, and it was all my fault. I Could Not Stop eating it! I hope you try it and that you (and your mom) enjoy it! 🙂
just wondering how long it will keep for?
Good question, Milz. Honestly, mine didn’t stay around long enough for me to worry! lol They do contain a ton of sugar, so I’m sure they’d be fine for up to a week. Hope that’s helpful!
Those look delicious. I am going to try this recipe soon!
I hope that you do! They are really easy to make and Very Very tasty, Erica:)
I wish you lived close enough for me to be your recipe-tester!! I didn’t know 9/19 was Butterscotch Pudding Day!!! My absolute favorite… my Granmommie use to make & would leave chunks of mix so when I ate, there’d be a butterscotch explosion in my mouth!!! Thanks!!! And I am looking forward to your recipes in my inbox!! Be sure to list “title of recipe” in subject line!!! You will have a special folder! ☺
Hooray for special folders! 🙂 I didn’t realize 9/19 was butterscotch pudding day, either. I *did* know that it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, though! Now, when I make butterscotch, I will automatically talk like a pirate! lol
This is so much easier than making caramel candies. And yet again you’ve proven why butterscotch is better than caramel!
It certainly takes less time to make since you don’t have to wait for all the cream to cook down! I think you’ll love them, @twitter-221443780:disqus 🙂
Oh yum! I will add this to my Christmas candy making list.
You won’t even break a sweat making this one, @twitter-186792110:disqus , and everyone will think you slaved over it! Plus, you can tell them it’s an Heirloom Recipe! 🙂
oh, I had a question: why use foil and not parchment?
You can certainly use parchment @facebook-1522014263:disqus . Just make sure to spray or butter it really well. This stuff is pretty sticky and is slightly less stick-some on the foil than on parchment, even though parchment is nonstick!
ok, good to know 🙂 We never buy the non-stick foil, and since I always see parchment used for gooey-sticky bars & barks, I wanted to know if there was some specific reason. Don’t mind me, just being a nerd…
nah–good question, ma’am:)
it’s funny what you kinda sorta figured out about the butter because I was having thoughts along those lines the other day: most old recipes call for butter, not specifically salted or unsalted, and I thought about how you said that people nowadays never seem to use enough butter in their desserts which is why zOMG, *salted caramel* is the best thing EVARrrr. But if modern recipes were adapted from old ones without increasing the salt once we started using UN-salted butter (so we could control the amount of salt better, oh the irony!), then of course we only have enough salt to activate the yeast or leavening agents but not enough to affect flavor…
It makes sense to me, at least. I have these conversations with you in my head while I’m in the kitchen, BTW.
Exactly!! Well said! I don’t think I said it quite that well, @facebook-1522014263:disqus 🙂 I thought I remembered having this conversation with you in a fugue state… 😉 lol