You’re going to love this coffee butterscotch sauce recipe, you guys. Any product links in this post are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure page. Find my other butterscotch recipes in one place.
[NOTE: The video in this post is for butterscotch creme brulee, but in it, I make butterscotch so you can see how it’s done.]
Want more butterscotch recipes? Click the photo, friends!
Butterscotch, you have been given a raw deal. Reduced to a flavor of bright yellow hard candies, packets of instant pudding and dubious ice cream toppings, you cannot speak for yourself. Because you don’t have a mouth.
I however, do have a mouth, and I am a long-time fan of yours. I guess it falls to me to tell everyone how amazing you are. I aim to do you proud.
The stuff dreams are made of. I mean, would you look at that slow slide off the spoon…? Sigh…
In Defense of Butterscotch
Long ago, I wrote a post called Yes Virginia, There Is a Difference Between Between Caramel and Butterscotch. Then I changed the name of the post because of SEO. Boo. But the post is still there, so there’s that.
I also have a post about authentic butterscotch candy. As a matter of fact the base recipe comes from a newspaper article written in 1848. How’s that for authentic?
I just wanted to give you my bona fides up front so you’d know I’m serious about my love for butterscotch.
What Does Butterscotch Taste Like?
Good butterscotch sauce (or any butterscotch) should taste a lot like a well-salted toffee. In fact, the only real difference between the two is the sugar stage you cook them to.
Cook butterscotch to 225F or so and you have a thick sauce. Cook it to 240F-260F, and you have a firm yet chewy candy. Cook it all the way up to 310F (hard crack) and add nuts, and you have toffee.
I say a sauce based on brown sugar, butter and dairy is a weak butterscotch because there isn’t enough molasses in brown sugar for you to be able to taste it in the sauce. Riddle me this: what do you get when you cook sugar (and a tiny dab of molasses), butter and dairy for 4-7 minutes? Buttery sweetened condensed milk. Hmmph.
How to Make This Sauce
For the butterscotch I’m sharing with you today, I used 8 oz of sugar and 1.5 oz of molasses (almost 19% of the weight of the sugar). You could also use 8 oz brown sugar plus an additional ounce or so of molasses and get the same result.
I wanted a sauce a bit more sophisticated than a straight butterscotch (although straight butterscotch is fantastic), and I thought coffee might pair nicely. Just to be certain, I consulted The Flavor Bible, and sure enough, coffee was on the list. Hooray! Butterscotch, I truly hope this makes up for the myriad wrongs perpetrated against you by Unscrupulous Manufacturers.
And now, without further ado, I give you this real coffee butterscotch sauce recipe.
Sexy butterscotch sauce, y’all. Get on board!
Other Butterscotch Posts on Pastry Chef Online
Wondering what butterscotch is? I can help.
And read on to find out what the difference is between butterscotch and caramel.
And now, here’s the recipe for the coffee butterscotch sauce. I hope you enjoy it!
Real Coffee Butterscotch Sauce Recipe
Rich, creamy and perfect over ice cream, cake or any number of desserts, this butterscotch (made with, among other things, sugar, butter, molasses and salt) is the real deal. No short cuts, not that you need any since it only takes about 10 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 2 oz unsalted butter
- 8 oz granulated sugar
- 1.5 oz molasses, (I recommend Grandma's. Do not use blackstrap)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, (I will let you use only 3/4 teaspoon if you must, but no less)
- 6 oz heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
- coffee extract, to taste (1-3 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the sugar, molasses and kosher salt. The mixture will look like wet brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 230F, about five minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and coffee extracts. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Serve warm over ice cream. Or whatever.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you can't find coffee extract, use espresso powder or freeze-dried coffee dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water. You may have to play around with how much you add, so start small, taste, and add more if necessary.
Substitute a small amount of almond extract for the coffee extract. You could also add a tablespoon of Amaretto or even Frangelico rather than--or in addition to--the coffee flavor.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 2 TablespoonsAmount Per Serving Calories 203Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 32mgSodium 220mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 0gSugar 26gProtein 1g
Y’all, this sauce is a dream. If you are a fan of deeply flavorful toffee-ish sauces, then this butterscotch sauce has your name written all over it. What are you waiting for? Hie thee to the kitchen, people! And once you taste this sauce, you’ll see that you don’t dislike butterscotch. You just dislike bad butterscotch.
Thank you for spending some time with me today.
Have a lovely day.
Cassandra says
I’m a die-hard chocolate fudge sauce fan but you have me craving butterscotch today!
Jennifer Field says
I am telling you, you won’t miss the fudge! =) I have an excellent chocolate fudge sauce recipe too, though, in case you need it, Cassandra!
Brooks says
Gee willikers, I don’t know how I missed this post but I’m glad you brought it out on Fearless Friends. I need this in my life!
Jennifer Field says
Haha!! I know I miss so much, so I figure other folks do too! Glad you like it, Brooks–let me know how the Walkers enjoy it! =)
Abdul Hanees says
Hi, Jenni. I’m really eager to try your recipe since it is so distinct from loads of butterscotch recipe out there. However, I do notice that your recipe required molasses which something that is hard to find at my place. Could you suggest me substitution for that?
Tq
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Abdul! Can you get dark treacle where you live? I’m pretty sure that is the same as molasses but under another name. If you tell me where you are, I can do some research and see what else might work for you!
Betty Ann Quirino says
Oh my goodness. I just got weak in the knees reading this post. I love butterscotch, probably more than chocolate. I’m bookmarking this one because I know when it’s your recipe, it is the real deal, Jenni. Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer Field says
Oh, yay, BA! Thanks so much–I hope you love it. It is Really Good! =) xo
EJ says
Hi, Jenni! I stumbled upon your recipe when I was searching “butterscotch bs. Caramel”, and I’m so jazzed about this. Question: you show the sauce in a Mason jar…is there a way that this can be canned in a water bath to make it shelf stable?
Jennifer Field says
That is a great question. Unfortunately I know next to nothing about canning. I will refer you to my friend Sara who is a master canner. I’m sure she can help. You can reach her through her blog at https://myimperfectkitchen.com
Jules says
This is the bum diggity of sauces! I made the hot fudge sauce, loved it so much much I decided to make the coffee butterscotch. Oh my goodness, this is unbelievable! Thank for for this great recipe! This is a keeper. Can this be doubled? Also, can I make this on a rainy day- my sister says “no” that it will crystallize.
Jennifer Field says
Hooray, Jules! I’m so glad you love the butterscotch–it’s one of my favorites! This sauce has a tendency to crystallize anyway when in the fridge, but it smooths out when you rewarm it. A few seconds at a time in the microwave and stirring in between should smooth it out no matter the weather when you make it. And yes, double away!