Description
Deliciously rich and gooey Butterscotch Bars featuring a buttery base mixed with sweet butterscotch chips, baked to perfection, and optionally served with a homemade creamy butterscotch sauce and ice cream.
Ingredients
For the Butterscotch Bars
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup butterscotch chips (plus a small handful for topping)
For the Butterscotch Sauce (Optional)
- ½ cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the bars.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Cream them together until the mixture is very smooth and well blended.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the large egg and vanilla extract thoroughly to incorporate into the butter-sugar mixture.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in the all-purpose flour and baking powder until the batter is just combined.
- Fold in Butterscotch Chips: Gently fold the butterscotch chips into the batter, reserving a small handful to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Prepare Pan and Bake: Spread the batter evenly into a greased 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle the reserved butterscotch chips on top. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Cut: Allow the baked bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares to maintain shape and texture.
- Make Butterscotch Sauce (Optional): Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the dark brown sugar and heavy whipping cream, stirring well with a wooden spoon until the mixture is blended.
- Boil Sauce: Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it boil gently for about 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla flavoring. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Serve: Serve the warm butterscotch sauce drizzled over the butterscotch bars, optionally accompanied by ice cream for an indulgent dessert.
- Storage: Store any leftover butterscotch sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make sure to fully cool the bars before cutting to prevent them from crumbling.
- The butterscotch sauce can be refrigerated and gently reheated before serving.
- For extra richness, serve bars warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and warm butterscotch sauce.
- Use high-quality butterscotch chips for best flavor.
- The baking time may vary depending on your oven; check early to avoid over-baking.
