Traditional Chewy Butterscotch Candy (2024)

Other candy recipes you may enjoy include honey peanut brittle, penuche, and old-fashioned cocoa fudge.

Chewy Butterscotch Candy, At a Glance

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:

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Both confections were probably originally made using salted butter.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.

Stages of Sugar Chart

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:

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:

1. Cook the mixture to 250F.
2. Pour it into a lined pan and leave it alone
   • Sprinkle with a little finishing salt if desired
3. Let it sit out for about 24 hours
4. Cut and store in the fridge

Here are some image collages to talk you through it:

Mixing the Ingredients

1. Add the butter and salt to the pan. Once the butter is partially melted, add the molasses.
2. Pour in some water. The water ensures the sugar will dissolve completely as the mixture is coming to a boil.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Panning and Cutting the Candy

1. 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.
2. Once the candy is still and not bubbling anymore…
3. …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.
4. 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

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.

It will help me and other readers so much if you take a moment to rate and leave a review for this recipe.

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.

Other ways to share include pinning, and/or sharing on your favorite social media platform.

Thank you so much for taking the time!

And if you think you don’t like butterscotch, I hope this recipe will help to change your mind.

Thanks for spending some time with me today. Have a lovely day.

Hi, y’all! I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and hopefully also learned a thing or two.

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