Almond Flour Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

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Soft, thick and perfectly chewy, these Almond Flour Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies are loaded with old fashioned rolled oats, butterscotch chips and a hint of cinnamon. They’re gluten-free, made with almond flour, coconut flour and brown sugar, and require zero chilling time. They bake up soft and tender in the middle and crispy around the edges. The recipe makes a batch of 24 cookies, and they keep for a number of days at room temperature and freeze well too.

Angled close up of an oatmeal scotchie on a pink surface with other cookies around it.

Thick and chewy oatmeal scotchies
Ingredient notes and substitutions
How to make oatmeal butterscotch cookies with almond flour (step-by-step with photos)
Measuring ingredients
Leanne’s tips for recipe success
Recipe FAQs
More almond flour cookie recipes

Thick and chewy oatmeal scotchies

We’re very picky about oatmeal cookies in our house, so this recipe went through multiple rounds of testing. The perfect oatmeal cookie needs to spread enough to have slightly crisp edges but stay thick enough that the center is soft and chewy. And, of course, it needs to be packed with oats!

Since almond flour has a high oil and moisture content, I added both coconut flour and cornstarch to the almond flour to help absorb some moisture. The combination of all three, along with the oats, help keep these cookies super thick and chewy.

While these oatmeal cookies also work with chocolate chips or raisins, the butterscotch chips take them to the next level. They add a rich caramel flavor, which pairs perfectly with the touch of cinnamon in the cookie dough.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Below is a quick breakdown of the key ingredients and my substitution suggestions. For the full list of ingredients, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom.

Ingredients to make almond flour oatmeal scotchies arranged individually on a pink surface.

Almond flour – Fine blanched almond flour has a soft and fine texture so it works better in cookies compared to the coarser texture of almond meal.
Coconut flour – It helps create the cookie’s chewy texture. We’re only using 3 tablespoons as it’s a super absorbent flour.
Cornstarch – Adding 2 tablespoons to the cookie dough helps keep the cookies thick by preventing them from spreading too much.
Oats – You’ll want to use old fashioned rolled oats (or large flake oats) for these cookies. Quick oats are more finely cut, so they will absorb more moisture and may make the cookies a bit crumbly and less chewy.
Butterscotch chips – This is an essential ingredient for scotchies! Nestle Toll House or Hershey’s Chipits are my go-to brands.
Brown sugar – To enhance the caramel flavor from the butterscotch chips, you’ll need light brown sugar. You can substitute with dark brown sugar for even more flavor, but the cookies won’t spread quite as much.
Eggs – One large egg and another yolk for moisture and chewiness.
Butter – Room temperature and unsalted. If you only have salted butter, you may want to reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe.
Cinnamon – I love cinnamon in any type of oatmeal cookie, but especially in a butterscotch chip cookie. You can leave it out if you prefer.

How to make oatmeal butterscotch cookies with almond flour (step-by-step with photos)

Since these cookies are no chill, you can have the dough made and 3 batches baked off in about 40 minutes. Just make sure you have a few baking sheets ready to go!

Dry cookie ingredients stirred together in a glass bowl. — **Step 1:** Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Butter and sugars creamed together in a white bowl with eggs and vanilla on the side. — **Step 2:** In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Eggs and vanilla mixed into the butter mixture in a white bowl. — **Step 3:** Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Dry ingredients mixed into the cookie dough with oats and butterscotch chips on the side. — **Step 4:** Add the almond flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.

Oats mixed into the cookie dough in a white bowl. — **Step 5:** Add the oats and mix again on low until just combined.

Butterscotch chips stirred into the oatmeal cookie dough in a white bowl. — **Step 6:** Stir in the butterscotch chips (reserving some for the tops of the cookies).

Unbaked cookies arranged on a parchment lined baking sheet. — **Step 7:** Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the cookie dough portions slightly. Press some butterscotch chips into the tops.

Baked oatmeal cookies on the parchment lined baking sheet. — **Step 8:** Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies start to brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Measuring ingredients

For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you’ll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.

Leanne’s tips for recipe success

Flatten before baking. Flattening the cookie dough balls slightly before baking will help the cookies spread and bake faster.
Don’t overbake. To keep the centers of these cookies soft and chewy, pull them out when the edges just start to brown and the tops still look a little glossy.
Cookie scoot. If your cookies spread a little too much, just use a large round cookie cutter or wide mouth glass to shape the cookies into circles. This works best when they’re hot out of the oven.
Let rest on pan. These oatmeal cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven but they will firm up as they cool. Let them sit on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Light colored sheet pans. I always use light colored pans for cookies because they brown more slowly. If you use a dark sheet pan, just keep an eye on the cookies as they will brown more quickly and could burn on the bottom.

Close up angled view of an oatmeal butterscotch cookie with a bite removed.

Recipe FAQs

How should these cookies be stored?

They keep best in an airtight container at room temperature where they will stay soft and chewy for 4-5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Just place the cookies in a freezer safe container in between layers of parchment paper.

Can you substitute other add ins for the butterscotch chips?

Of course! You can substitute chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans or even raisins.

Why didn’t my cookies spread?

These cookies will be thick but they should spread as long as you flatten the tops a little before baking. This gives them a bit of a head start in spreading and helps them bake faster too. The other reason could be if you used too much coconut flour or cornstarch. They will absorb too much moisture and prevent the cookies from spreading.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

This might be because not enough coconut flour, cornstarch or even oats were used. These help absorb oil and moisture and keep the cookies thick. If you didn’t weigh your ingredients, there could be a chance you might not have used enough. The other reason could be that the cookie dough balls were flattened a little too much before baking. If they spread too much, just use the back of a spoon or a round cookie cutter to shape them into circles while they’re still hot.

Overhead of oatmeal cookies arranged close together with butterscotch chips scattered around.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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