These butterscotch cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and tasty. Melted butterscotch chips are mixed into the batter for a rich flavor. They are topped with vanilla frosting and a drizzle of homemade butterscotch sauce. These cupcakes are perfect for fall.

Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Melted butterscotch chips are blended into the batter to give these delicious cupcakes an amazing flavor.
- The cupcakes bake up soft, fluffy, and perfectly moist.
- Simple vanilla buttercream frosting balances out the butterscotch flavor.
- A drizzle of homemade butterscotch sauce makes these taste bakery-worthy.
- Great for fall baking, birthdays, or anytime you're craving a cozy butterscotch dessert.

Ingredients in Butterscotch Cupcakes
- Butterscotch morsels (butterscotch chips)
- Warm water
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar, packed
- Large eggs - room temperature
- All-purpose flour (or cake flour for a lighter texture)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- Vegetable oil
- Buttermilk (cup milk, room temperature)
Ingredients in Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter - softened, not melted
- Shortening
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioners' sugar (icing sugar or powdered sugar)
- Milk or heavy cream
How to Make Butterscotch Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven - Set oven to 375ยฐF. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans and set aside.
- Melt the butterscotch chips - In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together warm water and butterscotch morsels until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Mix the wet ingredients - In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat the large eggs and vegetable oil with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
- Add the sugars - Beat in the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar until blended. Mix in the melted butterscotch mixture on low speed.
- Combine the dry ingredients - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mixture: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
- Make the cupcake batter - Slowly add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Add half of the buttermilk. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk until just combined. Do not overbeat or the cupcakes will be dense.
- Bake - Divide batter evenly into muffin cups, filling about halfway. Bake in the middle position of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool - Remove cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together softened unsalted butter and shortening until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and blend well.
- Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar. It will look crumbly at first.
- Beat in the milk (or heavy cream) a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. A stiffer frosting is best for piping with a piping bag and 1M piping tip.
For extra flavor, finish the frosted cupcakes with a butterscotch drizzle. You can make your own butterscotch sauce in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan or use a plastic squeeze bottle for easy drizzling over the top of each cupcake.

Recipe Tips for the Best Cupcakes
- Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for the best results.
- Don't overmix the batter-mix on low speed just until combined.
- Always cool cupcakes completely before frosting, otherwise the vanilla frosting will melt.
How to Store Frosted Cupcakes
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If refrigerating, let them sit out before serving so the vanilla buttercream frosting softens back up. For longer storage, wrap unfrosted cupcakes in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Butterscotch Recipes
If you love these butterscotch cupcakes, you'll also enjoy these tasty treats:
- Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies - chewy, cozy, and full of butterscotch flavor.
- Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies - a fun holiday twist with warm spices.
๐ Recipe

Butterscotch Cupcakes
Ingredients
Butterscotch Cupcakes
- โ cup butterscotch morsels
- 2 tablespoons water
- ยพ cup granulated sugar
- ยพ cup brown sugar - packed
- 3 eggs - room temperature
- 2 ยผ cup all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- โ cup oil
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter - unsalted (2 sticks), softened
- ยฝ cup shortening
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- Homemade Butterscotch Sauce - or store bought sauce
Instructions
How to Make Butterscotch Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners or silicone liners.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butterscotch morsels with warm water. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat.
- In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat the eggs and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
- Add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar; mix until smooth. Blend in the melted butterscotch mixture on low speed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Add half of the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk until just combined. Do not overmix the cupcake batter.
- Divide batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each about halfway.
- Bake in the middle position of the oven for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together softened unsalted butter and shortening until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and mix well.
- Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar. The mixture will look crumbly.
- Add milk (or heavy cream) 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. For piping, keep the frosting slightly stiff.
- Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes using a piping bag and 1M piping tip. Drizzle with your own butterscotch sauce (use a small plastic squeeze bottle for best results).
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best results.
- Don't overbeat the batter-mix on low speed until just combined for fluffy, moist cupcakes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
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Dana is the lead recipe developer and photographer for PopularRecipes.com. With her 10+ years of experience creating, testing, and photographing recipes, she has become an artist in developing wholesome, family-friendly meals that are a hit with both kids and parents.









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