butterscotch

Butterscotch Blondies

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

You guys- THANK YOU. Thanks for being an awesome blog family. Thanks for not judging the amount of butter and cream cheese we consume here. And thank you for loving me in spite of my rambling and grammatical errors. Y’all are great.

One of my goals for 2018 was to spend more energy on gratitude- to live out days overflowing with thanksgiving. I know, I know, we talk about that a lot here, but it’s primarily because I require so many reminders to be thankful. Life tends to beat us up sometimes; I can’t help but wonder if a heart filled with gratitude might somehow manage to find the gold, even in those moments. Don’t you think so?

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

Gratitude

My mom bought me this book called “The Five Minute Journal.” As its name suggests, the journal requires just a few daily moments spent creating a few lists of gratitude: 3 Things I’m Grateful For, 3 Things That Would Make Today Great, 3 Awesome Things That Happened Today, etc. I’ve now spent 26 days jotting on those pages, and I have to tell you- I LOVE IT.

As humans, we dwell on the negative. Sometimes we get discouraged, kicked down, blown off. We guilt trip ourselves over the things we did wrong, the areas we failed, and in doing so, we completely miss the  beauty that was scattered throughout the process. We lose sight of the tiny bits of hope and joy and goodness that are chalked all over our days. In the end, we forget to make the next day better.

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

Admittedly, some moments are harder than others. Weeks pained with illness and anger and loss and exhaustion are no stranger to humans. The realities of this world are a heavy burden to bear, even for the strongest of souls. But what if, even in the midst of trial, we were set on finding the good? What if we squinted and searched through the dark to find a glimmer of light that may have, even if only briefly, cast its warm glow on our story? Wouldn’t it feel good to be reminded of the sweet spots in our days?

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

Your Turn

So “The Five Minute Journal” has been really good for me. It’s challenged me to be thankful (when I feel anything but) and find the right (when all I see is wrong). I would challenge you to do the same: share some gratitude today. Love on someone or something who makes your world pretty and don’t miss the opportunity to swell with hope from all of the lovely things that are sitting right under your nose. My guess is that you have a lot to smile about if you’re willing to look hard.

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

Butterscotch Blondies

Things I’m grateful for this morning: these butterscotch blondies. Buttery, sweet, and salty blondies filled with butterscotch chips and toasty pecans are just about the best thing to sit on my kitchen counter in months. These taste like comfort food to me, and on cold, bleak January days, they’re about all I need to stay warm.

Making the Blondies

To make these butterscotch blondies, we start with butter. First, cream butter with the sugar. Next, eggs and vanilla add to the mix, followed by a few dry ingredients. Finally, before baking, butterscotch chips and chopped pecans stir in with an extra sprinkle of salt. That’s it! Butterscotch blondies might be the easiest thing you make all week.

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

After baking, these butterscotch blondies keep well in the freezer, maybe forever, but will otherwise be cozy in an airtight container for 2-3 days. I find that butterscotch blondies are best shared with a friend or two, so maybe make a double (or triple?) batch and love the crap out of your neighbors. Give these yummy treats a try, and if you’re looking to share the love, I hope you’ll pour it out with a healthy dose of thanks. I love y’all- have a great weekend.

Butterscotch Blondies by the Wood and Spoon blog by Kate Wood. These are simple rich, and easy blondies made with brown sugar, pecans, and butterscotch chips. The caramel taste in these bars are crowd pleasers and perfect for sharing with a group of people. The recipe bakes quickly in a brownie pan and can be frozen and made ahead. Find the recipe for these nutty blondies on thewoodandspoon.com

If you like these butterscotch blondies, be sure to check out:

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Brown Butter Blondies: Two Ways

Pretzel Millionaire Bars

Pistachio Honey Bars

Derby Pie Bars

Pretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies 

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Butterscotch Blondies

These butterscotch blondies are a sweet and salty treat, loaded with toasted pecans and perfect for sharing!

  • Author: Kate
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup (150 gm) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (130 gm) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (175 gm) butterscotch chips
  • ¾ cup (75 gm) chopped pecans
  • Extra salt for sprinkling, if desired

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Fold in the butterscotch chips and pecans. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.
  3. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted just barely comes out clean. Do not overbake. Slice and serve!

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Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust & Butterscotch

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

I guess I’m supposed to tell you all about my trip to Charleston for the SAVEUR blog awards, right? You probably want to hear all about the other finalists, the food and wine, or what it was like to meet Deb in real life. Maybe you’re curious if Wood and Spoon blog brought home a win in the “Best Baking and Sweets” category (hint: we did!), or if I ever figured out how to pronounce the word “Saveur.” Though I should probably be carving out space to share about this past week and the wonderful new friends that were made, to be honest, I haven’t yet figured out how to sum it all up. So for now, let me dive into the beauty that is this brown sugar cheesecake and we can hash out the other details later.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

Brown Sugar Cheesecake

Before we begin, let me make one thing clear: I have dreams about this brown sugar cheesecake. A perfect combination of sweet and salty, this cake is a dessert that fulfills every taste and texture desire of my heart. For starters, I think about the tangy filling, folding over itself in silky clouds inside the bowl of my mixer. The scent of the oatmeal cookie crust, rich with butter, molasses, and cinnamon, wafts to the scene, momentarily stealing my every affection. But it’s the butterscotch sauce, thick and drippy, with caramel flavors and a not-so-subtle hint of salt, that oozes in and completes the most perfect bite. Each element of this cake enhances the flavors of its counterparts and it so tantalizes my tastebuds that I could almost break out into song. Without question, this brown sugar cheesecake is the one you won’t get over.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

Making the Cheesecake

Like the other cheesecakes on this site, we start by preparing the crust. Brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt are brought together with the addition of melted butter. Stir it all together and pat out the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan. While it bakes in the oven, we can prepare the filling for the cake. Cream cheese is beat on medium speed just until all of the clumps have been smoothed out. Brown sugar is added next, followed by eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla. The goal here is to incorporate each element evenly without overbeating the mixture as this can cause air bubbles and cracks in the cake once baked. Just beat in each addition until well combined, and be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl regularly.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

A Few Cheesecake Tips

Now everyone has their own special way to make a cheesecake, but there’s a few things that are almost universal to the process. First, you don’t want the cake to undergo drastic temperature changes during the baking process. To address this need, I prefer to put my cake pan in a waterbath, a pan full of boiling water that reaches about halfway up the sides of the cake. I also try to cool the cake down slowly so as not to cause cracks or shrinkage along the edges of the pan.

Second, it’s important to not over-bake your cheesecake. To test your cake for doneness, look for edges that appear to be slightly set and a center that is  wiggly under the surface of the cake. I turn the oven off once the inner half of the cake is only slightly jiggly upon shaking the pan. Unlike flour cakes, cheesecakes don’t adhere to the toothpick test, so don’t bother sticking your hand in there, okay?

Third, we want a crust that is baked, not soggy. If you opt to use the waterbath, be sure to wrap the outside of your pan in aluminum foil to ensure that no water seeps in to muck up your crust. I go a bit overboard and wrap my pan with three large layers of heavy duty foil, but I swear to you that extra effort is worth it.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

The Heavenly Sauce

The butterscotch is a can’t miss addition to this cake. Sure, the cheesecake is delicious on its own. But why pass up the opportunity to douse anything with a rich, decadent sauce like butterscotch? You could opt for store-bought, but let me encourage you, from the bottom of my heart, to consider making my favorite butterscotch sauce. Deb (yes, the one I met this past week) has the easiest, 5-ingredient sauce that you cannot screw up. I promise. If you prefer, Bobby Flay’s caramel sauce would do the trick here as well.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

I’ve got a lot of joy and fun memories from this past week that I’m dying to share with you. For now, I hope you’ll accept this brown sugar cheesecake. It’s sweet, salty, and entirely delicious- a dessert worth sharing with the best blog readers the world has. Thank you for continuing to support the Wood and Spoon blog. You guys rock.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Butterscotch Sauce by The Wood and Spoon by Kate Wood. This is a creamy, almost caramel cheesecake made with brown sugar. The crust is a sweet and salty press-in crust made from oats. The whole thing is baked in a springform pan and topped with caramel corn and butterscotch sauce by Smitten Kitchen. Find the recipe and some tips on making a pretty cheesecake without cracks or soggy crust on thewoodandspoon.com

If you like this brown sugar cheesecake, you should check out:

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

S’Mores Cheesecake

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Blueberries and Brown Butter Crumble

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies 

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Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

The brown sugar cheesecake boasts a sweet and salty oatmeal crust and a gooey butterscotch sauce.

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 60
  • Total Time: 240

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 11/3 cup (110 gm) quick cooking oats
  • ½ cup (100 gm) packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup (45 gm) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 7 tablespoons (100 gm) unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

  • 11/2 pounds/ 3 blocks (680 gm) of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150 gm) brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs (170 gm), room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

To prepare the crust:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare a 9″ springform pan by wrapping it in sheets of aluminum foil. I use 3 layers of extra wide, heavy duty foil wrapped to the top lip of the pan. Spray the inside walls and bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
  3. Stir together the dry ingredients until combined. Add the melted butter and stir just until combined. Gently pat out your mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

To prepare the cheesecake:

  1. Begin boiling some water in a kettle or saucepan for your water bath.
  2. Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed (I use 4 on my Kitchen Aid Mixer) for 2 minutes to remove all clumps. Do not overbeat, but scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. If many clumps remain, ensure that your cream cheese has softened to room temp.
  3. Add the sugar and beat on medium for an additional 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine an additional 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add the heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat to combine.
  4. Strain the cheesecake batter through a mesh strainer (if desired) into a reserved bowl. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Gently rap the pan on the counter to help any air bubbles escape.
  5. Place your springform pan into a slightly larger baking dish/pan and fill the larger pan with the boiling water you prepared for the water bath until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
  6. Carefully place both pans in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. After an hour of baking, the edges and top of the cheesecake should be set but still slightly jiggle in the center. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to bake for an additional 30 minutes in the oven. Prop the door of the oven open slightly with a wooden spoon and continue to cool the cheesecake for another 30 minutes in the cooling oven.
  7. Discard the water bath, remove the foil and then place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for several hours or overnight. The cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for several days. Serve with butterscotch sauce (see notes) or homemade caramel.

Notes

  • I wrap my springform pan with three layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. This is to protect your crust from any water leakage of your springform pan. Many pans will claim to be waterproof but your crust will get soggy and inedible if water leakage happens. Don’t take any chances!
  • I use a 11″ round cake pan for my water bath but you can use any oven-safe dish that you have. Once of my readers used a roasting pan and that works just fine!
  • The cooling process seems lengthy and unnecessary, but it helps to prevent drastic temperature changes that can cause structural issues with your cake.
  • I love the butterscotch sauce from Smitten Kitchen and Bobby Flay’s salted caramel sauce. See the post above for the link to these recipes.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Cheesecake adapted from Miette