This is a twist on the famous “Oatmeal Scotchies” recipe. The twist is adding sunflower seeds for a little extra crunch, saltiness and flavor, but if you'd rather make the classic Oatmeal Scotchies, you can just leave them out.
Scotchies aren't difficult, but sometimes they spread a bit much depending on the recipe. This version should spread to make a medium/thin cookie with a nicely rounded shape. For the oats you can use quick cooking (not instant) or old fashioned -- both work equally well, though old fashioned oats give the cookie a chewier texture. I also recently switched from using light brown sugar to dark, so either kind works.
Recipe
Oatmeal Scotchies with Sunflower Seeds
Oatmeal Scotchies with Sunflower Seeds
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour 92 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 2.5 ml
- ½ teaspoon salt 2.5 ml
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (114 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar 98 g
- ½ cup light brown sugar lightly packed (98 g) (dark is fine, too!)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 ml
- 1 ½ cups oats 126 g
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seed kernels 60 g – I used salted
- ¾ cup butterscotch chips 126 g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. (if oven runs hot, use 350).**
- Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and both sugars using high speed of an electric mixer, scraping sides of bowl often. Add egg and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and stir until absorbed, then stir in oats, sunflower seeds and butterscotch chips.
- Drop by generously rounded teaspoonfuls (¾ inch mound) onto ungreased cookie sheets. Alternatively, you can use a medium size cookie scoop for bigger cookies.
- Flatten tops slightly and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
Notes
I changed the yield because I almost always make these with a medium size cookie scoop these days rather than a rounded teaspoon. You should get at least 20 cookies if using a scoop, but more if you use a rounded teaspoon or small size scoop.
I also changed the temperature. I think baking them at 375 helps the sugar caramelize a little more quickly and the edges are darker and chewier. If your oven runs hot or your cookies are coming out soft in the center and overdone around the edges, lower the heat to 350.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
MamaFeelgood says
I made these tonight and they were absolutely delicious. Thanks for bringing them into my world.
Harry says
maybe you can help me find a recipe...I believe it was a Southern Living dark chocolate mint cookie rolled 'round' in sugar
easy to make and they turned out terrific, but haven't been able to find it in a long time
Thanks for the help
Anna says
Hi Lisa,
That's good to know. I love butterscotch, so it's hard for me to imagine leaving the scotch out of scotchies, but I do like the idea of adding sunflower seeds. Glad they work with chocolate and add crunch.
Lisa Ernst says
I made these cookies with chocolate chips instead of butterstotch and it works. The sunflower seeds are sublte in flavor so they don't clash with the chocolate and they add a nice crunch.
Anna says
Debbi, thanks for letting me know how the shortening worked. I thought maybe the shortening would make them a bit thicker, but I guess not. I didn't find the sunflower flavor super strong either, but I liked the idea of using them....something different ;).
Debbi says
I made these this morning and they are super nummy. I didn't get as much of the sunflower seed flavor as I would have thought. I think that I would prefer pecans but they are awesome for my kids who can't have nuts yet. I made these with 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter and mine were pretty flat. Very light and crispy though. Yum.
Anna says
Debbi, I think the shortening would make them a little bit thicker and possibly lighter and crispier around the edges.
Debbi says
What will be the difference with 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter? I am going to make these this afternoon. The sunflower seed idea is AWESOME!! I have some kids here that are allergic to nuts so this is a super alternative for them!
Maureen says
Anna,
This is so weird. Scott and I stopped at a Toll House cookie shoppe today, just for 6 oatmeal scotchies! They are my all time favorite cookie. I'm curious about how they would taste with the sunflower seeds.
Lisa Ernst says
I'm also trying the chocolate chip version, this Wednesday, and will report back!
JEP says
I'm another butterscotch chip disliker...but I love sunflower seed kernals so I'm giving chocolate chips a try---thanks!
Kathy says
Those sound interesting. I'm not into sunflower seeds though; can you make them with other nuts?
Oh, BTW, I make the "Chunky Chocolate Gobs" yesterday and they were fabs! I think I may rename them as "PMS Cookies"! 🙂
Anna says
Hi Lisa,
I'm not sure chocolate chips would be very good here. You could try it and let us know ;).
Lisa Ernst says
Hi Anna, this looks really interesting with the addition of sunflower seeds. I think I would like the crunch and saltiness of the roasted ones. I'm not a fan of butterscotch chips, though. Do you think chocolate chips would work with the seeds?