Apr 22, 2013
I have always had an obsession with butterscotch flavor… not necessarily butterscotch candies, just butterscotch flavor. It’s like caramel but with more depth. It’s like brown sugar but with more sophistication. So it seems like a given that I would love butterscotch chips, right?
False.
^^ Homemade Butterscotch Chips – No-Bake Version
Factory-made butterscotch chips are probably one of the worst things in the grocery store baking aisle. They are packed with sugar, hydrogenated oils (trans fat!) and hormone-injected milk. Yuummm. NOT.
So I made my own Butterscotch Chips — low in sugar, PHO-free, and sans artificial food colorings!
Healthy Homemade Butterscotch Chips – No-Bake Version
This first version is for no-bake treats only (they will melt in high-heat applications… trust me, I tried) like an addition to krispy treats, protein bars and dessert oatmeal!
This second version is suitable for baking since it holds up to heat and doesn’t melt too much. Perfect for cookies, blondies, brownies, and more!
Healthy Homemade Butterscotch Chips
No-Bake Version: Yields 1 cup
Bake-able Version: Yields 3½ cups
- 1 cup Light Coconut Milk (canned)
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil (melted)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Molasses
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 cup Granulated Erythritol
- ½ cup Sucanat
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the No-Bake Version:
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Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the coconut oil, molasses, and butter flavor.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the erythritol and starch. Dump into the wet ingredients and stir together. Mixture should look like a ball of fudge.
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Place mixture into a heavy-duty piping bag (do not use a plastic piping bag or sandwich bag as it will break) and pipe onto the cookie sheet. This will take a while, FYI, the mixture is thick and will take some hand strength!
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Refrigerate the chips for ~3 hours, or until firm. Place into a jar, seal tightly, and refrigerate to store.
For the Bake-able Version:
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Spray a 9″ brownie pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper both ways.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, coconut oil, and salt.
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In a small saucepan, whisk together the molasses, water, erythritol, and sucanat. Add a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat. Do not stir, just let it come to a boil.
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At 250 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk/oil mixture. Stop whisking once it’s all added and return to medium-high heat.
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When it reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan and let sit at room temperature overnight.
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Refrigerate for ~30 minutes before slicing. Slice the butterscotch square with a sharp knife or pizza cutter (it will be a little sticky). You can either slice the strips you’ve made into chips with a knife or break it into pieces by hand (I started with the knife and moved on to use my fingers). Place into a jar, seal tightly, and refrigerate to store.
^^ Homemade Butterscotch Chips – Bake-able Version
In my first batch of homemade butterscotch chips I used ¼ cup of non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening instead of the coconut oil. They were prettier but didn’t firm up at all and melted completely into the butterscotch blondies I made 🙁
FAILED first trial for these Healthy Homemade Butterscotch Chips
Nestle butterscotch chips are so bad for you that they try to hide their ingredients, I couldn’t find them anywhere on the website! If the company is that ashamed, I think that says something… but I found the list on a few other websites:
Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Coconut Oil, Skim Milk, Whey, Natural and Artificial Flavors (includes barley), Soy Lecithin, Salt, Artificial Colors (Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2)
Not one healthy ingredient. They even got an “F” on FoodFacts.com (and Hershey’s butterscotch chips aren’t any better). So make these Healthy Homemade Butterscotch Chips and save your body from all the harsh chemicals, flavorings and dyes in the storebought versions… you will also be rewarded with butterscotch chips that actually taste GOOD!
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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