Get Inspired by These 16 Butterscotch Pairings

If you had to describe the taste of butterscotch to someone, how would you do it?

Is it like caramel or like toffee?

The delicious truth lies somewhere between the two and most of the reason comes down to the use of butter. It’s the butter that makes it richer and softer than its caramel cousin but also more complex.

While modern butterscotch recipes use brown sugar, when the confection was invented, molasses was the key sweetener. And as any molasses lover knows, it adds a deeper color and richer flavor than anything made with granulated sugar.

Unlike toffee, which is cooked until it cracks, which is known as the hard crack stage, butterscotch is considered finished at the soft crack stage.

So it’s clear that butterscotch’s flavor and consistency stands alone which can make it challenging to pair with other types of foods.

The key word is “challenging”, not “impossible” so don’t despair because we’ve got some great ideas to help you combine it and some recipes you can check out enable to enjoy its delectable goodness!

Fruit That Goes With Butterscotch

Being a close cousin to caramel, butterscotch pairs well with many of the same fruits. Ideally, the fruit you pick should complement butterscotch’s warmth and richness and draw out its creamy notes.

Apples

Few fruits work better with butterscotch than apples and there’s no shortage of tasty recipes available for this scrumptious combo. A few of the most popular ones are apple butterscotch cake, apple butterscotch pie, apple butterscotch bars, apple butterscotch crisp, apple butterscotch scones and more.

Bananas

Even though it’s a tropical fruit, bananas are subtle, creamy and delicate making them a suitable pairing for the richness of butterscotch. Some recipes you could try include banana butterscotch bread, banana butterscotch bars, banana butterscotch muffins, and banana butterscotch cake.

Lemons

The first of two citrus fruits we’ve included in the list are lemons. The tart and sour bite of fresh lemons makes the silky smoothness of butterscotch really shine. A tasty looking recipe you can try with lemons and butterscotch is lemon butterscotch cookies.

Oranges

Oranges are another citrus fruit that goes well with butterscotch. With a mix of sweet and tart, oranges work wonders with the richness of butterscotch. If you don’t believe me, check out some of these yummy looking combinations including orange butterscotch cookies, orange butterscotch cheesecake, and orange butterscotch fudge.

Pears

Pears are another excellent option for enjoying with butterscotch. They have a grainy texture and delicate, sweet flavor and can often possess traces of vanilla. This characteristic softens the sweetness of butterscotch especially in recipes like pear butterscotch crisp, pear butterscotch slab pie and butterscotch baked pears.

Peaches

Peaches have a delightful blend of subtle acidity and mellow sweetness that complement the butterscotch nicely. Some popular recipes that blend these two tasty ingredients together include peach cobbler with butterscotch sauce, peach butterscotch jam and peach butterscotch cobbler.

Pumpkin

Warm and inviting, the unmistakable flavor of pumpkin makes it a perfect accompaniment to butterscotch. Get your fill of this fall favorite with recipes like pumpkin butterscotch muffins, pumpkin cookies with butterscotch chips, pumpkin bread with butterscotch chips, and pumpkin butterscotch bundt cake.

Fruit	Reason for Pairing
Apples	The natural sweetness of apples and the warmth and richness of butterscotch create a delicious and satisfying combination.
Bananas	The creamy texture of bananas and the rich, buttery flavor of butterscotch complement each other nicely.
Lemons	The tanginess of lemons enhances the smooth, silky notes of butterscotch.
Oranges	The combination of sweet and tangy flavors in oranges and the rich butterscotch creates a balance of flavors.
Pears	Pears with their delicate, sweet flavor and grainy texture, creates a contrast to the sweetness of butterscotch and make a perfect pair.
Peaches	The subtle acidity and mellow sweetness of peaches work well with the rich, buttery flavor of butterscotch.
Pumpkin	The warm and inviting flavor of pumpkin blends nicely with the rich and sweet notes of butterscotch.

Nuts That Go With Butterscotch

Crunchy, delicious and nutritious, nuts make a wonderful addition to foods that use butterscotch. We’ve rounded up some of the most popular types and recipes that use them.

Almonds

Earthy, woodsy and toasty, the taste of almonds make them a great nut to pair with butterscotch. If you love almonds, then a few delicious recipes you’ll want to try with them include almond butterscotch cake,  and almond butterscotch cookies.

Cashews

Cashews have a light, mild flavor and a rich creamy mouthfeel which makes them an ideal pair to the decadence of butterscotch. It’s no wonder that recipes featuring cashews and butterscotch are in high demand. A few of the most popular ones you can check out are cashew butterscotch cookies, cashew butterscotch bars, and cashew butterscotch haystacks.

Hazelnuts

Earthy, toasty and slightly sweet, hazelnuts are used widely in many kinds of desserts and confections. So, it’s no surprise pairing these crunchy nuts with butterscotch would result in several tasty recipe ideas like hazelnut butterscotch cookies, hazelnut butterscotch cake, and hazelnut butterscotch meringue.

Peanuts

Peanuts are the chameleon of the nut family. When eaten raw, they can take on an earthy, pea-like flavor while when roasted, the flavor profile shifts, bringing in a smoky, woodsy aroma.

No matter how you like to eat them, peanuts and butterscotch go together and there’s an abundance of delightful options to choose from like peanut butter butterscotch cookies, peanut butter butterscotch bars, peanut butter butterscotch rice krispie treats, peanut butter butterscotch fudge and peanut butter butterscotch pie.

Pecans

Pecans are known for their buttery crunch and slightly bitter aftertaste. When combined with butterscotch’s sweetness, it’s a double dose of mouthfeel satisfaction. The blending of these two delights results in some scrumptious recipe options like pecan butterscotch cake, pecan butterscotch cookies, pecan butterscotch pie, pecan butterscotch bars and pecan butterscotch scones.

Nuts	Reason for Pairing
Almonds	The earthy, woodsy, and toasty flavor of almonds complement the rich and buttery flavor of butterscotch, making a delicious and satisfying combination.
Cashews	The light, mild flavor and creamy mouthfeel of cashews complement the decadence of butterscotch, creating a perfect balance of flavors.
Hazelnuts	The earthy, toasty and slightly sweet flavor of hazelnuts paired with the rich and sweet notes of butterscotch creates a delicious and satisfying combination.
Peanuts	The versatility of the flavor of peanuts, whether it is raw or roasted, and the rich buttery flavor of butterscotch create a perfect balance of flavors and texture.
Pecans	The buttery crunch and slightly bitter aftertaste of pecans and the sweetness of butterscotch create a double dose of mouthfeel satisfaction.

Spices That Go With Butterscotch

Certain spices warm the heart and that is doubly true for the stomach. Butterscotch is a natural fit for the warmer types of them and we’ve got some delectable delights you’ll want to check out.

Cinnamon

It’s hard not to love the woodsy, slightly sweet and citrus flavor that only cinnamon possesses. This worldwide spice favorite is a taste that works wonders with the smoothness of butterscotch. It’s easy to come by recipe after recipe combining these two including ones like cinnamon butterscotch pie, cinnamon butterscotch cookies, cinnamon butterscotch scones, and cinnamon butterscotch coffee cake.

Maple

The taste of pure maple is close to the heart of many. Growing up, lots of us have fond memories of its complex flavor profile combining caramel, vanilla and traces of molasses. You might think that combining the sweetness of maple with butterscotch might be a bit too much but with all the yummy recipes we found, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Just a few you might want to check out are maple butterscotch cookies, maple butterscotch scones, maple butterscotch pudding, and maple butterscotch candy.

Vanilla

Vanilla is a lovely spice that’s universally loved for its sweet fragrance and notes of caramel. It’s tailormade to go with butterscotch and you’ll have no trouble finding easy and delightful recipes to try. A few of them worth a look are vanilla butterscotch cupcakes, vanilla butterscotch pudding, and vanilla butterscotch ice cream.

Spices	Reason for Pairing
Cinnamon	The woodsy, slightly sweet, and citrus flavor of cinnamon complements the smoothness of butterscotch, creating a delicious balance of flavors.
Maple	The sweetness and complex flavor profile of maple (caramel, vanilla, and traces of molasses) complements butterscotch and creates a delicious balance of flavors.
Vanilla	The sweet fragrance and notes of caramel in vanilla makes it a perfect complement to the rich and buttery flavor of butterscotch.

Does Butterscotch Go With Chocolate?

If you’ve ever tasted Butterfinger candy bar, the answer to this one should be obvious! Yes, butterscotch goes wonderfully with chocolate and you can’t go wrong with any of the recipes we’ve got for you to try.

When you’re ready to take your love for butterscotch and chocolate combined, have a look at a few of them including chocolate butterscotch cookies, chocolate butterscotch cake, chocolate butterscotch bars, chocolate butterscotch haystacks, chocolate butterscotch brownies, chocolate butterscotch fudge, and chocolate butterscotch pie.