Butterscotch Coffee Recipe with Homemade Syrup

Butterscotch coffee is strong hot coffee sweetened with butterscotch syrup and softened with warm cream. For one mug, stir 2 tablespoons of butterscotch syrup into 1 cup of strong coffee, add ¼ cup of warm heavy cream or half-and-half, and top with whipped cream. It takes 5 minutes.

Bottled syrup works fine. Homemade butterscotch syrup takes about 10 minutes, tastes more of butter and brown sugar, and keeps in the fridge for weeks, so one small pan covers a week of mornings.

What Goes in One Mug

• Coffee: 1 cup strong brewed coffee, or espresso topped up with hot water to about 1 cup
• Butterscotch syrup: 2 tablespoons, store-bought or homemade
• Brown sugar: 1 to 2 teaspoons, optional, for a deeper, sweeter cup
• Cream: ¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, warmed
• Toppings: whipped cream, butterscotch chips or toffee bits, and an extra drizzle of sauce
• Time: 5 minutes for 1 mug

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Homemade Butterscotch Syrup for Coffee

Butterscotch syrup for coffee is brown sugar cooked with butter, loosened with cream and finished with a pinch of salt. For a small jar, you need ½ cup packed brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, ½ cup heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon salt and, if you like, ½ teaspoon vanilla.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the brown sugar and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar has melted into the butter and the mix bubbles. Pour in the cream slowly, because it will hiss and foam. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it coats a spoon. Take it off the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla.

That makes about ¾ cup, enough for 6 mugs at 2 tablespoons each. It thickens as it cools, so stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot water into the jar to keep it pourable, or warm it for 10 seconds before using. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If you like the idea of a jar of syrup by the coffee maker, my homemade coffee syrup and pumpkin sauce for coffee work the same way.

Store-Bought or Homemade Syrup?

Store-bought butterscotch syrup is thinner and sweeter, with less butter flavor, but it dissolves instantly and keeps in the pantry. Homemade is richer and saltier and gives you control over sweetness. If your syrup is already very sweet, skip the brown sugar.

Butterscotch vs Caramel in Coffee

Butterscotch is brown sugar cooked with butter. Caramel is white sugar cooked until it turns amber. In coffee, butterscotch tastes softer, with molasses and toffee notes, while caramel sauce tastes a little more bitter and toasty. A butterscotch caramel coffee simply uses a spoonful of each.

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Brewing Coffee Strong Enough for 2 Tablespoons of Syrup

Start with strong coffee. French press, moka pot or espresso all work. Two tablespoons of syrup plus cream will flatten a weak, thin brew, and the cup ends up tasting only of sugar. If you use espresso, top it up with hot water to about 1 cup.

Stir the syrup in while the coffee is still hot so it melts completely, then taste before adding brown sugar. A dark, toasty syrup can take a teaspoon of sugar; a sweet bottled one rarely needs it.

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Warm Cream, Half-and-Half, or Milk

Heavy cream makes the richest cup. Half-and-half gives body without feeling heavy, and a splash of whole milk works if you want something lighter. Warm the cream until it steams, but do not let it boil; boiled cream forms a skin on top of the drink. Stir it in until the drink turns an even, soft caramel brown.

For a fluffier top, whip a little cream to soft peaks, or use espresso whipped cream for more coffee flavor.

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Butterscotch Coffee Creamer from the Same Syrup

To make butterscotch coffee creamer, shake ¼ cup of homemade butterscotch syrup with 1 cup of half-and-half in a jar until smooth. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons per cup of coffee. Keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days, or until the date on the half-and-half if that comes first, and shake before each pour. For more flavors in the same style, see my homemade coffee creamer.

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Toppings and a Few Fall Twists

Whipped cream, a thin drizzle of butterscotch sauce and a pinch of butterscotch chips or toffee bits are the finish in the recipe card. Crushed ginger cookies or cinnamon whipped cream also work on top, and a pinch of flaky salt on the drizzle sharpens the butterscotch flavor.

If you like a seasonal mug, try my homemade pumpkin coffee or the pistachio latte next. Both follow the same order: syrup, coffee, warm milk, topping.

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Iced Butterscotch Coffee

Thick butterscotch syrup seizes in cold coffee and sinks to the bottom as a sticky lump. Stir the syrup into the hot coffee or a hot shot of espresso first, let it cool for a few minutes, then pour it over a full glass of ice and add cold cream instead of warm. Coffee ice cubes keep it from watering down.

To prep ahead, mix the coffee and syrup and chill them in a jar for up to a day, then add the cream and toppings when you pour.

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Butterscotch Coffee, Quick Answers

Does butterscotch coffee have alcohol in it?

No. Butterscotch is made from brown sugar and butter; there is no Scotch whisky in it.

Can I make butterscotch coffee with instant coffee?

Yes. Make it about twice as strong as usual so the syrup and cream do not drown the coffee flavor.

Can I use butterscotch sauce instead of syrup?

Yes. Butterscotch sauce is just a thicker syrup. Stir it into the coffee while it is very hot, and thin it with a spoonful of hot water if it does not dissolve.

Something to eat with it: coffee cookies, a square of butterscotch latte fudge, or a small bowl of homemade butterscotch pudding if you want butterscotch twice.