Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the butterbeer cookie dough
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth. The mixture should look lighter and fully combined before the next step.
- Add the melted butterscotch chips, egg, vanilla, and cream soda, and beat until glossy. Stop and scrape the bowl so no streaks remain.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet ingredients. Mix just until no dry flour shows.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon rounds of dough onto a sheet pan, spacing them apart. Lightly flatten if needed so they bake evenly.
Bake and cool
- Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft. Remove before they brown heavily for a tender cookie texture.
- Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan or a rack. Wait until fully cool so the frosting won’t melt or slide.
Make frosting and finish
- Beat the softened unsalted butter and butterscotch sauce until smooth. The frosting base should look uniform with no streaks.
- Beat in powdered sugar, then mix with 2-3 tablespoons cream soda and vanilla until fluffy. Add cream soda gradually to reach a pipeable or spreadable consistency.
- Pipe or spread the butterbeer frosting onto each cooled cookie. Use a small swirl so the topping stays domed and neat.
- Decorate with gold sugar sprinkles while the frosting is still set. Finish with a light shake so the sparkle shows on top.
Notes
Pro tip: melt the butterscotch chips until just fluid and let them cool 5 minutes before mixing, so the egg doesn’t scramble and the dough stays smooth. Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days; freeze unfrosted cookies up to 2 months and frost after thawing. For a lighter option, use low-fat butter and reduce cream soda to achieve a similar frosting thickness.