If you love delicious, sweet, buttery treats then National Butterscotch Brownie Day on May 9 is the day for you. The tasty baked goods are a perfect mixture of chewy and chunky, a combo that is certainly worthy of celebration.
For the uninitiated, a butterscotch brownie is a baked treat made from a combination of flour, brown sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, and of course, butterscotch chips. Just listing the ingredients is enough to make the mouth water.
On National Butterscotch Brownie Day, we get to gorge on all the tasty butterscotch-flavored soft dessert treats we can get our hands-on. It’s one of the most delicious holidays around.
History of National Butterscotch Brownie Day
It’s a shame no one knows the creator of National Butterscotch Brownie Day because they deserve a ton of appreciation for establishing a day to honor the delicious treats that make our lives a little sweeter.
Butterscotch brownies are also known as blondies or blond brownies, as opposed to the more popular chocolate brownies. Apart from the color, a significant difference between blondies and brownies is that blondies use vanilla instead of cocoa. Surprisingly, blondies actually came before brownies. Butterscotch brownies existed as far back as the late 19th century, while chocolate brownies only came into existence in 1905.
Traditionally, blondies are made with the regular baking ingredients — flour, butter, eggs, baking powder — with brown sugar, vanilla, and butterscotch chips giving it a unique coloring and flavor — and surprisingly, no scotch at all. Some recipes add chocolate chips and nuts to their blondies for an extra kick.
The origins of butterscotch, the tasty treat behind the even tastier treat, can be traced back to the town of Doncaster in Yorkshire, England. A confectioner, Samuel Parkinson, began selling butterscotch as hard candy. The treat got so popular that the tins had the royal seal of approval. Butterscotch is made primarily by mixing butter and brown sugar, although some people also add cream, vanilla, and salt.
The earliest butterscotch recipes used treacle, an uncrystallized syrup made from the remains after sugar is refined, in place, or in addition to sugar. Unlike with toffee, the sugar for butterscotch is boiled to the soft crack, rather than the hard crack, stage. Butterscotch is used for a range of things. It can be used as a topping, used to make pudding, used to create tasty chips for cookies or blondies, or taken as a hard candy even.
National Butterscotch Brownie Day timeline
An English confectioner named Samuel Parkinson invents butterscotch in Yorkshire.
After the Parkinsons present a tin of their butterscotch to Queen Victoria of England, the flavor became famous.
The first known recipe for blondies was published by Fannie Farmer, a pioneer of modern American cookery, who added chocolate to the recipe to create brownies a decade later.
The blondies created by Fannie Farmer are initially called brownies until the mid-1900s when they became known as blond brownies, and later blondies.
National Butterscotch Brownie Day FAQs
Why is butterscotch called butterscotch?
No one is exactly sure about the origins of the name but there are various theories. One theory claims that it is a nod to the candy’s possible origin in Scotland. Another popular theory claims that it is because of the original ingredients for butterscotch — scorched or ‘scotched’ butter.
What is the difference between butterscotch and caramel?
Butterscotch and caramel are often used interchangeably or mistaken for each other, but they are not the same. While both are made from melted sugar, butterscotch strictly uses brown sugar, while caramel is made with granulated sugar. Milk is also never added to make butterscotch, but it is often added to the caramel.
When is National Brownie Day?
On December 8, brownie lovers all over the world celebrate National Brownie Day. The holiday encourages people to indulge in as much gooey goodness as they’d like.
National Butterscotch Brownie Day Activities
Bake a blondie
If you don’t already know how National Butterscotch Brownie Day is the perfect day to dust off your apron and try to bake a blondie for the first time. Words cannot describe the satisfaction you will get when you’re holding a tray of butterscotch brownies made with your own two hands.
Thank your local baker
Show some love to your local baker, who has provided you with your favorite butterscotch brownies throughout the year. You can thank them with a tip or just a thoughtful note. Even better, thank them by ordering even more butterscotch brownies. It’s a win-win!
Throw a butterscotch party
You can gather some of your closest friends and family and throw a butterscotch-themed party. You can make all times of butterscotch treats, especially butterscotch brownies. Try coming up with some butterscotch-themed party games to add to the fun.
5 Important Facts About Butterscotch Brownies And Butterscotch
Also called ‘brookies’
Because butterscotch brownies have the chewiness of brownies and the chunkiness of cookies, they are sometimes called ‘brookies,’ a combination of ‘brownie’ and ‘cookie.’
More than one holiday
Butterscotch brownies are also celebrated on National Blond Brownie Day in January, and we certainly aren’t complaining.
A royal treat
The butterscotch sold by the Parkinsons was endorsed by the British Royal household, with it being publicly presented to different royals, from Queen Victoria, to Princess Elizabeth, and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Artificial butterscotch
There are translucent yellow hard candies, called butterscotch disks or buttons, which are actually made with an artificial butterscotch flavor.
Royal Doncaster Butterscotch
Because of their royal endorsement, the Parkinsons called their treats Royal Doncaster Butterscotch, which are still sold to this day.
Why We Love National Butterscotch Brownie Day
Blondies are easy to make
Anyone can make a blondie. You don’t need any fancy equipment or magic powers to whip up a batch of butterscotch brownies, which is something amateur chefs like us are certainly grateful for.
We love versatile treats
Butterscotch brownies can be very versatile. You can eat them straight off the pan; you can soak them in caramel sauce and take them with ice cream. You can gift them, have them as dessert treats. There are many options and varieties to choose from, and that’s part of what makes blondies so amazing.
Chewy plus crunchy is the perfect combo
Whoever thought of making a treat that is both chewy and crunchy is a complete genius who deserves a medal. With butterscotch brownies, we get the best of both worlds. We get all the dense, gooey chewiness of brownies as well as the crisp crunchiness of cookies.
National Butterscotch Brownie Day dates
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2025 | May 9 | Friday |
2026 | May 9 | Saturday |
2027 | May 9 | Sunday |
2028 | May 9 | Tuesday |
2029 | May 9 | Wednesday |