This Butterscotch Bread is about to become your go-to breakfast treat! It’s perfectly fluffy, incredibly moist, and packed with rich butterscotch flavor in every bite. Made with butterscotch pudding mix, this bread has a soft texture that’s hard to resist. To top it all off, a drizzle of simple icing takes it to the next level.

Butterscotch Pudding Bread Recipe
There are few things better than a slice of freshly made bread and a cup of hot coffee to start the day. This butterscotch bread has the perfect amount of sweetness and is wonderfully soft and tender on the inside. Adding pudding mix is a great way to get flavor into a dessert easily. I love that this is a basic recipe that tastes complex! Make this for guests or family and watch it disappear — it’s just that delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Butterscotch Bread
- A great breakfast or dessert. You may serve this butterscotch loaf as a sweet breakfast option or as a dessert after a delicious dinner. It’s perfectly sweet and suitable to serve either way!
- Customizable recipe. I like to switch up the flavor of the icing if I’m feeling creative. Using maple extract instead of vanilla, topping it with white chocolate chips instead of butterscotch —- subtle changes can create a whole new flavor profile.
- Crowd favorite. I made this recipe at home to enjoy with my family and brought it to potlucks. I haven’t met anyone who isn’t impressed by the texture and flavor of this butterscotch pudding bread.
What You’ll Need
Below are all of the ingredients needed for the loaf and the optional icing drizzle on top. I also add butterscotch chips for flavor and presentation. All of these items are common in baking breads and cakes and they’re easy to find at the grocery store.
For the bread
- Butterscotch pudding mix: This adds classic buttery and rich butterscotch flavor with minimal effort. It’s also super inexpensive, too! Don’t prepare the pudding according to the package, it will be added to the dry ingredients.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this recipe. You may use another variety but I haven’t tested it.
- Baking soda/powder: These ensure a light, fluffy bread that will properly rise. I like using both in this recipe to get the best texture.
- Salt: A little salt will balance the flavor and sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Butter: Leave the butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften so it mixes well with the sugar.
- Eggs: For fat, and flavor, and to bind the ingredients together so the bread holds its shape, you need eggs. I use simple large eggs in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: I love the subtle, authentic vanilla flavor of pure extract over imitation. It also enhances the other flavors beautifully.
- Milk: This helps the batter reach the right consistency so it’s more like a batter and not a dough.
- Sour cream: I love baking with sour cream because the acidity keeps the bread tender and moist but doesn’t add a tangy flavor.
For the icing
- Powdered sugar: I like to use powdered sugar as a sweetener for icing because it mixes well with the other ingredients and doesn’t have a gritty texture like granulated sugar.
- Milk: This is the best ingredient to thin the icing just enough to drizzle it on top of the butterscotch bread. I use whole milk but 2% works great as well.
- Vanilla extract: I like the authentic vanilla flavor of the pure extract but imitation works fine in a pinch.
- Butterscotch chips: To further enhance the butterscotch flavor, I top the finished bread with butterscotch chips. It ensures maximum flavor in every bite.
How to make Butterscotch Bread
Here are the instructions on how to prepare and bake the bread as well as make the icing. It’s a straightforward recipe that’s easy to follow and execute.
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
- Mix butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar in a separate bowl until they are light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat the eggs and vanilla extract in the butter mixture until well combined and smooth.
- Pour in the dry ingredients. Next, gradually add small amounts of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Alternate with the milk and sour cream. Mix until all of the ingredients are just combined.
- Transfer and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake it for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze. While it cools, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Drizzle and serve. Drizzle the icing over the cooled butterscotch bread and sprinkle butterscotch chips on top. Slice and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Skip the glaze. You may make this butterscotch loaf without the vanilla glaze. I love the extra pop of sweetness but if you want it to be less sweet, it’s optional. I find that the bread freezes better without the glaze, too. So, if you make it ahead, you can decide later whether or not to make the icing.
- Use any electric mixer. Hand and stand mixers both work great for this recipe. I tend to go for the hand mixer because of preference and I have the freedom to use any bowl I like. I do not recommend trying to mix the wet ingredients with a mix. It’s harder to get the correct consistency of the butter and sugar.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Only mix the batter until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can cause the bread to become dense after it bakes. For the fluffiest and lightest result, be careful to just mix until everything is incorporated.
Proper Storage
Store leftover butterscotch bread in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving it.
More Sweet Bread Loaf Recipes to Try
- Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Butterscotch Bread
Ingredients
- 1 3.4 ounce instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, butterscotch pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture in batches, alternating with the milk and sour cream. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For a sweet glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, then drizzle it over the cooled bread.
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8 comments on “Butterscotch Bread”
I loved the butterscotch bread. The amount needed for white sugar was not listed, but I used 3/4 c sugar and it was great. Next time I will add only 1 Tb milk to the glaze. I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you Judy! We have corrected the sugar amount.
It says cream butter and sugar. How much sugar? Literally in the middle of making this right now.
Sorry Lorie! 3/4 cup. Correcting that now.
I am assuming the sour cream and the milk are mixed to make 2/3 of a cup as there is no mention of sour cream or an amount in the recipe
Hi Carol. We corrected the recipe card. It’s 1/8 cup or two tablespoons of sour cream.
I don’t see sour cream in recipe!
Hi Cynthia. Thanks for letting me know, we’ve corrected that.