18 Butterscotch Hair Color Ideas Trending in 2024

Butterscotch hair color is trending and we’re falling in love with the warm richness of this caramel-esque tone. Get to know all aspects of this color, from the unique undertones in butterscotch, who it works best for, and photo examples for color inspiration in our guide! 

What Is Butterscotch Hair Color?

• Butterscotch color features warm golden, caramel, and brown undertones
• Variety of shades with butterscotch blonde, brown, and red tones
• Perfect all-over, balayage, ombre, or highlight/teasylight color

Butterscotch hair color is a unique, warm shade somewhere between caramel blonde and golden brown. Butterscotch color, like the candy it’s named for, has rich, golden caramel tones that can even range into coppery blonde or strawberry blonde territory. 

Warm butterscotch hair color is super trendy at the moment. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the muted, cool tones that stole the spotlight in recent months (like platinum blonde and ash brown). 

Butterscotch color combines the depth of bronzed and golden brown shades with the shimmering brightness and warmth of golden, caramel blonde.

And since there’s so much variation among the different butterscotch hair color shades, you can even choose a uniquely-you tone that’s mixed up with a red (strawberry blonde, copper, or auburn) undertone! 

We love seeing how well this color pairs with multi-colored looks, like butterscotch balayage, ombre, or highlights/teasylights on a medium to deep brown or red base.

Espresso or chocolate brown root melt color looks great with rich butterscotch hues for contrast. It even makes a gorgeous peekaboo color to add a little interest to other warm tones! 

Shades of Butterscotch Hair Color

Butterscotch hair color comes in a variety of shades from blonde and red to brown. Which shades of butterscotch color do you currently have your eye on? Read on to learn about butterscotch blonde, bronde, brown, copper, and auburn tones! 

• Butterscotch Blonde: Butterscotch blondes are the lightest shades with this warm, caramel undertone and are some of the most popular, trendy butterscotch hair colors. Butterscotch blonde ranges from light golden blonde with reddish undertones to dark blondes with a rich caramel tint. 
• Butterscotch Bronde: Butterscotch “bronde” shades mix brown and blonde tones for in-between color that is truly the best of both worlds. These middle shades take on a bronzed effect with radiant golden and caramel blonde tones blended smoothly with warm brown shades like light golden brown and medium chocolate brown.  
• Butterscotch Brown: Butterscotch brown shades range from light golden butterscotch brown to medium brown shades with golden, caramel undertones. For the most obvious butterscotch tones, choose light brown shades. 
• Butterscotch Copper: Butterscotch comes in coppery shades with more orange/red undertones that pack a colorful punch. Butterscotch copper shades range from light butterscotch strawberry blonde to deeper copper shades with warm, golden butterscotch brown undertones. 
• Butterscotch Auburn: Butterscotch auburn shades are beautifully rich auburn (brownish reds) with vibrant caramel, gold, and red undertones. They are similar to chestnut brown shades but with more obvious red tones balanced with plenty of golden warmth. 

Did you notice something all shades of butterscotch color have in common? They’re all decidedly warm colors. Butterscotch includes rich golden and caramel undertones, which are both warm colors that give color a subtle yellow or yellow-orange tint. 

This means butterscotch tones pair best with warm base colors, like golden and strawberry blonde, golden, bronze, and chocolate brown, and copper or auburn red.

Keep this in mind if you’re layering butterscotch tones into your current base color or planning out a unique balayage, ombre, or highlighted look. Not only does butterscotch look best with other warm hair colors, but it’s also a better fit on people with warm undertones than those with cool undertones.

This color is very warm and will bring out the golden, peachy, or golden brown undertones in warm skin (which can be fair, medium, or deep in tone). 

Against cool undertones that are pinkish or blue, butterscotch color tends to clash and exacerbate redness and any skin imperfections. Stick with cooler shades if you have a cool undertone – champagne blonde, ash blonde and brown, mushroom brown, true red, and mocha are all gorgeous options.

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18 Pretty Butterscotch Hair Color Examples

With so many possible shades and depth levels, you have tons of options with butterscotch hair color. Take a look at some of our favorite shades and color techniques to use with this rich, warm hue! 

1. Medium Butterscotch Blonde

Medium blonde is the perfect foundation for working in warm, caramel butterscotch tones. This pretty shade offers plenty of dimension with balanced brightness and depth to suit fair, medium, and deep skin tones! 

2. Dark Chestnut Butterscotch Bronde Ombre

Butterscotch “bronde” is a gorgeous mix of blonde and brown with warm golden and caramel undertones. This color pairs so well with rich, deep chestnut brown as a base color, and the duo looks great as an ombre color! 

3. Bright Butterscotch Blonde Balayage With Auburn Base

The warm red and brown undertones in auburn make a great match for the rich dimension of butterscotch blonde. If auburn alone is a little deep or you want to avoid going red all-over, adding in butterscotch tones with hand-painted balayage color is an awesome solution. 

4. Dark Butterscotch Blonde

Dark blonde isn’t really a dark color at all, but it’s closer to light brown than it is to light, bright blonde colors. It can be a little one-dimensional without rich, warm undertones to brighten it up, and that’s exactly what the golden caramel tones in butterscotch do for this hue! 

5. Butterscotch Copper Blonde Ombre

Copper and butterscotch hair color go hand in hand. Pure butterscotch takes on an orange undertone thanks to the golden and caramel tones it features, but amping up the shade a bit with orange-red copper tones is a beautiful twist on the shade. It pairs well with a warm medium brown base color for an ombre effect.  

6. Root Melt Butterscotch Blonde

Root melt color seamlessly blends a deeper base shade (like the dark chocolate brown here) into a lighter balayage or ombre color. Butterscotch blonde tones benefit from the richness and shadow a deeper root provides. The contrast really makes the warm undertones pop! 

7. Golden Chestnut Butterscotch Sombre

The golden chestnut brown base veers into auburn red territory with its warmth and rich red undertone. This is the ideal backdrop for bright, golden butterscotch blonde tones placed near the ends. Butterscotch hues draw out the warmth from chestnut brown and play up the golden undertones in the base. 

8. Warm Butterscotch Brown Balayage

Butterscotch brown is full of shadowy depth and balanced with brightness that shines where the light hits it. Medium brown shades allow the rich undertones of butterscotch to show through and give the color a healthy glow. 

9. Auburn-Brown Butterscotch With Subtle Highlights

Butterscotch tones appear in the rich auburn-brown base color (very similar to chestnut, but slightly redder) and in the subtle, golden highlights. Applying highlights low and off the root creates a nice contrast between the two colors and really opens up the warmth of the butterscotch tones. 

10. Bronde Auburn Butterscotch

Combining red, brown, and blonde tones together with butterscotch’s warm, caramel undertones creates a uniquely balanced base color that’s hard to pinpoint.

With the brightness of blonde, the vibrance of auburn, and the depth of light brown, this shade is beautifully dimensional and works for all skin tones. 

11. Butterscotch and Golden Blonde Teasylights

Butterscotch doesn’t have to be the star of your hair color – even as a faint or subtle highlight tone, it grabs attention and warms up the entire look. Combine butterscotch blonde with pale golden blonde for a balanced, more neutral overall color. Teasylights create highlights off the root with seamless color transition for a luxe look. 

12. Dimensional Butterscotch Balayage

Golden, bubbly, and super dimensional, this multi-colored shade combines blonde and brown butterscotch tones to add plenty of light and shadow with overall warmth. Sparkling medium-blonde butterscotch highlights sweep upward from the ends to naturally “sun kiss” the bronzed butterscotch brown base. 

13. Medium Butterscotch Copper

This rich copper color has a butterscotch undertone that adds more golden and caramel tones to balance the vibrant copper orange-red. If you’re a natural redhead looking to try a different shade or just love the way copper combines with butterscotch blonde, this is the perfect compromise. 

14. Gradient Butterscotch Blonde

Butterscotch makes a great blonde option for deeper skin tones that don’t want the stark contrast of lighter blonde tones. Butterscotch balances blonde with a little more richness and warmth to make it suitable for fair to deep skin with warm undertones. 

15. Butterscotch Strawberry Blonde

Combining butterscotch undertones with a bright strawberry, copper-blonde makes a beautifully unique color that acts like a compliment magnet. There’s a lot of dimension in this bright shade, with plenty of golden, copper, and caramel undertones adding light and shadow to the tone. 

16. Chocolate and Butterscotch Balayage

If subtle balayage and sombre (subtle ombre) color just isn’t bold and bright enough for you, try pairing butterscotch blonde with a rich, chocolate brown base!

A gradual color transition makes this balayage color look luxe and we love how the warm, caramelized butterscotch tones mirror the golden and reddish tones in the base. 

17. Golden Butterscotch With Shadow Root

Perfect spiral curls show off the brilliance and warmth of golden butterscotch blonde color. With a rich shadow root in espresso brown for contrast, all eyes will be on the twists and turns that highlight and accent your golden butterscotch lengths. 

18. Butterscotch Bronde

Golden blonde, golden brown, and an overall caramel-bronze tone make butterscotch bronde one of our favorite shades of the season. It’s rich enough to work for medium and deep skin tones but bright and reflective enough to look stunning on fair and light skin. 

Butterscotch Hair Color Tips and Things to Consider

Butterscotch hair color is undeniably trendy and gorgeous, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you want to ensure it’s a good fit and make sure you choose the perfect butterscotch shade and depth for your complexion, keep these tips and considerations in mind. 

• Make your butterscotch shade unique. Since butterscotch has so much variety and range, you can really get creative with your specific shade and make it your own. Start with a level 9 or 10 light golden blonde to make it bright, work in copper tones to go butterscotch-strawberry blonde or medium butterscotch copper, or mix in more brown to get a bronzed “bronde” effect. 
• Butterscotch shades work best on warm undertones. If you have warm undertones, you probably look better in gold than silver, have hazel, dark brown, or gold-flecked eyes, and see a greenish color in your veins. If this applies to you, butterscotch hair color will probably be a great match! Just make sure you’re choosing a shade of the right depth to suit your skin tone. 
• Pick the best shade for fair skin tones. Fair/light skin that is naturally pale and burns easily usually looks best in lighter shades. Butterscotch blonde is a perfect choice, but light butterscotch brown and butterscotch strawberry blonde and pretty options, too. 
• Pick the best shade for medium skin tones. Medium skin tones are naturally tan and don’t burn as easily as fair skin. Butterscotch blonde in medium and dark blonde shades work well, but light shades make beautiful highlight colors. Opt for a light or medium butterscotch brown or butterscotch auburn for a little more richness that suits the depth of your skin tone. 
• Pick the best shade for deep skin tones. Deep skin tones are naturally dark and rarely burn. Butterscotch blonde won’t look as natural on deep skin, but dark blonde tones are a nice color with a little contrast. Lighter butterscotch blondes work well for highlights and balayage color, but the best options are medium brown and red options with robust butterscotch undertones. 
• Prolong your new color with these easy steps. Sulfate-free shampoo for colored hair is the first step to preventing your new butterscotch color from fading, so grab a bottle before you dye your hair. Wash it less often if you can, and avoid using ultra-hot water that contributes to fast fading. Try a gloss to prevent fading and add more rich butterscotch tones to your strands if you begin to notice dull color. 

Delectable butterscotch hair color is rich, vibrant, and full of dimension. If you’re ready to try something new with your mane and want to sidestep the usual cool blondes, deep browns, and intense red tones, butterscotch is right in the sweet spot. 

Whether you’re going all-over with your butterscotch hue or working it in with highlights, natural teasylights, balayage, or ombre color, you’ll love how the warmth and richness of this hue breathes new life into your strands.