Kitchen Sink Cookies are soft and chewy cookies packed with chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, and toffee ("everything but the…"). Make them as written, or swap in your favorite mix-ins.
My kids still don't totally understand why these are called "Kitchen Sink" Cookies, but they know they love them. When I started testing this recipe, with each batch, the kids said more chocolate chips, more pretzels, more potato chips, more toffee!
We packed these cookies (a fun twist on my original Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe) full of sweet and salty fillings until they couldn't possibly hold more. And then we added a few extra chocolate chips. You're welcome.
Ingredients for Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Unsalted Butter - These cookies were tested with unsalted butter. If using salted butter, skip adding the additional salt.
- Flour, Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Light Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Egg, Pure Vanilla Extract - Just regular cookie-baking ingredients.
- Mix-Ins - These have a great sweet and salty balance with chocolate chips, toffee bits, potato chips, and chopped pretzels. See below for more ideas!
- Flaked Sea Salt - At our house, we love a light sprinkle of flaked sea salt (I use Maldon) on top of the warm cookies. It’s totally optional but gives the cookies a hint of extra salt and a tiny bit of crunch.
How to Make Kitchen Sink Cookes
The process for making these cookies is similar to making chocolate chip cookies. A stand mixer really comes in handy for beating the butter, but you can absolutely use a hand mixer too.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a baking sheet by linking it with parchment paper or a baking mat. (This is highly recommended because the caramel in the cookie dough can melt and cause sticking.)
- Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt).
- Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Mix egg and vanilla extract into butter-sugar mixture.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined. (Be careful not to overmix or your cookies will be cakey instead of soft.)
- Stir in mix-ins like chocolate chips, toffee bits, potato chips, and pretzels.
- Roll cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls. (These should be pretty large.)
- Bake cookies until edges are crisp and centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Roll Cookie Dough in Mix-Ins (Optional, but fun!)
It’s purely aesthetic, but if I’m delivering these cookies to someone or serving them to friends and family, I like to roll the dough in some extra toppings. It means that before you take a bite, you get a sneak peek of all the delicious things inside.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Frozen cookie dough is like money in the bank. (Though I have to keep it in my downstairs freezer…and out of reach.) You can bake one at a time or the whole batch any time you need them. The best way to freeze cookie dough is:
- Form cookie dough into balls. Line dough balls up in a single layer on a sheet pan
- Transfer sheet pan to freezer until dough is frozen solid, 2 to 3 hours.
- Transfer dough to a freezer-safe bag and seal, removing as much air from the bag as possible.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
To bake cookies from frozen: Bake the cookie dough directly from the freezer at 325°F / 163°C for 16 to 18 minutes. (This lower temperature and longer cook time is important for the dough to defrost and cook all the way through.)
Mix-Ins for Kitchen Sink Cookies
True to their name, you really can put almost anything in these cookies. It's a lot of fun to experiment with different combinations and flavors. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Milk Chocolate Chips or Semi-Sweet
- Potato Chips
- Pretzels
- Toffee Bits
- Crushed Cereal
- Pecans / Walnuts
- M&Ms
- Shredded Coconut
- Butterscotch Chips
- Sprinkles
- White Baking Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Chopped Dark Chocolate
Looking for More Cookie Recipes? We’ve got ‘em….
- Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Toffee
- Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
- Chippy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vanilla Cookies with Nutella Filling
- Mini Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Sunny Thumbprint Cookies
📖 Recipe
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Half Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper or Baking Mat
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (250 grams)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature (1 cup)
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed (150 grams)
- ½ cup White Sugar (100 grams)
- 1 large Egg
- 2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Toffee Bits (like Heath Bits o’ Brickle English Toffee Bits)
- 1 cup Crushed Potato Chips (like Ruffles)
- ½ cup Chopped Pretzels
- ½ teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt, for topping (optional; like Maldon flaked sea salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat like Silpat. (These will make it easiest to remove the cookies from the pan after baking.)
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or using a hand mixer, beat together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and mix on low, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients to mixer and mix on low just until everything is combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips, toffee bits, potato chips, and pretzels.
- Roll cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls. (Roll them extra toppings if you would like.) Spread cookie dough out on prepared pans, leaving about 6 inches between them.
- Bake cookies until edges are crisp and centers are still soft, 10-12 minutes.
- When you remove the cookies from the oven firmly tap the baking sheets on the kitchen counter to deflate them (this will make the centers soft). Sprinkle the cookies lightly with flaky sea salt (if using).
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
Carmen
These look AMAZING!! So you think the recipe could be modified to be dairy free?
Jess Smith
I haven't tried a dairy-free option, but I bet it could be made to work. If you find a good dairy-free sub please do share!
AnaDion94
I make a similar cookie using a flourless peanut butter recipe (1c peanut butter, 1 egg, slightly less than 1c sugar, 1/2tsp baking soda, 1tsp vanilla, 1 pinch of salt). That's good as is, but i love adding whatever mix ins i can find in the house!
H
We sub Earth Balance sticks instead of butter in baked goods all the time amd no one would know the dairy difference! (Food allergy life)
Emily
These turned out perfect!! I can’t wait to make them again
Jess Smith
Yay - so glad you liked them Emily! We made them this weekend too!
Elaine
My new favorite cookie recipe! It’s just SO good. Thank you! Happy Holidays from the Phils.☺️
Jess Smith
Yay! So glad you loved these as much as we do. Happy Holidays!
Amanda gill
My cookies didn’t flatten out, they stayed thick and didn’t melt down too much out of the ball shape. They were cakey and crumbly instead of moist and gooey. What could I have done wrong?
B
You probably didn’t let the butter soften enough.
Bellaview11
These cookies are amazing! My whole family loved them and the kids didn’t believe all the fun ingredients that were inside. I even added pecans and shredded coconut the second time I made them. I am amazed that these cookies stay soft - even days after baking. Delicious, Thanks!!
Jess Smith
So glad they were a hit with the family! Pecans and shredded coconut sound great!
Olivia
I made these cookies vegan by subbing in 3 tablespoons of aquafaba instead of 1 large egg, using plant-based butter and dark chocolate. They were AMAZING and all 20 of the cookies I made were eaten at the dinner party of only 8 people! I will definitely be making them again!
Jess Smith
Yum - so glad the vegan subs worked!!
Carmen
Is it okay to freeze with all the Mix-ins (i.e. potato chips and pretzels), or can the dough itself be frozen and then thawed to add all the mix-ins?
Jess Smith
I prefer to fold in the mix-ins, form the dough balls, freeze, and then bake straight from frozen. You definitely could make the dough and defrost to add the mix-ins, but in my experience the texture of the mix-ins is good as long as you bake the cookies straight from frozen.
Roger
These cookies not only taste good, but they are fum to eat. Each bite is a kittle different. Also, the list of "everything but the kitchen sink" ingredients can be tailored to just about anything you have on hand, within reason.
Great recipe. Thank you.
Jess Smith
So glad you enjoyed them! Aren't they fun?
Kara
OH MY GOSH!!!!! THESE ARE THE BEST COOKIES EVER! I PREFER A SMALLER SIZE FOR CRUNCHY COOKIES BUT MY HUSBAND LIKES LARGER FOR A MORE CHEWY COOKIE! I've made these MULTIPLE times and this has now become my go to!
Jess Smith
Aren't they the best? I'm so happy that you are enjoying them.
Brenda
Yummy but addicting!! Wish I wouldn’t have looked at the carb count! Course it’s probably a good thing I DID!!!!
Jess Smith
They're definitely a treat!
Tammi
Just used this recipe for my daughter's birthday sleepover party. We premixed the dough with no mix ins and gave each girl about one cup of dough and set them loose at a mix ins bar. The cookies all came out fabulous and each girl got to 'invent' her own recipe ❤️
Jess Smith
Oh what a fun idea!!! I'm going to have to borrow that for my girls!
Kay MacIntire
Getting ready to make this recipe! Dumb question - but are the measurements for the chips and pretzels before or after they are crushed? Would certainly make a difference!
Jess Smith
No - it's a great question because it would make a difference. The measurements are for those ingredients after they have been crushed / chopped. (I'll add an extra note to the recipe.)
Kay MacIntire
That is what I as assuming, but you know how “assume” can turn out! Can’t wait to try these! Making them small for our church Easter Tea tomorrow! Thanks for answering so quickly.
Catherine
These cookies are absolutely amazing! I made them for the first time last week and ending up make them back-to-back days! My coworkers and neighbors are begging for another batch. 🙂 I bought ingredients to try a peanut butter oreo version this week. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe! I can't wait to try your chocolate chip cookie recipe soon!
Anike
Just made a batch and the cookies are amazing!!!. I haven't changed a thing and the are just perfect. The cookies all came out fabulous. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Jess Smith
So happy to hear this!
Stephanie
These look so good! How long do they stay fresh? Do the pretzels and potato chips lose their crunch?
Jess Smith
They do soften slightly after a day or two, but the flavors are still pretty great together!
Pam Chaput
This is my favorite cookie recipe! I have a batch in the oven as we speak. They are a hit in my house. Thank you!
Jess Smith
This makes me happy! I hope you enjoy.
Toni
How to u remove them without the caramel ruining the cookie off the cookie pan
Jess Smith
I find that they really benefit from using parchment paper or a baking mat to line the pan first. You're right that the caramel can stick.
Martina
Can you premix dough and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two before baking?
Jess Smith
Absolutely. Much longer than that and the pretzels do soften slightly in the dough, but that's never been a big deal for me. I've made the dough up to a day ahead and baked from the fridge. I like to form the dough balls ahead too, just to make it easy!
Ashley
WOW these were absolutely amazing!!! I can't get enough of them. I subbed toffee for peanut butter chips because that's what I had on hand and I used vegan butter. Definitely making again, thank you!
Jess Smith
So glad you enjoyed them Ashley! Love the idea to use peanut butter chips in them, and it's always so great to hear that vegan butter worked well.
Dorothy Elliott
Can u freeze these ?
Jess Smith
Absolutely! Check out the instructions in the post and in the recipe card! We've even included a printable card in the recipe with instructions for baking them from frozen.
Katelyn
These. Are. Amazing. AMAZING.
Jess Smith
Yay! So glad you liked them! xo
Crystal
The pretzels came out stale after baking. What did I do wrong? Newly opened bag of pretzels and I baked for 10 mins. I also added in marshmallows. Was it due to that?
Jess Smith
I've never had that happen Crystal, so it does make me wonder if the marshmallows had an effect on the moisture in the cookies / pretzels? Or it could have something to do with the type of pretzels used. I'm not entirely certain, but I've never had any issue with the pretzels tasting stale in the baked cookies.
Martine
These cookies are insanely good! My family loves them! The salty element with the sweet- chef’s kiss!
Jess Smith
I'm so glad you liked them!!
Liz
This recipe is outstanding, thank you!
I made a batch, using another recipe, and they were dry, and didn’t flatten out. You’ve nailed this recipe.
I made them with chopped candied ginger, white chocolate chips, some leftover Kirkland Himalayan salt chips, and some left over Chex Cereal.
Thank you for taking the time to test, re-test, master, and post this recipe.
Jess Smith
Oh I'm so glad Liz! Thank you for the note!
Becca
This is an amazing recipe! I made them gluten free by using a 1 to 1 gluten free flour and gluten free pretzels. They were such a big hit with my family! These will definitely be my go-to dessert recipe moving forward 🙂
Jess Smith
So glad you enjoyed them! And glad the 1:1 flour worked!
Crystal
I was looking for a recipe to make for a gathering, because one of the guests isn't big on desserts, and would rather eat a bag of chips. I found this recipe a little too late and didn't end up making these for the event, so the jury is still out on the anti dessert eater (told her about the recipe and she's actually excited to try them next time we get together), but I was so intrigued that I decided to make them for myself. And let me just say... I don't know where these cookies have been all my life, but I'm addicted! I used caramel pieces (found them in the baking isle and they are similar to a chocolate chip), in place of the toffee and it gave that perfect sticky salted caramel flavor and texture. I'd give this recipe 100 stars if I could.
Jess Smith
Oh this is so wonderful to hear! I'm so glad you liked them, and love the caramel addition - I'm going to try that!