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    Home > Recipes > Cookies

    Kitchen Sink Cookies

    Published: Jul 14, 2022 · Modified: Nov 30, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 46 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    50.2K shares
    kitchen sink cookies
    kitchen sink cookies

    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. 

    kitchen sink cookies on a white wooden background

    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.

    kitchen sink cookie dough in a mixing bowl with a green spatula

    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. 

    crumbled potato chips, toffee chips, pretzels, and chocolate chips for kitchen sink cookies

    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.

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    2. 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.)
    3. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt).
    4. Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
    5. Mix egg and vanilla extract into butter-sugar mixture.
    6. 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.)
    7. Stir in mix-ins like chocolate chips, toffee bits, potato chips, and pretzels.
    8. Roll cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls. (These should be pretty large.)
    9. Bake cookies until edges are crisp and centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
    10. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.
    11. 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.

    frozen cookie dough balls of kitchen sink cookies on a baking sheet

    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:

    1. Form cookie dough into balls. Line dough balls up in a single layer on a sheet pan
    2. Transfer sheet pan to freezer until dough is frozen solid, 2 to 3 hours.
    3. Transfer dough to a freezer-safe bag and seal, removing as much air from the bag as possible.
    4. 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.)

    kitchen sink cookies overhead image with chocolate chips and potato chips

    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

    kitchen sink cookies on a white background
    Print Recipe
    4.19 from 180 votes

    Kitchen Sink Cookies

    When we started testing these Kitchen Sink Cookies (everything but the….) we just kept saying more chocolate chips, more pretzels, more potato chips, more toffee! We packed these cookies full of sweet and salty fillings until they couldn't possibly hold any more. And then we added a few more chocolate chips.
    Prep Time25 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Keyword: compost cookies, cookie recipe, pretzel cookies
    Servings: 20
    Calories: 214kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $4.00

    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

    Extra Toppings - If you’d like, you can prepare extra filings and gently roll the cookie dough in toppings before baking. This makes the toppings more visible on the top of the finished cookies. 
    Freeze - This cookie dough freezes well. Freeze it in balls on a baking sheet and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake within 6 months. Print and attach the label below so cooking instructions are ready when you are!
    kitchen sink cookies freezer label

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 302IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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    50.2K shares

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carmen

      October 25, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      These look AMAZING!! So you think the recipe could be modified to be dairy free?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        October 27, 2020 at 1:16 pm

        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!

        Reply
      • AnaDion94

        January 15, 2021 at 1:22 pm

        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!

        Reply
      • H

        August 10, 2021 at 8:43 am

        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)

        Reply
    2. Emily

      December 05, 2020 at 8:48 pm

      5 stars
      These turned out perfect!! I can’t wait to make them again

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        December 06, 2020 at 6:19 pm

        Yay - so glad you liked them Emily! We made them this weekend too!

        Reply
    3. Elaine

      December 10, 2020 at 11:30 pm

      My new favorite cookie recipe! It’s just SO good. Thank you! Happy Holidays from the Phils.☺️

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        December 12, 2020 at 12:34 pm

        Yay! So glad you loved these as much as we do. Happy Holidays!

        Reply
    4. Amanda gill

      March 07, 2021 at 2:24 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • B

        May 01, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        You probably didn’t let the butter soften enough.

        Reply
    5. Bellaview11

      July 09, 2021 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      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!!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        July 13, 2021 at 8:39 am

        So glad they were a hit with the family! Pecans and shredded coconut sound great!

        Reply
    6. Olivia

      September 12, 2021 at 8:47 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        September 14, 2021 at 9:30 am

        Yum - so glad the vegan subs worked!!

        Reply
    7. Carmen

      September 14, 2021 at 2:41 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        September 14, 2021 at 9:32 am

        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.

        Reply
    8. Roger

      October 31, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        November 01, 2021 at 4:47 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them! Aren't they fun?

        Reply
    9. Kara

      February 13, 2022 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        February 17, 2022 at 8:09 am

        Aren't they the best? I'm so happy that you are enjoying them.

        Reply
    10. Brenda

      March 26, 2022 at 11:02 am

      5 stars
      Yummy but addicting!! Wish I wouldn’t have looked at the carb count! Course it’s probably a good thing I DID!!!!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        March 28, 2022 at 8:25 pm

        They're definitely a treat!

        Reply
    11. Tammi

      March 26, 2022 at 7:57 pm

      5 stars
      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 ❤️

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        March 28, 2022 at 8:25 pm

        Oh what a fun idea!!! I'm going to have to borrow that for my girls!

        Reply
    12. Kay MacIntire

      April 09, 2022 at 10:38 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        April 09, 2022 at 10:52 am

        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.)

        Reply
        • Kay MacIntire

          April 09, 2022 at 11:58 am

          5 stars
          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.

          Reply
    13. Catherine

      April 11, 2022 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    14. Anike

      April 16, 2022 at 2:52 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        April 18, 2022 at 12:45 pm

        So happy to hear this!

        Reply
    15. Stephanie

      May 19, 2022 at 7:58 am

      These look so good! How long do they stay fresh? Do the pretzels and potato chips lose their crunch?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        May 21, 2022 at 3:50 pm

        They do soften slightly after a day or two, but the flavors are still pretty great together!

        Reply
    16. Pam Chaput

      June 26, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        June 27, 2022 at 8:34 am

        This makes me happy! I hope you enjoy.

        Reply
    17. Toni

      July 13, 2022 at 6:34 pm

      2 stars
      How to u remove them without the caramel ruining the cookie off the cookie pan

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        July 18, 2022 at 9:48 am

        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.

        Reply
    18. Martina

      July 14, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      Can you premix dough and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two before baking?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        July 14, 2022 at 3:40 pm

        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!

        Reply
    19. Ashley

      August 26, 2022 at 10:08 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        August 27, 2022 at 11:58 am

        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.

        Reply
    20. Dorothy Elliott

      October 24, 2022 at 8:24 pm

      Can u freeze these ?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        October 24, 2022 at 9:12 pm

        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.

        Reply
    21. Katelyn

      December 10, 2022 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      These. Are. Amazing. AMAZING.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        December 10, 2022 at 9:00 pm

        Yay! So glad you liked them! xo

        Reply
    22. Crystal

      December 25, 2022 at 7:22 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        December 30, 2022 at 11:27 am

        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.

        Reply

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