Kitchen Sink Cookies
Kitchen Sink Cookies turn pantry snacks, chocolate, pretzels, toffee, and potato chips into chewy, buttery cookies with crisp edges and a salty finish.
This is the kind of cookie recipe that feels fun without costing much. You get soft centers, melted chocolate, crunchy bits, and a tiny pop of flaky salt in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sweet and salty flavor: Brown sugar, chocolate, toffee, pretzels, and chips make every bite interesting.
- Chewy centers: Creamed butter and sugar give the cookies soft middles with golden edges.
- Pantry friendly: Use small amounts of snack leftovers instead of buying special mix ins.
- Fast to bake: The dough comes together in one bowl and bakes in about 10 minutes.
Fabian’s Budget Tip: Save the broken pretzels and crumbs from the bottom of the potato chip bag. They work better than whole pieces because they fold into the dough evenly and add crunch without extra cost.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Makes about 16 medium cookies.
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (188 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
- 1 large egg (50 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (85 g)
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (55 g)
- 1/2 cup lightly crushed pretzels (25 g)
- 1/3 cup toffee bits (55 g)
- 1/2 cup lightly crushed potato chips (20 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for topping (2 g)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the Oven
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The parchment helps the toffee and chocolate release cleanly after baking.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, baking soda, and fine salt to a bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks even and light. This keeps the baking soda from clumping in one spot.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugars
Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks fluffy, pale, and slightly creamy. You should smell the butter and brown sugar getting rich and caramel like.
4. Add the Egg and Vanilla
Beat in the egg and vanilla until the dough looks smooth and glossy. Scrape the bowl once so no butter hides along the sides.
5. Add the Flour Mixture
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed, or stir by hand, just until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as the dough comes together so the cookies stay tender.
6. Fold in the Sweet and Salty Mix Ins
Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, pretzels, toffee bits, and crushed potato chips. The dough should look chunky and loaded, with pieces in every scoop.
7. Scoop and Salt
Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle each dough ball with a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Press a few extra chips or pretzel pieces on top if you want a bakery look.
8. Bake Until Golden
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look golden and the centers still look a little soft. The cookies will smell buttery and caramelized. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool.
Expert Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why did my cookies spread too much?
Your butter may have been too warm, or the dough may have needed a short rest. If the dough feels greasy or very soft, chill it for 20 minutes before baking the next tray.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes. Use salted butter if that is what you have, but reduce the fine salt in the dough to 1/4 teaspoon. Keep the flaky sea salt on top because it gives the best salty crunch.
Can I change the mix ins?
Yes. Keep the total amount close to 2 1/6 cups, or about 240 g. Try chopped nuts, crushed graham crackers, coconut, dark chocolate, or leftover candy pieces.
Why are my cookies dry?
Dry cookies usually come from too much flour or too much baking time. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off. Pull the cookies from the oven while the centers still look soft.
How should I store Kitchen Sink Cookies?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For a softer texture, add a small piece of bread to the container. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
Estimated Nutritional Facts
Per serving, about 4 cookies:
- Calories: 610
- Protein: 7 g
- Carbs: 78 g
- Fats: 31 g
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (188 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
- 1 large egg (50 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (85 g)
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (55 g)
- 1/2 cup lightly crushed pretzels (25 g)
- 1/3 cup toffee bits (55 g)
- 1/2 cup lightly crushed potato chips (20 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for topping (2 g)
Instructions
- 1. Heat the Oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The parchment helps the toffee and chocolate release cleanly after baking.
- 2. Mix the Dry Ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, and fine salt to a bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks even and light. This keeps the baking soda from clumping in one spot.
- 3. Cream the Butter and Sugars. Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks fluffy, pale, and slightly creamy. You should smell the butter and brown sugar getting rich and caramel like.
- 4. Add the Egg and Vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla until the dough looks smooth and glossy. Scrape the bowl once so no butter hides along the sides.
- 5. Add the Flour Mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed, or stir by hand, just until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as the dough comes together so the cookies stay tender.
- 6. Fold in the Sweet and Salty Mix Ins. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, pretzels, toffee bits, and crushed potato chips. The dough should look chunky and loaded, with pieces in every scoop.
- 7. Scoop and Salt. Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle each dough ball with a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Press a few extra chips or pretzel pieces on top if you want a bakery look.
- 8. Bake Until Golden. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look golden and the centers still look a little soft. The cookies will smell buttery and caramelized. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool.
