Get ready to bake the most talked-about treat of the holiday season: Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies! This recipe is your ticket to a deliciously chaotic and perfectly balanced cookie. We’re talking sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy all in one unforgettable bite. Forget the boring old sugar cookies; these treats are loaded with everything but the kitchen sink, making them the ultimate holiday indulgence.
We’ve crafted a recipe that is not only incredibly easy to follow but also completely customizable. Whether you’re a baking novice or a seasoned pro, you’ll be able to whip up a batch of these crowd-pleasing cookies in no time.
What Are Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies?
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies get their name from the idea that you can throw in everything but the kitchen sink! At their core, they are a brown sugar cookie dough that acts as a perfect canvas for a wild assortment of mix-ins. The magic comes from the combination of sweet and salty ingredients. Think rich chocolate chunks, salty pretzel pieces, crunchy potato chips, and festive sprinkles. Every bite is a new and delightful experience.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Perfectly Balanced Flavor: The combination of sweet and salty ingredients creates an addictive flavor profile that will have everyone reaching for more.
Amazing Texture: From the chewy center to the crispy edges and the crunch of the mix-ins, these cookies are a textural masterpiece.
Completely Customizable: This recipe is a fantastic starting point. Clean out your pantry and get creative with your favorite snacks and candies.
Incredibly Festive: With the addition of holiday sprinkles and colorful candies, these cookies are dressed to impress at any Christmas party or cookie exchange.
Fresh from the oven and ready to devour.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies is their flexibility, but here are the core components that create the perfect base.
For the Cookie Dough:
Butter: Use unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. This is the foundation for a rich, flavorful cookie.
Sugars: A mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar provides the perfect chewiness and sweetness.
Eggs & Vanilla: One large egg binds it all together, while a good splash of vanilla extract adds essential flavor.
Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt: All-purpose flour provides the structure, baking soda gives them a lift, and a pinch of salt balances the sweetness.
Our Favorite Mix-Ins:
Chocolate: A combination of semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped dark chocolate chunks creates decadent pockets of melted goodness.
Salty Snacks: Crushed potato chips and broken pretzel pieces are non-negotiable for that signature sweet and salty crunch.
* Something Chewy: Soft caramel or toffee bits add a lovely chewy texture.
Festive Flair: Red and green M&Ms and holiday-themed sprinkles make these cookies scream Christmas! For a different kind of festive treat, try these easy snowman Oreo balls.
How to Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Step-by-Step
Follow these simple steps to create the most delicious holiday cookies you’ve ever tasted. This is where the fun begins!
Prep Your Station: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until they are just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just a few streaks of flour remain.
Go Wild with Mix-Ins: This is the best part! Gently fold in your chocolate chips, crushed potato chips, pretzels, and festive sprinkles. Mix until they are evenly distributed. For another fun holiday candy recipe, check out this delicious crockpot Christmas candy.
Scoop and Bake: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake to Perfection: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set. The cookies might look slightly underdone in the middle, but they will continue to bake on the hot pan.
Look at all those amazing mix-ins!
Baker’s Tips for Perfect Cookies
Don’t Overmix the Dough: Overmixing after adding the flour can lead to tough cookies. Mix only until the flour is just incorporated.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Softened butter and a room temperature egg will combine more evenly, creating a smoother, more uniform dough.
Chill the Dough: If your kitchen is warm, chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can help prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Press Extra Mix-Ins on Top: For that picture-perfect look, gently press a few extra chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, and sprinkles onto the tops of the dough balls before baking.
How to Store Your Cookies
To keep your Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. The cookie dough can also be made in advance and frozen. Simply scoop the dough balls onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just add an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Kitchen sink cookies are cookies that are loaded with a wide variety of ‘mix-in’ ingredients, often combining sweet and salty items. The name comes from the saying ‘everything but the kitchen sink,’ implying you can add almost anything you have in your pantry, like chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, and candy.
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months and bake them directly from the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
The best mix-ins balance sweet, salty, and texture. Our favorites are semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed potato chips, and pretzels. Other great additions include toffee bits, caramel corn, M&Ms, butterscotch chips, or chopped nuts.
To prevent excessive spreading, make sure your butter is softened but not melted. Using parchment paper also helps. If your dough feels too soft, chilling it for at least 30 minutes before baking will help the cookies hold their shape.
For the best texture, you want a variety of sizes. Place the pretzels and chips in a zip-top bag and gently crush them with your hands or a rolling pin. Avoid crushing them into a fine powder; you want small, recognizable pieces.
The Only Holiday Cookie Recipe You Need
FL Recipes
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies: The Ultimate Sweet & Salty Treat
The best Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies recipe! These easy cookies are packed with sweet and salty mix-ins like chocolate chips, pretzels, and potato chips for a festive treat everyone will love.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low until just combined.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips, crushed potato chips, broken pretzels, and holiday sprinkles.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown and the centers are set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcalProtein: 2gFat: 10gFiber: 1g
Notes
For best results, use room temperature ingredients. Don't overmix the dough once the flour is added. Feel free to customize the mix-ins with your favorite snacks like toffee bits, caramel corn, or different types of chocolate.
Keyword Christmas Cookies,holiday baking,kitchen sink cookies
These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are destined to become a new holiday tradition. They are fun to make, endlessly customizable, and ridiculously delicious. We can’t wait to see what amazing combinations you come up with! Snap a photo of your beautiful cookies and share it with us on Pinterest. Happy baking!
The ultimate holiday treat: Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies!
Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
