These easy Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are loaded up with all of my favorite mix-ins โ chocolate chunks, red and green m&m's, pretzels, potato chips, peanuts, caramels and sprinkles. They're the perfect mash up of salty and sweet, and they're always a huge hit at the holidays!
This post is sponsored by Zwilling. All opinions are our own.
These cookies are the first recipe of our 2025 Recipe Advent Calendar! We're so excited to be kicking off another December of 24 brand new, delicious holiday recipes.
This year, we're focusing on giftable treats, easy appetizers, and a few showstoppers for those of you that like to get a bit more technical in the kitchen. These cookies fall squarely in the giftable treats categoryย โย they would be a great addition to your cookie box!
They're no more difficult than chocolate chip cookies, so they're perfect for any skill level. Sometimes it's fun to experiment with fancier holiday cookies (like these slice and bake ones), but if I'm being honest, if there's a cookie platter, these are the first kind I'm grabbing.
They're salty, sweet, packed with add-ins and easy to customize. You really can't go wrong with this recipe, especially if you like loaded, chewy cookies! Make a batch for yourself, then make another batch (or two) and package it in tins for gifting.
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What You'll Need for this Recipe
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (sea salt or kosher salt will work). This recipe should work fine with gluten free all purpose flour, too.
- Butter: Since there are so many salty ingredients in this recipe, unsalted is best.
- Vanilla extract: Can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Eggs: Make sure they're at room temperature.
- Mix-ins: We use chocolate chunks, m&ms, sprinkles, caramels (the chewy kind that comes wrapped individually), mini twisted pretzels, potato chips, and lightly salted peanuts.
How to Make this Recipe
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and mix. Add one egg at a time and mix until combined.
In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, mixing just until combined.
Mix in the pretzels, potato chips, caramel pieces, chocolate chunks, peanuts, M&Ms and sprinkles.
Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350หF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a medium (~2 tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
Optional: press a few extra toppings on top of each cookie. This isn't necessary, but makes them look extra pretty. (Note: if adding extra caramels, only place in the center of the cookie.)
Bake for 13-16 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Equipment
You don't really need anything fancy for this recipe, but one thing you will need in a mixer. I don't know about you, but taking out my heavy stand mixer is one of my least favorite things to do.
Ever since we got our Zwilling XTEND Cordless Hand Mixer, I've barely used my stand mixer! It's just as powerful, much quieter, much easier to use (and clean!) and no dealing with messy cords. The battery is compatible with several other Zwilling cordless appliances, and it lasts for 120 minutes on a single charge.
If you do a lot of baking, it's a must-have appliance. And it makes for the perfect gift for anyone on your list that loves to bake!
Variations
One of the most fun things about this recipe is that it's so easy to change up. Just look through your pantry and add in whatever you like!
If you don't love salty ingredients, ditch those in favor of more sweet stuff, like butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips. You could even chop up some peanut butter cups or add reese's pieces!
Instead of caramels, try toffee bits. They add a bit of extra crunch, too!
Don't like peanuts (or have an allergy)? Try pecans, walnuts, pistachios or almonds.
Storage
Keep these stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. To keep them extra soft, you can add a slice of bread to the container! (Yes, it really works.)
You can also freeze the baked cookies between layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 6 months, and defrost overnight at room temperature.
If you want to freeze the cookie dough, scoop dough into balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. You can bake them straight from the freezer, but they may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inspired by the phrase "everything but the kitchen sink", these cookies are absolutely loaded with add-ins. Some of them even seem a bit random (potato chips!) but we promise, it all comes together for the perfect salty/sweet balance.
Because of all the add-ins, these may form some wonky shapes when baked. To make them perfectly round (totally optional!), you can gently swirl a round cookie cutter or large mug/glass around each cookie right after they come out of the oven, before they set. It's important to use a cookie cutter/glass that's slightly larger than the cookie.
Chilling cookie dough results in a more flavorful, thicker and chewier cookie. It also prevents the dough from spreading too much in the oven. It will definitely result in a better taste and texture, but if you're short on time, don't stress if you can't make it a full hour.
More Holiday Baking Recipes
๐ Recipe
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These easy Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are loaded up with all of the good stuff โ chocolate chunks, red and green m&m's, pretzels, potato chips, peanuts, caramels and sprinkles. They're the perfect mash up of salty and sweet, and they're always a huge hit at the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ยพ cup light brown sugar
- ยพ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ cup mini pretzels
- ยฝ cup potato chips, lightly crushed
- ยฝ cup chewy caramels, quartered
- ยพ cup dark chocolate chunks
- ยฝ cup chopped salted peanuts
- ยฝ cup holiday M&;Ms
- ยผ cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and mix. Add one egg at a time and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in 2 batches, mixing just until combined.
- Mix in the pretzels, potato chips, caramel pieces, chocolate chunks, peanuts, M&Ms and sprinkles.
- Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350หF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a medium (~2 tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Optional: press a few extra toppings on top of each cookie. This isn't necessary, but makes them look extra pretty. (Note: if adding extra caramels, only place in the center of the cookie.)
- Bake for 13-16 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
We use our Zwilling XTEND Cordless Hand Mixer for this recipe!ย
Storage: Keep these stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.ย
You can also freeze the baked cookies between layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 6 months, and defrost overnight at room temperature.ย
Chilling cookie dough results in a more flavorful, thicker and chewier cookie. It also prevents the dough from spreading too much in the oven. It will definitely result in a better taste and texture, but if you're short on time, don't stress if you can't make it a full hour.ย
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 276
- Sugar: 24.3 g
- Sodium: 122.7 mg
- Fat: 13.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.4 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
Nikki says
I tried this recipe and if I make it again Iโd definitely use salted butter and cook the dough at room temperature. The cold ball of dough baked into a ball more than a cookie. Taste needed more salt.
Lexi says
Hi Nikki, I'm surprised to hear they weren't salty enough with the addition of salted pretzels, peanuts, potato chips and salt in the dough! I'm also sorry to hear that they did not spread well โ we usually have the opposite issue.
Jack Harding says
These cookies were AMAZING.
Theyโre definitely going to be part of my yearly Christmas baking
They come together easily, you can swap ingredients (I swapped the caramel for toffee, and used honey roasted peanuts instead)
You have to make these!
Lexi says
Yay so glad you enjoyed!