Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies

October 2, 2024

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies – Soft and chewy cookies filled with everything but the kitchen sink, including potato chips, pretzels, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and coconut.

two cookies stacked on each other.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies

These Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies are the ultimate treat for those who love a little bit of everything. Loaded with a mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy ingredients, they’re a delightful adventure for your taste buds.

What Are Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies?

The name says it all! Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies are jam-packed with all sorts of tasty goodies. Imagine chocolate chips, pretzels, toffee bits, nuts, and even potato chips all in one cookie. These cookies are perfect for using up whatever leftover ingredients you have in your pantry, making them not only delicious but also a great way to reduce waste.

The beauty of these cookies is their versatility. No two batches are ever the same because you can mix and match ingredients based on what you have on hand. The result? A flavor explosion in every bite!

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

  1. Customizable: You can throw in almost any ingredient that pairs well with a cookie dough base—think chocolates, candies, dried fruits, or even salty snacks.
  2. Texture Heaven: From crispy edges to soft centers, and chewy bits to crunchy toppings, these cookies offer a variety of textures that keep each bite exciting.
  3. Perfect for Leftovers: Have some nuts, chips, or candies leftover from other recipes? Toss them into these cookies for a waste-free baking session.
  4. Great for Sharing: These cookies are always a crowd-pleaser at parties, potlucks, or holiday gatherings. Everyone loves the surprise of discovering new flavors and textures with every bite.
Ingredients on the counter.

Potato Chip and Pretzel Crunch Filling

Most recipes I reviewed for “Kitchen Sink Cookies” just threw in the potato chips and pretzels. The problem with this method is that your crunchy snacks are likely to get soft after a while in the dough. I was concerned about this for the cake too. To make sure the potato chips and pretzels would stay crunchy, I adapted Milk Bar’s recipe for their Cereal Crunch to make the potato chip and pretzel crunch filling.

With a little brown sugar, milk powder, and butter, you’ll bake the filling on low heat for nearly a half-hour. This creates a toffee-like coating around the salty snacks and helps everything to keep a nice crunch.

ingredients on a cookie sheet.

The base for these cookies comes from my Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chips Cookies. These classic cookies are some of my favorite to make. They’re easy and quick, and always a big hit. Instead of using two cups of chocolate chips, I reduced the amount to just one cup so I could load it with another cup of butterscotch chips, toasted coconut, and the potato chip and pretzel crunch filling. The cookie is pretty sweet on its own, so I think it’s crucial to add a little extra crunch filling. You’ll love getting those salty bites with everything sweet around it.

Tips for Making the Best Kitchen Sink Cookies

  1. Chill the Dough: If you have time, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This helps the cookies hold their shape and intensifies the flavors.
  2. Experiment with Mix-ins: Don’t be afraid to get creative! Try adding ingredients like marshmallows, crushed graham crackers, M&M’s, or even a dash of cinnamon.
  3. Use Salted Snacks: Adding salty snacks like this pretzel and potato chip crunch filling gives the cookies a savory twist that balances out the sweetness.
Stack of half cookies.

FAQs

1. Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes! Simply scoop the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet to freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just add a minute or two to the bake time.

2. How long do these cookies last?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.

3. Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Absolutely! Just substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and use gluten free ingredients for your add-ins.

A plate of cookies with milk and ingredients next to it.

If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that’s packed with flavor, texture, and a bit of adventure, Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies are the way to go. With endless customization options and a crowd-pleasing taste, these cookies are sure to become a household favorite.

Happy baking, and don’t forget to share your unique twist on this classic cookie in the comments below!

Stack of cookies on a cooling rack.

More Tips & Recipes You’ll Love

Stack of half cookies.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies

5 from 4 votes
Soft and chewy cookies filled with everything but the kitchen sink, including potato chips, pretzels, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and coconut.

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs, cold
  • 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
  • 1 cup (150 g) chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (150 g) butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup (100 g) toasted coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) potato chip and pretzel filling (below)

For the Pretzel Potato Chip Crunch Filling (adapted from Milk Bar)

  • 2 cups (240 g) ruffle potato chip, broken up into small pieces
  • 2 cups (240 g) mini pretzels, broken up into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 4 tablespoons (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (62 g) nonfat dry milk powder
  • 14 tablespoons (197.75 g) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions
 

  • For the Cookies
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the eggs one at time and mix until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. 
  • Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, toasted coconut and crack filling.
  • Scoop 2-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are slightly golden brown. The top may look a little soft. That’s ok! The cookies will continue to bake a little while they cool.
  • FOR THE POTATO CHIP AND PRETZEL CRUNCH FILLING
  • Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Pour the pretzels and potato chips into a medium bowl. Add the sugars and milk powder and toss to mix.
  • Add the butter and toss the mixture to coat. As you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the chips and pretzels, creating small clusters.
  • Spread the clusters on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. They should look toasted and smell buttery. Cool completely before using in your cake. 
  • You may need to break up the mixture even more to add to your cookies. 
  • The crunch filling can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container – 1 week at room temperature or up to 1 month in the fridge or freezer. (Keep the remaining filling for the cake version of these cookies!).
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Keyword: cookies, Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Join the Conversation

  1. I have made these cookies several times now and it is my new favorite! My oldest son was visiting at Christmas and LOVED them. I do have one question – each time I’ve made the crack filling, there seems to be an excessive amount of butter that needs to be drained off. I have checked my oven temp and it is fine. Am I not cooking it long enough? Should I reduce the amount of butter? Any ideas? Your cakes are all beautiful. I wish I lived closer and could take a class 🙂

    1. Yeah, next time just take out about 1/4th of the butter and see if that helps.

  2. Hi. My potato chip and pretzel crack filling keeps turning out like jolly ranchers when baked, should I reduce the butter? I’m also making these into cookie bars instead of cookies, will that change anything about the recipe? Thank you!

    1. I actually think it probably got over cooked, not the butter. I haven’t done them as bars, but you’ll probably need to bake a little longer in that case.

  3. Is the milk fat powder suppose to be 120g or 1/2 cup. 120 grams seemed closer to 1 2/3 cup. Thanks!

    1. It’s 62g. It’s fixed.

  4. Why is the crack recipe different from the one in your cookbook? Should I be using one over the other?

  5. Where did the recipe go?!!? It’s not on here anymore!

  6. Hi Courtney, It looks like the recipe is missing from your post. Would you please repost it so we can try it out ? They sound excellent!
    Regards,Michele

    1. It’s there now 🙂

  7. Where’s the recipe?! 🙁

    1. It’s up now 🙂 not sure what happened

  8. 5 stars
    I haven’t even eaten the baked cookie but have snacked on the cookie dough and can’t stay out of it! This will be a new staple! I’ve added peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, a handful of m&m’s and toasted coconut along with the crack! Beyond! I’ve made the cake as well, and I did over bake the crack that time and this time it came out perfect, so I’d suggest watching it as it’s nearing the time. Not sure what I did different! But the cake is DELICIOUS too!

  9. 5 stars
    Haven’t made the cookies yet, but I just took the crack out of the oven. I weighed the chips and pretzels in grams, but it seems like a MASSIVE amount to put this whole batch into the cookie dough. Could there be an error in the weight listed?

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