These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are loaded with chocolate, holiday candies, pretzels, sprinkles, and everything but the kitchen sink! They're fun, festive, budget-friendly, and perfect for using up leftover baking bits.
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These cookies are not only delicious, but they're also the ultimate clean-out-the-pantry treat. Whether you've got half-used bags of chocolate chips or leftover pretzels from your holiday snack board, this Christmas kitchen sink cookie recipe turns all those odds and ends into a bakery-worthy dessert.
They're fun for kids, great for gifting, and easy enough to whip up last minute. These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are stuffed with holiday M&M's, chocolate chips, salty pretzels, potato chips, and colorful sprinkles.
They're chewy, crunchy, sweet, salty, and the perfect treat when you want something festive without spending a fortune.
If you love cookies packed with mix-ins, these kitchen sink cookies Christmas style are about to be your new holiday favorite. Add them to the table along with some Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies for festive fun.
Don't forget to check out my Pretzel Potato Chip Cookies for another sweet-and-salty treat!
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Festive, fun, and PACKED with texture. Chocolate, pretzels, and potato chips mean you get the perfect sweet-and-salty holiday bite.
- Totally customizable. Swap the chocolates, skip the sprinkles, and add peppermint for a twist. This recipe adapts to whatever you have on hand.
- Budget-friendly & zero waste. A great way to use leftover holiday baking bits without buying extra ingredients.
🛒 Ingredients
- Butter. Creates soft, chewy centers and helps the cookies spread evenly.
- Brown sugar. Adds deep caramel flavor and keeps the cookies ultra-chewy.
- Egg + egg yolk. The yolk adds richness and extra tenderness.
- Flour. Gives structure so the cookies can hold lots of mix-ins.
- Christmas M&M's & chocolate chips. Festive color + melty chocolate pockets.
- Pretzels & potato chips. Add crunch and that irresistible salty contrast.
- Christmas sprinkles. For color, texture, and a fun holiday finish.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Chocolate Mix-Ins: Swap semi-sweet for dark, milk, white, or even peppermint chips for a Christmas-morning vibe.
M&M's: Holiday M&M's are adorable, but mini M&M's or regular colors work too.
Pretzels: Use rods, twists, or snaps; just crush them lightly so they mix evenly.
Potato Chips: Kettle-cooked chips add extra crunch, while regular chips melt slightly into tender pockets.
Cornstarch: Add 1-2 tablespoons for even thicker, bakery-style cookies.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
Kitchen sink cookies are meant to be overstuffed, so add what you love! Chopped nuts, toffee bits, crushed candy canes, chopped Hershey's bars, or white chocolate chunks all taste incredible. Aim for 1½-2 cups total mix-ins for the best texture.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use leftover holiday candies. This recipe thrives on randomness!
Buy off-brand baking chips. They melt just as well and cost significantly less.
Use pretzel crumbs or potato chip crumbs. The crushed bits at the bottom of the bag are perfect here.
Skip specialty mix-ins. The base cookie dough is tasty enough that you can load it with whatever you already have.
Divide the dough. Add different mix-ins to different portions for variety without double batching.
🥄 Instructions for Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
Step 2: In a large bowl, beat softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar (Image 1) for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla (Image 2) until pale and creamy.
Step 4: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. (Image 3) Mix just until a cookie dough forms. (Image 4)
Step 5: Add in M&M's, chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, and sprinkles. (Image 5) Gently fold in without overmixing. (Image 6)
Step 6: Scoop 2-3 tablespoon dough balls (18-20 total). Press a few extra mix-ins on top for bakery-style cookies. (Image 7)
Step 7: *Optional* Chill 20-30 minutes for thicker cookies that don't spread as much.
Step 8: Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers look slightly soft. (Image 8)
Step 9: Use a round cookie cutter to swirl the hot cookies into perfect circles.
Step 10: Cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a rack.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Underbake for chewy perfection. Remove them when the centers look slightly soft; they'll finish setting as they cool.
- Press extra toppings on top for that professional, bakery-style look.
- Don't over-crush the pretzels or chips. You want pieces big enough to add texture, not dust.
- Chilling is optional but helps prevent spreading AND intensifies flavor.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Make Ahead: Form dough balls and freeze on a tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen. Just add 1-2 minutes to the cook time.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Christmas cookies pair best with other seasonal favorites, like warm and festive drinks or other seasonal snacks like our white chocolate peppermint popcorn.
- Dairy Free Crock Pot Hot ChocolateRecipe $4.50 / Serving $0.38
- Butterfinger Hot ChocolateRecipe $4.89 / Serving $2.45
- Spiced Orange Ginger Ale MocktailRecipe $1.20
- White Chocolate Peppermint PopcornRecipe $4.72 / Serving $0.79
❓ Recipe FAQs
No, but it improves shape and texture. Unchilled cookies spread more.
Yes! Simply replace them with extra pretzels, chocolate chips, or M&M's.
Absolutely, this recipe freezes beautifully and is perfect for holiday prep.
The fun mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, colorful bits, exactly the kind of cookie Santa would love on Christmas Eve.
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🐝 If you tried this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened - ($1.84)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed - ($0.49)
- ½ cup granulated sugar - ($0.17)
- 1 large egg - ($0.18)
- 1 large egg yolk - ($0.08)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract - ($0.08)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour - ($0.32)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - ($0.02)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder - ($0.02)
- ½ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- ¾ cup Christmas M&M's, mini or regular - ($2.12)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - ($1.00)
- ½ cup pretzels, crushed - ($0.18)
- ½ cup potato chips, crushed - ($0.11)
Optional
- ¼ cup Christmas sprinkles or jimmies - ($1.08)
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until pale and creamy.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until a dough forms.
- Fold in mix-ins. Gently fold in the M&M's, chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, and sprinkles if using.
- Portion. Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoon dough balls, about 18 to 20 total. Press a few extra mix-ins on top if desired.
- Chill. Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes if thicker cookies are preferred.
- Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
- Shape and cool. Use a round cookie cutter to gently swirl the hot cookies into circles. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Texture. Slightly underbaking keeps the centers soft and chewy.
- Mix-ins. Crush pretzels and chips into small pieces, not crumbs, for the best texture.
- Chilling. Chilling helps control spread and keeps cookies thick.
- Storage. Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Make ahead. Freeze dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Nutritional Information
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Nicole Durham says
These cookies are the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and holiday cheer in every bite.