There’s something utterly magical about biting into a cookie that’s bursting with surprises in every nook and cranny. That’s exactly why I adore this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe. It’s festive, fun, and packed with so many textures and flavors that every bite feels like a holiday party in your mouth.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I honestly get excited every time I make this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe because it’s the perfect mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy. It’s like all your favorite treats got together for a cookie party, and everyone’s invited.
- Loaded with mix-ins: You get M&M's, white chocolate, pretzels, potato chips, and festive sprinkles all in one cookie.
- Easy to customize: You can swap or add any mix-ins you like, making it your own personal Christmas creation.
- Perfect texture balance: The combination of buttery softness and crunchy bits keeps every bite interesting.
- Fun and festive: Those red and green colors just scream holiday cheer—perfect for gifting or cookie plates.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This recipe’s charm comes from the way the ingredients blend to create complexity in flavor and texture. The buttery base, combined with a balance of chewy and crunchy additions, helps the cookies keep their festive feel and irresistible chewiness. Don’t be shy with the mix-ins—variety is the name of the game!
- Salted butter: Gives richness and helps balance all the sweet and salty ingredients.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and that irresistible caramel undertone.
- Granulated sugar: Gives that slight crisp edge as the cookies bake.
- Egg yolks: Keep the cookie chewy and tender, plus they add richness.
- Vanilla bean paste or extract: Fantastic for adding depth of flavor and warmth.
- All-purpose flour: The sturdy base for holding all those fun mix-ins together.
- Baking powder & baking soda: These leavening agents ensure the cookies rise just enough without losing their density.
- Salt: Amplifies all the sweetness and brightens the other flavors.
- M&M’s (red and green): Festive pops of color and chocolatey goodness.
- White chocolate chips: Creamy sweetness that contrasts nicely with the salty bits.
- Pretzel pieces: Add that perfect crunch and salty punch.
- Potato chip pieces: The unexpected salty crunch that cranks this cookie up a notch.
- Red and green jimmies: For that classic holiday sparkle and color.
Make It Your Way
I love how this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe invites you to get creative. Sometimes I swap out the potato chips for crushed waffle cone pieces to add a sweet crunch, or toss in some crushed peppermint candies for an extra holiday kick. You’ll enjoy making it your own, too!
- Variation: Tried adding chopped walnuts one year, and it added a delightful nutty twist that paired beautifully with the salty pretzels.
- Dietary tweaks: For a dairy-free version, plant-based butter works well, but make sure it’s softened for easy creaming.
- Seasonal swaps: Use Halloween-colored M&M’s and orange sprinkles for a fall theme—still deliciously sink-all-the-things!
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Creaming the Butter and Sugars to Fluffy Perfection
Start by softening your salted butter (this really makes a difference). Then, beat it together with your brown and granulated sugars until the mixture turns light and fluffy—about two minutes on medium speed. This makes the cookies airy and helps with their chewiness. No shortcuts here; patience pays off!
Step 2: Adding Egg Yolks and Vanilla for Richness
Next, add in your egg yolks and vanilla bean paste or extract. Mixing this for about two minutes also helps lighten the dough and incorporate those flavors evenly. If you only have whole eggs, you can use them, but egg yolks truly deepen the richness.
Step 3: Mixing Flour and Leaveners Carefully
Sift or whisk your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt before folding them in. Mixing just until combined prevents overworking the dough, which could make your cookies tough. I love to take a moment here and smell the dough—it’s honestly the sweetest part!
Step 4: Folding In the Magic Mix-ins
This part is my favorite. Gently fold in the M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzel and potato chip pieces, plus those festive jimmies. Be careful not to crush them too much—you want the cookies packed with texture and color. You can even sprinkle extra mix-ins on top of each cookie scoop for that wow factor.
Step 5: Scooping, Baking, and Beauty Tricks
Scoop the dough into 20 balls and place them spaced apart on your parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes—ten if you like chewy centers, twelve if you prefer a little more crisp around the edges. Here’s a neat trick I learned: right after baking, gently swirl a large circular cookie cutter around each cookie to perfect their shape. It really gives a pro look!
Step 6: Cooling and Storing
Let your cookies cool right on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack for another ten. This helps them set without getting soggy. Store leftovers in an airtight container—if there are any left, that is!—for up to three days.
Top Tip
I’ve baked these cookies enough times to know that a few tweaks can make or break this recipe. Here are some tips from my kitchen to yours to help your Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe turn out just right.
- Proper flour measuring: I can’t stress this enough—never scoop your measuring cup into the flour. Instead, spoon the flour in and level it off. Trust me, it keeps the texture perfect and prevents dense cookies.
- Softened butter is key: Make sure the butter is soft but not melted for perfect creaming with your sugars.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Stir the flour in just until combined. Overmixing will make your cookies tougher.
- Cookie cutter shape method: Using a circular cookie cutter right after baking not only neaten’s the cookie’s shape but also gently pushes all the mix-ins together beautifully.
How to Serve Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I’m a simple garnisher—I like to press a few extra M&M's and a sprinkle of red and green jimmies on top right before baking. It makes the cookies look festive and adds a pretty pop of color. Sometimes, I add a tiny dusting of powdered sugar after cooling for a wintery touch.
Side Dishes
These cookies are rich enough to stand alone but make a wonderful pairing with a cold glass of milk or a warm mug of spiced eggnog or hot chocolate. For holiday parties, I love serving them alongside fudge, peppermint bark, or a cheese plate for a sweet and savory mix.
Creative Ways to Present
One year I stacked these cookies, tied them up with rustic twine, and added a sprig of fresh rosemary for gifting—everyone loved the festive look! You could also arrange them on a tiered holiday dessert tray with small bowls of extra mix-ins for a fun DIY cookie station at your party.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store your leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. I’ve found these cookies stay fresh and chewy for up to three days. If you notice they’re getting too soft, a quick toast in a low oven refreshes their texture.
Freezing
I often freeze the cookie dough balls before baking—just scoop and freeze them flat on a tray, then pop them into a freezer bag. When you’re ready, bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time. It’s perfect for last-minute cookie fix cravings.
Reheating
To revive leftover cookies, I pop them into a preheated 325°F oven for about 5 minutes. This melts the chocolate bits slightly and re-crisps the edges—just like fresh from the oven!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Whole eggs can be used but keep in mind that egg yolks add extra richness and chewiness to the cookies. If you use whole eggs, the cookie texture might be a little lighter and less tender.
The best way is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level off with the back of a knife. Avoid scooping the flour directly with the cup, which can pack it down and add too much flour. For even better accuracy, use a kitchen scale—125 grams equals one cup of flour.
While you can freeze baked cookies, I recommend freezing the cookie dough balls instead for best texture and freshness. Bake them straight from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes to the baking time.
The salty mix-ins like pretzels and potato chips add a fantastic contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate and sugars. This sweet-salty combo elevates the flavor, creating a cookie that’s more complex and addictive than your average treat.
Final Thoughts
This Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe isn’t just a treat, it’s a holiday tradition in the making. I love how it brings together the unexpected and the familiar into one perfectly chewy, crunchy bite. I promise, once you try it, you’ll want to make it year after year. Definitely give it a go—you won’t regret it!
Print
Delicious Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are a festive, colorful treat packed with sweet and salty mix-ins including M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, and red and green sprinkles. These chewy and crispy cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings, offering a delightful combination of textures and flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Mix-ins
- ½ cup red and green M&M's
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup pretzel pieces
- ⅓ cup potato chip pieces
- 2 tablespoon red and green jimmies (sprinkles)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside for later use.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for two minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla: Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste on medium speed for two minutes until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients: Incorporate the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in mix-ins: Gently fold in the M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and jimmies using a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape cookies: Scoop the dough into 20 balls and place them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Optionally, add extra mix-ins on top of each dough ball for a decorative finish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes to achieve crisper edges or 10 minutes for chewier centers.
- Shape cookies while warm (optional): Right after baking, use a large circular cookie cutter to swirl around each cookie to create a perfect round shape, gently pushing the mix-ins together.
- Cool cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack for an additional 10 minutes before serving.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Measure flour properly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife to prevent adding too much flour. Alternatively, weigh the flour (1 cup equals 125 grams) for the best accuracy.
- Adding extra mix-ins on top of the dough balls before baking is optional but makes the cookies visually appealing.
- Using a cookie cutter immediately after baking helps form perfectly shaped cookies by consolidating the mix-ins.
- These cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
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