Kitchen Sink Cookies

There are few things I love more than a soft, chewy and cozy chocolate chip cookie with a fun flavor twist. My Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies, Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies  are just some of the cookie recipes I love from the blog. I am so excited to add these chewy everything cookies and I know you’ll love them just as much as I do. 

• Layers of flavors and textures. From the soft, chewy and buttery cookie dough filled with salty mix-ins like potato chips and pretzels to the pockets of melty chocolate chips and crunchy toffee bits, these everything but the kitchen sink cookies are a flavorful delight.
• Easy to make. These sweet and salty cookies can be made in 2 bowls using a whisk and spoon or flexible spatula. Simply mix the dough, fold in your choice of mix-ins, chill while the oven preheats, scoop, bake and enjoy.

This recipe for kitchen sink cookies requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.  Here’s what you’ll need.

• Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda and salt. 
• Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, semi sweet and milk chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels and toffee bits.

These everything cookies are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these chewy, salty sweet cookies if you need them.

• All purpose flour: Make these cookies, gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based off weight (360 g) rather than cup for cup. 
• Baking Soda: These cookies have not been tested with a replacement for baking soda. However, a double acting baking powder is the closest substitute. 
• Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies refined sugar free. 
• Unsalted Butter: Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter.
• Egg: This recipe has not been tested without eggs. 
• Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. 
• Chocolate Chips: Feel free to use any combination (or just one) kind of chocolate chips or bars. Dark, milk or semi sweet chocolate are all delicious choices. 
• Potato Chips and Pretzels: Feel free to use your preferred chips and pretzels. If you like, omit one and use more of the other. 
• Toffee Bits: Chopped Heath Bars are a good substitute. Soft caramel candies cut into smaller pieces are also a good option.

Variations

• Panera Bread Copy Cat Kitchen Sink Cookies: Prepare the recipe as written, but only include the chocolate chips and pretzels. Replace the toffee bits with small pieces of soft caramel candies. 
• Kitchen Sink Cookies with Oats: Prepare the recipe as written, but decrease the flour to 2 ½ cups (300 g) flour and add 1 cup (86 g) rolled or old fashioned oats. 
• Brown Butter Kitchen Sink Cookies: Melt 1 cup (226g) butter on low heat. Allow the melted butter to begin to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl to cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature. Transfer to the fridge to chill another 15 - 20 minutes. Use the butter as directed in the recipe. Decrease the flour to 2 ¾ cups (330 g). 
• Optional mix-ins: Feel free to add up to 1 cup of smaller candies like M&M’s or mini peanut butter cups. Dried fruit like cranberries can also be used if you like.

Learn how to make kitchen sink cookies in a few easy steps.

1. In a small bowl, melt the butter for 1 minute in the microwave. The butter will be mostly melted with some unmelted pieces. Stir to combine and and cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes. In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled melted butter, sugar and light brown sugar for 1 minute, until smooth well combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels and toffee bits until combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the kitchen sink cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Top with more chocolate chips, potato chips, toffee bits or pretzels if you like. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and are a light golden brown. The center of the cookies will be slightly puffed up. Cool the chewy everything cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack, top with flaky salt if you like, cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.

M’s Expert Tips

• Cool the melted butter. Using melted butter instead of room temperature butter gives cookies an extra chewy texture. However the butter needs to cool for about 20 minutes before using in the recipe. I like to melt the butter and transfer it to the fridge while I gather my other ingredients. 
• Use room temperature butter for more cake like cookies. If you prefer more cake like cookies, use cool room temperature butter instead of melted butter. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. 
• Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
• Don’t overmix the batter.  Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 
• Chop all the mix-ins to the same size. All the mix-ins such as chips, pretzels, candies and chocolate chips should all be around the same size. 
• Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.

Other Fun Cookie Recipes to Try 

• Tiramisu Cookies
• Smores Cookies
• Turtle Cookies
• Brownie Cookies 

If you try this Kitchen Sink Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M