Kitchen Sink Cookies (which are sometimes also called compost cookies) are made with a soft vanilla cookie dough base that's then loaded with chocolate chips, salty pretzel pieces, potato chips, crunchy Graham Cracker pieces, and toffee bits—basically everything but the kitchen sink! These are a HUGE favorite and one that my real life friends and family request over and over because they are just so dang good!
Table of Contents
Kitchen sink cookies are really anything you want them to be and are a great way to use up random mix-ins in your pantry like partial bags of pretzels or chips or half bags of milk chocolate chips leftover from another recipe.
I have made this easy Kitchen Sink Cookies recipe dozens of times and it is one of my family's favorites! I recently made some for Paul to take to work and another batch for a planning meeting for the Girls' Camp this summer, and I have had multiple requests for the recipe since then. So I figured it was time to get it on the blog!
One of my favorite things about them is these cookies is that you can add pretty much anything to them to make them taste a bit different every time. I'll include some favorite suggestions below, but my favorite combo is milk & semisweet chocolate chips, ruffled potato chips, toffee bits, broken graham cracker pieces, and pretzel snaps.
Maybe you've already seen these cookies being made on the social media TikTok, or maybe you know the original ones from Panera, either way - they're amazing! They have a perfect balance of salty and sweet flavors, but you can always tip the balance to your preference.
If you try these kitchen sink cookies and love them, be sure to leave a comment and rating below, then check out some of our other favorite cookie recipes like my Levain Copycat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Biscoff Cookie Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies, and these Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies.
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Salted butter - I always use salted butter in my recipes but if you only have unsalted butter just add ¼ teaspoon of additional salt per stick of butter.
- Sugars - A combination of light brown sugar and white sugar will give the cookies a perfectly sweet, slightly toffee or caramel flavor but also give the cookie dough a great consistency.
- Eggs - To bind the ingredients together, give them a chewy texture, and help them rise a bit.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds that classic, subtle, sweet, and warm flavor we love in cookies.
- Flour - All-purpose flour will work best for this recipe.
- Baking Soda - To help the cookies rise and be chewy.
- Salt - Add some salt to enhance the flavors of the cookie base and all your add-ins.
- Add-Ins - This kitchen sink cookies recipe is all about the add-ins! I've loaded these cookies with milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed pretzels (I have a strong preference for the pretzel snaps that are square shaped over the traditional pretzel shape, but either works), potato chips (I also strongly prefer ridges on my potato chips - they seem to give these cookies better texture than traditional flat potato chips), graham cracker pieces, and toffee bits.
- Sea Salt - Use some flaky sea salt to garnish for an extra salty flavor.
How to Make Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Cream butter and sugars, add vanilla and eggs. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the sugars for 2-3 minutes until creamy and combined. Add in the vanilla and the eggs and beat again, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add dry ingredients. Stir the flour, salt, and baking soda into the wet ingredients and mix until they are just incorporated. You don't want to overmix the cookie dough at this point or the cookies can turn out tough and dry.
- Mix in add-ins. Add the milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, potato chips, graham cracker pieces, and toffee bits into the flour mixture and mix on low speed until evenly distributed.
- Make cookie dough balls. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough out and place the balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them about 1 to 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Pro Tip: I like to add some extra pieces of broken pretzel and potato chips to the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking. This makes them look even more loaded and prettier when they are finished baking as well as giving an indication of the flavor of the cookies.
- Bake cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They should be golden brown around the edges and just set in the centers when done. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Want prettier cookies? Use this tip!
If your cookies come out with wonky shapes and you want them to look more perfectly circular, just grab too spoons while the cookies are still hot (within the first minute after removing them from the oven) and gently nudge the cookies around the edges into a more circular shape. It works great for almost any cookie recipe!
Recipe FAQ's
Store your cookies in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag, at room temperature for up to 7 days.
The cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Many people feel like letting the dough rest in the fridge actually develops the flavor, although I personally always bake them right away.
You can either refrigerate and then scoop, or work smarter and scoop the fresh, soft cookie dough and then refrigerate so you aren't having to scoop cold, hard dough. You can also freeze the dough to bake much later. To do this, flash-freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and store them in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. To bake from frozen, decrease the baking time to 325°F and increase the baking time to 16-18 minutes.
Yes! These cookies are great for making ahead and freezing. You can freeze baked cookies, once they have completely cooled, in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Put a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each layer of cookies to prevent them from sticking together. Let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Tips for Success
- The best way to mix cookie dough is with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, but a large bowl and a hand mixer will work just as well.
- Your cookies will be done when they are starting to go golden brown on the edges and the center is no longer glossy. You can bake these cookies a little longer for a crunchier cookie or a little shorter for a softer, chewier cookie, if you prefer.
What are the best Add-Ins for Kitchen Sink Cookies?
Here are some of the best add-ins for kitchen sink or compost cookies, divided into salty and sweet, so you can choose your best balance.
Salty Flavors
salted peanuts
salted pretzels
cashews
chopped walnuts
chopped pecans
potato chips
½ to 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
flaky sea salt
cornflakes or other crunchy cereals like rice krispies, captain crunch, or Special K
Sweet Flavors
chopped candy bars
chocolate chunks
cinnamon chips
chocolate dipped pretzels
butterscotch chips
shredded coconut
caramel bits
peanut butter chips
chopped soft caramels
crushed Oreo cookies
M&M's
Substitutions and Variations
- You can try make this recipe with gluten-free flour, gluten-free pretzels, and gluten-free graham crackers for a gluten-free kitchen sink cookie version.
- Go crazy and add your favorite mix-ins to these cookies to make them your own.
- Replace ½ cup of the flour with ½ cup of cocoa powder to the cookie dough to make a chocolate cookie base.
More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love
- Dark Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
- Soft Banana Pudding Cookies
- Frosted Swig Sugar Cookies (Copycat Recipe)
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ranger Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Best Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar (200g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (353g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup crushed pretzels
- 1 cup potato chips
- 4 graham crackers, broken up
- 1 cup toffee bits
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the sugars until they are creamy and combined, about 2-3 minutes using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
- Add in the vanilla and the eggs and beat again, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl until everything is evenly mixed together.
- Stir the flour, salt, and baking soda into the wet ingredients and mix just until they are incorporated. It's okay if a few streaks of flour remain since the dough will continue being mixed together while adding the mix-ins.
- Add the milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, potato chips, graham cracker pieces, and toffee bits into the flour mixture and stir just until evenly distributed.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop balls of cookie dough onto the cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Space them about 1 to 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and set around the edges. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Make Ahead: The cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. When you want to make cookies with it, simply let it come to room temperature, form it into balls, and bake, or shape the cookie dough into balls first before refrigerating and bake immediately when you are ready. You can also freeze the dough to bake much later. To do this, flash-freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and store them in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. To bake from frozen, decrease the baking time to 325°F and increase the baking time to 16-18 minutes.
- Storage: Store your cookies in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag, at room temperature for up to 7 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze baked cookies, once they have completely cooled, in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Put a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each layer of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
- Salty Add-In Ideas: salted peanuts, salted pretzels, cashews, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, potato chips, ½ to 1 cup of old-fashioned oats, flaky sea salt, cornflakes or other crunchy cereals like rice krispies, captain crunch, or Special K.
- Sweet Add-In Ideas: chopped candy bars, chocolate chunks, cinnamon chips, chocolate dipped pretzels, butterscotch chips, shredded coconut, caramel bits, peanut butter chips, chopped soft caramels, crushed Oreo cookies, or M&M's.
- Yield: This recipe makes 18 generous sized cookies, 12 BIG cookies, or 24 small cookies. The nutrition was calculated using an online calculator based on 18 cookies with 1 cookie being a serving, but for the most accurate information I recommend doing your own calculations.
OMG delicious, my family loved them
Not sure where I went wrong but mine are still very much in a ball shape and didn’t settle at all. They still taste delish though.
Two things come to mind when that happens and it could be too much flour or expired baking powder. These two things can make the cookies more compact and dense. You can also flatten the dough down with your hand before baking. Let me know if any of those things help!
Is 353g right on the flour? I always weigh my ap flour at 120g per cup, which works out great. That’s 300g. 353 is closer to 3 cups.
Yes, it's 353 grams. I typically measure my flour at 141 grams per cup when baking cookies for testing purposes because in my experience most bakers don't actually weigh their flour or even spoon and level. And when I looked at sources online I found sources saying 1 cup of flour was 120 grams, 125 grams, 130 grams, and 141 grams. With a lot of testing and measuring myself, I found that when I spoon and level, I get 125 grams per cup and when I scoop I get 141 grams per cup. That might be more of an answer than you were looking for!