These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are everything I love about holiday baking in one chewy, salty-sweet bite. Packed with chocolate, pretzels, potato chips, and festive candies, they bake up with crisp edges and soft centers. Grab a mug of cocoa and let the oven do the holiday magic.
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Salty-sweet perfection with crunchy bits in every bite.
- Ridiculously simple dough that takes well to any mix-in.
- Chill today, bake tomorrow for effortless entertaining.
- Freezer friendly for last-minute cookie trays and gifts.
- Fun for kids to customize with their favorite candies.
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Ingredients & Substitutions
For the cookie dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226 g) – use salted butter and reduce added salt.
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150 g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (330 g)
- 2 tsp cornstarch for extra softness
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt)
Mix-in ideas – aim for about 3 cups total
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup red and green chocolate candies
- 3/4 cup chopped pretzels
- 3/4 cup lightly crushed kettle potato chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or toffee bits
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or chopped cherries
- 1/3 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch
- 2 tbsp holiday sprinkles
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or pistachios
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Simple swaps
- Gluten-free: use a 1:1 baking blend and chill 1 hour.
- Dairy-free: plant-based butter sticks and dairy-free chips.
- Egg-free: 2 flax eggs works, texture will be slightly cakier.
- No pretzels or chips: sub roasted nuts or extra candies.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
1. Preheat and prep
Preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set butter and eggs out if they feel cold.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
3. Cream butter and sugars
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
4. Add eggs and vanilla
Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Mix just until smooth and glossy.
5. Bring the dough together
Add dry ingredients to the wet. Mix on low until only a few flour streaks remain.
6. Fold in the mix-ins
Use a spatula to gently fold in about 3 cups total of your chosen mix-ins. Do not overmix. Save a handful to press on top.
7. Chill the dough
Cover and chill 30 minutes for thick, bakery-style cookies. Overnight is great if you prefer to bake later.
8. Scoop and bake
Scoop 3 tbsp mounds, spacing 2 inches apart. Press a few extra chips or candies on top. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly underdone.
9. Finish and cool
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Cookies will set as they cool.
Tips for Success
- Weigh your flour for best results or lightly spoon into the cup and level.
- Lightly crush chips and pretzels so you get crunch without poking through the dough.
- Chill the dough to control spread, especially with lots of mix-ins.
- Underbake slightly for fudgy centers. The carryover heat finishes the job.
- Bake on parchment, not silicone mats, for the best edges.
Variations of Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Peppermint Mocha: add 1 tsp espresso powder and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, use dark chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
- White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio: swap in 1 cup white chocolate chips, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 3/4 cup chopped pistachios.
- Salted Caramel Pretzel: fold in 1/2 cup toffee bits, 1 cup chopped pretzels, and drizzle baked cookies with warm caramel, finish with flaky salt.
- Gluten-Free M&M: use a 1:1 GF flour blend, gluten-free pretzels, and chill 1 hour before baking.
Serving Suggestions: What to Pair with Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Hot cocoa with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Classic eggnog or a peppermint latte.
- Vanilla ice cream for cookie sandwiches.
- A festive cookie board with shortbread, fudge, and citrus slices.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Room temperature: store in an airtight container up to 4 days, separating layers with parchment.
- Freeze baked cookies: up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or warm 3 to 4 minutes at 300 F.
- Freeze dough balls: scoop, freeze solid, then bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350 F, adding 2 to 3 minutes.
Memories Made Around the Table
Every December we set out bowls of mix-ins and let everyone build their dream cookie. No two trays look the same, but the house always smells like butter and joy.
FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead? Yes. Chill up to 48 hours. Let sit 10 minutes at room temp before scooping if very firm.
How do I keep the chips and pretzels crunchy? Fold them in gently at the end and avoid overmixing. Bake on the middle rack and cool on the sheet before moving.
My cookies spread too much. What happened? Butter may have been too soft or the flour under-measured. Chill longer and be sure to measure flour accurately.
Do I need a mixer? A stand or hand mixer makes creaming easy, but you can use a sturdy spatula and elbow grease. Cream until visibly lighter and fluffy.
Final Thoughts
These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies celebrate all the best bits of the season in one cozy, crowd-pleasing treat. Customize each batch, stash some dough in the freezer, and you will be holiday-ready whenever the cookie craving strikes.
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies: Chewy, Festive, Loaded
Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheet lined with parchment
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 2 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Cookie scoop 3 tbsp
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
For the cookie dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature; use salted butter and reduce added salt
- 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch for extra softness
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.75 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Mix-in ideas - aim for about 3 cups total
- Aim for about 3 cups total of your chosen mix-ins
- 0.75 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 0.75 cup red and green chocolate candies
- 0.75 cup pretzels chopped
- 0.75 cup kettle potato chips lightly crushed
- 0.5 cup white chocolate chips or toffee bits
- 0.5 cup dried cranberries or chopped cherries
- 0.33 cup candy canes or peppermint crunch crushed
- 2 tbsp holiday sprinkles
- 0.5 cup pecans or pistachios chopped, optional
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set butter and eggs out if they feel cold.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Mix just until smooth and glossy.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet. Mix on low until only a few flour streaks remain.
- Use a spatula to gently fold in about 3 cups total of your chosen mix-ins. Do not overmix. Save a handful to press on top.
- Cover and chill 30 minutes for thick, bakery-style cookies. Overnight is great if you prefer to bake later.
- Scoop 3 tbsp mounds, spacing 2 inches apart. Press a few extra chips or candies on top. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly underdone.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Cookies will set as they cool.