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Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies – Sweet, Salty & Festive

These Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies are everything joyful about the holidays, all in one cookie. They're soft, chewy, buttery, and packed with festive goodies — red and green M&M’s, white chocolate chips, crunchy pretzels, salty potato chips, and colorful holiday sprinkles. The magic of these cookies is the sweet + salty combo. The brown sugar makes them warm and chewy, the pretzels and chips add crunch, and the candies bring bright bursts of chocolate and holiday cheer. Every bite is slightly different — fun, playful, cozy, and absolutely irresistible. Bake these cookies for: Christmas cookie exchanges School or work treats Holiday movie nights Gifts for friends & neighbors Just because the season deserves joy ✨ They’re festive, easy to make, and guaranteed to disappear fast.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 12 minutes
bake time 13 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup red & green M&M’s
  • ½ cup pretzels crushed into small pieces
  • ⅓ cup potato chips lightly crushed
  • 2 tablespoons holiday sprinkles jimmies work best

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Hand mixer or whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

Step 1:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2:
  1. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy and smooth.
Step 3:
  1. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
Step 4:
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 5:
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula to form cookie dough.
  2. (Do not overmix — this keeps cookies soft.)
Step 6:
  1. Fold in the white chocolate chips, M&M’s, pretzels, potato chips, and holiday sprinkles.
  2. Stir just enough to distribute them evenly.
Step 7:
  1. Scoop the dough into balls and place on your baking sheet, leaving space between cookies.
Step 8:
  1. Press a few extra M&M’s and sprinkle pieces on top for the festive bakery look.
Step 9:
  1. Bake for 9–13 minutes, just until the edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone.
Step 10:
  1. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.

Notes

🧊 Storage & Reheating
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 days.
Freeze dough balls for 2 months — bake from frozen, add 1–2 minutes.
Warm baked cookies in microwave 6 seconds for soft centers.
🥄 Variations
Chocolate Lovers: Add ½ cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
Extra Festive: Use holiday-themed sprinkles + dark chocolate drizzle.
Loaded Version: Add ½ cup mini marshmallows after baking.
Salt Explosion: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top right after baking.
❓ 10 FAQs
Can I swap the white chocolate for another chocolate?
Yes — milk or dark chocolate works too.
Can I leave out the potato chips?
Yes, but they add great crunch.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
Yes — use a 1:1 gluten-free blend.
Can I chill the dough?
Optional, but chilling 20 minutes makes thicker cookies.
Why press extra candy on top before baking?
It makes the cookies look bakery-style and festive.
Can kids help make these?
Absolutely — it’s a fun mix-every-fun-thing-in recipe.
Can I use mini pretzels or sticks?
Yes — just crush them into small pieces.
Can I make jumbo cookies?
Yes — bake 2–4 minutes longer.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
Dough or butter was too warm — chill dough briefly.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes — reduce salt to ¼ teaspoon.
🏁 Conclusion
These Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies are sweet, salty, colorful, cozy, and just plain happy. Every bite has crunch, chocolate, sprinkles, and soft cookie goodness — like holiday magic wrapped into one warm bite.
Bake them for the holidays.
Bake them for joy.
Bake them because this season is meant to be shared