There’s something incredibly fun about a cookie that genuinely lives up to its name — packed with everything but the kitchen sink. This Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe is a festive, colorful explosion of flavors and textures that always brings smiles at my holiday gatherings.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I've been making this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe every holiday season because it’s just so darn satisfying. It’s the perfect mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy all in one bite. Plus, it’s a crowd-pleaser that’s fun to share with friends and family.
- All-in-one cookie magic: This recipe packs in M&M's, white chocolate, pretzels, potato chips, and festive sprinkles, making every bite a surprise.
- Perfect texture balance: Soft centers and crisp edges create a cookie that’s irresistibly chewy and crunchy.
- Easy to customize: You can switch up the mix-ins depending on what you have on hand or your holiday theme.
- Great for gifting or sharing: These cookies hold their shape well and look beautiful on cookie platters or wrapped up as gifts.

Ingredients & Why They Work
The ingredients in this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe come together to create a cookie that’s traditional with a twist. The mix of sweet, salty, and crunchy elements plays off each other perfectly, and the dry ingredients help the cookie hold together without losing softness.

- Salted butter: Provides richness and moisture while balancing sweetness with a touch of salt.
- Light brown sugar: Adds chewiness and a deep caramel flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Helps cookies spread and crisp slightly at the edges.
- Egg yolks: Makes the cookies tender and gives richness without too much rise.
- Vanilla bean paste or extract: Infuses warm, classic flavor to tie all the ingredients together.
- All-purpose flour: The base that gives structure but not too tough a bite; spoon and level to avoid heavy dough.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Works together to create lightness and just enough rise.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors, especially in combination with the sweet mix-ins.
- Red and green M&M's: Adds festive color and a sweet candy crunch.
- White chocolate chips: Melt into gooey pockets of sweetness throughout the cookie.
- Pretzel pieces: Bring in a salty crunch that contrasts beautifully with the sweeter ingredients.
- Potato chip pieces: Surprise salty crunch that many don’t expect but absolutely love.
- Red and green jimmies (sprinkles): Give a cheerful, holiday look and just a little extra texture.
Make It Your Way
I love switching up this recipe depending on what mix-ins feel festive or what I have on hand. It’s really forgiving, so don’t be shy about making it your own — it's all about that joy of discovery in every bite.
- Variation: One year I swapped the potato chips for crushed candy canes. It added a minty sparkle that was a real hit at my holiday office party.
- Dietary swap: You can substitute the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend if you're baking for sensitive friends — just keep an eye on the texture.
- Seasonal twists: Try adding dried cranberries or chopped nuts for a slightly different festive flavor.
- Texture tweaks: Adding an extra egg yolk can make cookies even more tender if you prefer chewy cookies.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars Until Fluffy
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, in a large bowl, beat the softened salted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar using an electric mixer. Go for about two minutes until the mixture is light and beautifully fluffy — this makes a huge difference in cookie texture, so be patient!
Step 2: Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla for That Rich Base
Next, add your egg yolks one at a time and the vanilla bean paste or extract. Mix on medium speed for another two minutes until the batter turns pale and has even more volume. This helps build a tender, luxurious cookie base.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients and Mix Carefully
Mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Slowly add this to your wet ingredients and mix just until everything comes together—don’t overmix or your cookies might toughen up.
Step 4: Fold in the Fun Mix-Ins
Here’s where the magic happens: gently fold in your M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and festive red and green jimmies. Using a spatula helps keep those chunks from breaking down too much, preserving the fantastic texture contrast.
Step 5: Scoop, Optional Toppings, and Bake
Scoop the dough into roughly 20 balls, leaving about two inches between each on your prepared baking sheets. I like to press a few extra mix-ins on top to make the cookies look even more festive—optional, but it elevates the presentation.
Bake for 10-12 minutes: 10 if you want soft, chewy centers, or up to 12 for edges that have a delightful snap.
Step 6: Shape While Warm and Cool Properly
Right after they come out of the oven, I use a large round cookie cutter to swirl around each cookie, pushing the mix-ins into a neat circle — it’s a little trick I’ve learned to get those picture-perfect shapes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before moving them to a rack for another 10 minutes so they set just right.
Top Tip
Over the years, mixing everything together has taught me some valuable tricks that really helped the final cookie turn out delightful every time.
- Proper flour measuring: Don’t scoop your flour with the measuring cup—it packs too much. Instead, spoon it gently into the cup and level it off with a knife. This simple tip stopped my cookies from turning out dry and crumbly.
- Use egg yolks only: I’ve noticed that skipping egg whites keeps the texture tender and chewy without too much puffing.
- Fold gently: When adding mix-ins, fold with a spatula instead of stirring too much. It keeps the cookies looking colorful and deliciously chunky.
- Shape while warm: Swirling the cookie cutter when cookies are hot prevents irregular shapes and keeps the mix-ins perfectly nestled.
How to Serve Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe

Garnishes
I love keeping it simple with a sprinkle of extra festive jimmies or even a pinch of flaky sea salt on top just after baking. It adds a subtle shimmer and a little salty punch that truly complements the sweetness and crunch.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair wonderfully with a cold glass of milk or a warm cup of peppermint tea. If you’re serving these at a holiday party, try alongside spiced hot chocolate or mulled wine for an extra cozy vibe.
Creative Ways to Present
One year, I stacked them in a festive tin with layers of parchment and tied it up with ribbon — it made a perfect DIY gift. Another time, I served them on a platter arranged like a Christmas wreath with sprigs of rosemary and cranberries for a rustic touch everyone admired.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I usually keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh and chewy for up to three days — if you can resist eating them all immediately!
Freezing
This Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe freezes beautifully. I freeze the dough balls on a tray first, then pop them into a freezer bag. When I’m ready for fresh cookies, I just bake them straight from frozen with an extra minute or two of baking time.
Reheating
If you have any leftovers, reheating in a warm oven (about 300°F for 3-5 minutes) helps revive that fresh-baked texture. Microwaving quickly can soften them too much, so I avoid that when I want to keep the crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Regular milk or dark chocolate chips will work just as well and add a richer chocolate flavor. It’s all about your preference and what you love.
Using egg yolks alone keeps these cookies extra tender and rich without making them rise too much, which helps maintain that chewy texture we all adore in this recipe.
Yes! You can prepare the dough a day ahead, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge. This actually helps enhance the flavors and makes the dough easier to scoop later.
No worries! You can substitute with other crunchy snacks like crushed corn nuts, crispy cereal, or even chopped nuts to maintain that pleasant contrast of textures.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe never fails to bring warmth and a bit of surprise to every holiday moment we share them. It’s that magical kind of cookie you want to make again and again because it combines family-favorite ingredients into one festive, fun package. I can’t wait for you to try it and see how it adds a little extra sparkle to your celebrations.
Print
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are festive, colorful, and packed with a delightful mix of M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and sprinkles. Perfect for the holiday season, these chewy, buttery cookies combine sweet and salty flavors with a chewy center and crisp edges, making them an irresistible treat for cookie lovers of all ages.
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
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, add the softened salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream them together for two minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste or extract on medium speed for two minutes, or until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined with no visible flour.
- Fold in Mix-ins: Gently fold in the M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and red and green jimmies using a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Scoop Dough: Scoop the dough into 20 balls and arrange them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Optionally, add a few extra mix-ins on top of the dough balls for a decorative touch.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes for crisper edges or 10 minutes for chewier centers.
- Shape Cookies (Optional): When cookies come out of the oven, use a large circular cookie cutter to swirl around each cookie to form perfect circles and help push the ingredients together.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely for another 10 minutes.
- Store: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.
Notes
- Measure your flour properly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling with a knife, or ideally weigh it to avoid using too much flour. One cup equals 125 grams.
- Adding extra mix-ins on top of the cookie dough balls before baking is optional but makes the cookies look festive and attractive.
- Using a cookie cutter on freshly baked cookies helps create a uniform shape and keeps mix-ins neatly packed.
- For chewier cookies, bake 10 minutes; for crisper edges, bake 12 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg


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