Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies – The Ultimate Sweet & Salty Holiday Treat

If you’re the kind of baker who believes more is more, then you’re about to fall in love with Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies. These festive, over-the-top treats are jam-packed with everything but the kitchen sink — chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, toffee bits, red and green M&Ms, and a pinch of salt for that irresistible sweet-and-salty balance.

They’re the perfect cookies for the holiday season — rich, chewy, loaded with texture, and bursting with festive color. Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, filling holiday tins, or leaving a few for Santa, these cookies will earn you “best baker” status at every celebration.

Why You’ll Love Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

• Sweet Meets Salty: Every bite has the perfect combination of chewy, crunchy, salty, and sweet.
• No Fancy Tools Needed: A bowl, a spoon, and a baking sheet — that’s all it takes.
• Perfect for Customizing: Toss in whatever you have — white chocolate, peanut butter chips, or crushed potato chips!
• Holiday-Ready: Red and green M&Ms make them instantly Christmas-perfect.
• Crowd-Pleaser: Great for gifting, parties, and dessert platters.

Ingredients

Cookie Dough Base:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-Ins (the fun part!):

• 1 cup red and green M&Ms (holiday mix)
• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup crushed pretzels
• ½ cup toffee bits
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips (optional)
• Sea salt flakes for topping (optional but amazing)

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven:
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients:
   In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugars:
   In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
4. Add Eggs and Vanilla:
   Mix in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
5. Combine Wet and Dry:
   Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
6. Add the Fun Stuff:
   Fold in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, toffee bits, and white chocolate chips. The dough should look chunky and full of mix-ins.
7. Scoop and Shape:
   Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
8. Top and Bake:
   Press a few extra M&Ms or pretzel bits on top for that bakery-style look. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centers are still soft.
9. Cool and Set:
   Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt if desired.
10. Enjoy!
    Pour yourself a glass of milk (or hot cocoa) and enjoy these sweet-and-salty wonders warm from the oven.

Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

Loaded with chocolate chips, M&Ms, pretzels, and toffee bits, these Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are the ultimate sweet and salty holiday treat.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings: 24 cookies

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Christmas

Calories: 240

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Cookie Dough

• 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs large
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-ins

• 1 cup red and green M&Ms holiday mix
• 0.75 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 0.5 cup crushed pretzels
• 0.5 cup toffee bits
• 0.25 cup white chocolate chips optional
• sea salt flakes for topping, optional

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Baking sheets
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Wire rack

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
6. Fold in M&Ms, chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, toffee bits, and white chocolate chips.
7. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
8. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are golden. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
9. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

These cookies freeze beautifully and are ideal for cookie swaps or gift boxes.

Tips for the Best Kitchen Sink Cookies

• Don’t Overbake: The cookies continue to bake slightly on the tray after being removed from the oven.
• Chill for Thicker Cookies: If you prefer thicker cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
• Balance the Mix-ins: Avoid overloading with salty ingredients or the cookies may become too brittle.
• Use Room-Temperature Butter: Helps create that perfect soft and chewy texture.
• Add Drizzle: Drizzle melted chocolate or white chocolate over cooled cookies for an extra festive finish.

Variations to Try

• Peanut Butter Version: Add ½ cup peanut butter chips or a swirl of peanut butter to the dough.
• S’mores Style: Add mini marshmallows and graham cracker chunks for a campfire holiday twist.
• Caramel Craze: Mix in caramel bits and drizzle with caramel sauce once cooled.
• Mint Chocolate: Add chopped Andes mints for a refreshing minty touch.
• Gluten-Free: Substitute gluten-free flour and pretzels — the results are still amazing!

Serving Ideas

• Serve these cookies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cookie skillet dessert.
• Package them in festive tins for homemade Christmas gifts.
• Add them to a cookie exchange tray — they’ll disappear first!
• Crumble one over peppermint ice cream for a decadent sundae topping.

Fun Holiday Fact

Did you know the term “kitchen sink cookies” started in bakeries that used leftover mix-ins from other treats? Instead of wasting them, bakers would toss everything into one dough — and to their surprise, customers loved it! The name stuck, and now “everything but the kitchen sink” cookies are a holiday tradition for creative bakers.

Storage Tips

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freezer-Friendly: Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months; thaw before serving.
• Make-Ahead Dough: Freeze cookie dough balls, then bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time.

Why These Cookies Are the Best Holiday Bake

Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies aren’t just a dessert — they’re an experience. Each bite brings a new texture and flavor, from melty chocolate to crunchy pretzels to chewy toffee. They perfectly capture the joy of the holidays: warm, comforting, colorful, and full of surprises.

Whether you’re baking solo or turning it into a family event, this recipe promises laughter, sweet smells wafting through the kitchen, and cookies that’ll vanish faster than wrapping paper on Christmas morning.

Conclusion

Make this holiday season extra special with Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies — a delightful mix of everything festive and fun. Perfectly chewy, sweet, and salty, they’re proof that sometimes throwing “everything but the kitchen sink” into your baking bowl is exactly what Christmas magic tastes like.

So grab your apron, heat up your oven, and bake up some joy — one cookie at a time.