Name: Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup salted butter, softened; 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed; 1/4 cup granulated white sugar; 2 egg yolks, at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup red and green M&M's; 1/3 cup white chocolate chips; 1/3 cup pretzel pieces; 1/3 cup potato chip pieces; 2 tbsp red and green jimmies (sprinkles)

There's something magical about biting into a cookie that's packed with all sorts of sweet and salty surprises. That's exactly why I adore this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe—it’s the perfect festive treat filled with colorful candies, crunchy chips, and a dash of holiday cheer you won’t want to miss.

A round white plate is filled with about ten light brown cookies that have a soft, bumpy texture. Each cookie is topped with red and green candy-coated chocolates, small white chocolate chips, green and red sprinkles, and small pieces of pretzels that add a crunchy look. The cookies are arranged on a white marbled surface, with small white bowls around holding red and green candies, pretzels, and white chocolate chips. A red ribbon is placed at the bottom right corner. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I’ve made countless holiday cookies over the years, but this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe always stands out. It’s the combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and colorful that makes these cookies so irresistible and fun, especially when shared around a busy kitchen counter during the holidays.

All-in-One Delight: This recipe truly lives up to its name by tossing in just about everything good—M&M’s, pretzels, potato chips, and more—making every bite a surprise.
Perfect Texture Balance: The mix of soft cookie dough and crunchy mix-ins creates a mouthfeel that keeps you coming back for more.
Festive and Fun: The colors and sprinkles make these cookies a feast for the eyes, perfect for holiday gatherings or gift-giving.
Easy to Customize: Whether you want to swap ingredients or adjust sweetness, this recipe warmly welcomes your creativity.

A close-up view of a soft cookie on a white marbled surface with visible colorful layers including red, green, and white candy pieces mixed inside the light golden brown dough. The cookie has a bite taken out of the right side, showing a soft, slightly crumbly texture inside. On the cookie’s surface, there are small red and green sprinkles and chunks of pretzel adding a crunchy texture. Another whole cookie is blurred in the background, along with scattered red and green candies in a small white bowl. A bright red cloth is partially visible in the lower left corner. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

The magic of this Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe comes from blending traditional cookie basics with unexpected mix-ins. Each ingredient plays a key role, whether it’s adding structure, flavor, or texture, so you get that delightful cookie that’s soft, chewy, yet satisfyingly crispy in spots.

Flat lay of a few chunks of softened salted butter, a small white ceramic bowl filled with light brown sugar, a small white ceramic bowl with granulated white sugar, two whole brown eggs with clean shells, a small white ceramic bowl of vanilla bean paste, a small heap of all-purpose flour, a small pile of baking powder, a small pile of baking soda, a small pile of salt, a small white ceramic bowl of red and green M&M's, a small white ceramic bowl of white chocolate chips, a small white ceramic bowl with pretzel pieces, a small white ceramic bowl filled with potato chip pieces, a small white ceramic bowl holding red and green jimmies placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Salted Butter: Creamed with sugars, it infuses richness and moisture, while the salt enhances all the flavors.
Light Brown Sugar: Adds deep molasses notes and chewiness, making the cookie tender and flavorful.
Granulated White Sugar: Balances sweetness and helps with spreading.
Egg Yolks: Provide richness and help bind everything for that soft texture.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Essential for depth of flavor—vanilla warms the cookie and ties the mix-ins together.
All-Purpose Flour: Gives structure; measuring properly is key so your cookies aren’t dry or tough.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents ensure your cookies rise just enough for softness with a slight crunch on edges.
Salt: A small but crucial ingredient that heightens all the sweetness and mix-in flavors.
Red and Green M&M’s: Bring candy-coated color and chocolate bursts for that festive touch.
White Chocolate Chips: Their creamy sweetness contrasts beautifully with salty bits.
Pretzel Pieces: Introduce a crunchy, salty surprise that offsets the sugary components.
Potato Chip Pieces: Adds a surprising salty crunch that’s downright addictive.
Red and Green Jimmies (Sprinkles): These little sprinkles brighten the cookies visually and deliver fun bursts of texture.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One of my favorite things about the Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe is how easy it is to tweak according to your stash or palette. Over the years, I’ve swapped out ingredients and added new ones to keep it fresh and exciting.

Variation: I once used chopped peppermint bark instead of white chocolate chips, which added a festive minty zing that everyone loved.
Dietary Modification: For a nut-free version, just skip any nuts or use seed-based mix-ins—these cookies don’t need nuts to shine!
Seasonal Swap: You could swap traditional sprinkles for other seasonal colors, or swap M&M’s for mini chocolate chips anytime of year for a non-holiday version.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars

Start by softening your salted butter—room temperature is key here. Then beat it together with the light brown and granulated sugars for about two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. This step makes a big difference in cookie texture, so don’t rush it!

Step 2: Add the Egg Yolks and Vanilla

Mix in your egg yolks one at a time with the vanilla bean paste (or extract) until the batter looks pale and airy—that’s your sign it’s ready for the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients

Whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt separately before folding them into the wet mixture. I always sift or at least stir mine to avoid any lumps. Now mix until just combined—overmixing can make the cookies tough.

Step 4: Fold in the Fun Mix-ins

Gently fold in all your colorful and crunchy mix-ins—M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and sprinkles. Use a spatula to avoid breaking up the candies and chips too much. The anticipation of biting into these surprise pockets is part of the fun!

Step 5: Scoop and Optionally Top with Extra Mix-ins

Scoop out the dough into 20 even balls, spacing them at least 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. If you’re in the mood for a little flair, add a few extra candies or sprinkles on top for that picture-perfect finish.

Step 6: Bake and Shape

Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes—10 if you like a chewy center, 12 for crispier edges. Here’s a trick I swear by: When they come out of the oven, take a large circular cookie cutter and swirl it gently around each cookie. This pushes everything together and shapes the cookies into perfect rounds, just like in the photos.

Step 7: Cool and Enjoy

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This short rest helps them set without losing moisture. Then you’re ready to enjoy a cookie that’s truly packed with festive fun!

Top Tip

Over the years baking these Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies, I’ve learned a few tricks that make all the difference between “meh” and “wow!” I want to share the tips that helped me perfect this cookie and that I hope you’ll find just as valuable in your own kitchen adventures.

Measure Flour Properly: I can’t stress this enough! Always spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping directly. Too much flour and your cookies turn dense and dry—trust me, been there, done that.
Use Egg Yolks Only: The yolks add that extra richness and tenderness. Don’t swap in whole eggs here, as it changes the texture quite a bit.
Swirl with a Cookie Cutter: When the cookies come out hot, pressing around the edges with a circular cutter gives a neat finish and helps hold all those mix-ins together better.
Extra Mix-ins on Top: It’s not just for looks! Placing a few candies and chips on top before baking lets them toast lightly and gives that pop of color and crunch on each cookie surface.

How to Serve Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe

Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I like to keep the garnishes simple: a sprinkling of extra colored jimmies or even a dusting of powdered sugar adds a delicate dusting that’s festive and pretty. Sometimes I pop a few whole M&M’s on top just before serving for freshness and that eye-catching splash of color.

Side Dishes

Serve these cookies alongside a warm mug of peppermint hot chocolate or classic eggnog for a cozy holiday vibe. If you’re hosting, a platter with these cookies paired with spiced cider or coffee always goes down well.

Creative Ways to Present

I once set up a holiday cookie platter featuring these cookies nestled among mini gingerbread men and candy canes, with little festive flags stuck into some cookies for a playful touch. They also make charming gifts—just stack a few in a holiday box with tissue paper and a cute ribbon.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I store leftover Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay surprisingly fresh for up to three days—sometimes I forget about them because they disappear so fast!

Freezing

These cookies freeze beautifully. I usually freeze the unbaked dough balls on a tray first, then transfer them to a freezer bag so I can bake fresh cookies whenever the mood strikes. Baked cookies can be frozen too, just make sure they're wrapped well to avoid drying out.

Reheating

To refresh frozen baked cookies, pop them in a preheated 300°F oven for 5 minutes. This warms them through nicely while restoring a bit of that original crispness. Avoid microwaving if you want to keep the texture just right.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use whole eggs instead of just egg yolks in this recipe?

Using only egg yolks is important here because they add richness and help keep the cookies tender. Whole eggs have more moisture and protein, which could make the cookies cakier and less chewy.

Why do my cookies spread too much or become too flat?

Usually, this happens if the dough is too warm or if the flour is under-measured. Make sure your butter is softened but not melting, and always measure your flour by spooning and leveling, not scooping. Chilling your cookie dough for 15-30 minutes can also help control spreading.

Can I substitute the M&M’s or chips with other mix-ins?

Definitely! This recipe is very forgiving. Feel free to use different candies, nuts, dried fruits, or even different types of chips depending on what you have on hand. Just try to keep a good balance of sweet and salty for that signature flavor.

How do I get perfectly round cookies like in the photos?

My secret is to use a large circular cookie cutter right after baking while the cookies are still warm. Gently swirl the cutter around each cookie to push the edges together into a perfect circle. It’s a simple trick that really lifts the presentation!

Final Thoughts

This Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe has become one of my most cherished holiday traditions. It’s easy to make, looks festive, and invites so many joyful moments—whether you’re baking with kids, bringing them to a cookie exchange, or just sneaking one straight from the cooling rack. I promise if you give this recipe a try, you’ll keep it in rotation all year round. Happy baking!