Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are the ultimate holiday treat—soft, chewy, colorful, and packed with everything delicious “but the kitchen sink.” These cookies combine salty, sweet, crunchy, and gooey ingredients to create a festive cookie bursting with texture and holiday flavor in every bite. Think chocolate chips, pretzels, sprinkles, toffee bits, M&Ms, and anything else your Christmas baking spirit desires. They’re fun, customizable, and perfect for cookie exchanges, Christmas Eve baking, festive gifting, or filling your holiday dessert trays with something bold and playful. If you love fully loaded cookies packed with character and color, these Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies will become a yearly favorite.
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
You’ll love these cookies because they’re everything you want in a holiday dessert—soft centers, crispy edges, melty chocolate, and crunchy mix-ins that make every bite exciting. They’re customizable, kid-friendly, and practically guaranteed to wow anyone who tries them. The dough is simple to make, and the recipe is forgiving, so you can swap ingredients depending on what you have in your pantry. Plus, they stay soft for days, making them perfect for gifting and holiday prep.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
If you enjoy festive, fully loaded cookies with tons of flavor, this recipe is a must. It gives you the freedom to add your favorite holiday candies, salty elements for balance, and colorful sprinkles for a cheerful finish. They also freeze beautifully and ship well, making them ideal for holiday cookie boxes. The dough requires no complicated steps, yet the final cookies look bakery-worthy and festive.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Cookie Dough
● 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
● 1 cup brown sugar
● ½ cup granulated sugar
● 2 large eggs
● 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
● 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
● 1 teaspoon baking soda
● ½ teaspoon baking powder
● 1 teaspoon salt
Mix-Ins (Customize as desired)
● ¾ cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)
● ½ cup holiday M&Ms
● ½ cup crushed pretzels
● ½ cup toffee bits
● ¼ cup white chocolate chips
● ¼ cup red and green sprinkles
● Optional: mini marshmallows (add during last 2 minutes of baking)
How to Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies (Step-by-Step)
1. Cream the Butter and Sugars
Beat the softened butter with both sugars until light, fluffy, and creamy. This step builds the soft base of the cookies.
2. Add Eggs and Vanilla
Mix in the eggs one at a time, then blend in the vanilla. The dough will look glossy and well-emulsified.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
4. Bring the Dough Together
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low until the dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies soft.
5. Fold in All Mix-Ins
Gently fold in chocolate chips, M&Ms, pretzels, toffee bits, sprinkles, and any additional holiday add-ins you love.
6. Chill the Dough
Refrigerate the dough for 30–60 minutes. Chilling helps control spreading and improves the chewy texture.
7. Scoop and Bake
Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes or until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
8. Cool and Serve
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet to finish setting before transferring them to a rack. Add a few extra chocolate chips on top for a bakery finish.
Nutritional Information (Approx. Per Cookie)
Calories: 210
Fat: 10g
Carbs: 28g
Sugar: 18g
Protein: 2g
Tips for the Best Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Use room-temperature butter for the best texture.
- Chill the dough to control spreading.
- Use jimmies sprinkles to avoid bleeding.
- Fold in mini marshmallows at the end of baking to prevent melting.
- Press extra mix-ins on top before baking.
- Don’t overbake—slightly underbaked gives soft centers.
- Chop pretzels small for even distribution.
- Use toffee bits for caramel flavor.
- Mix textures: chocolate, crunch, chew.
- Let cookies cool fully to set the shape.
Variations & Substitutions
● Peppermint Kitchen Sink Cookies: Add crushed candy canes.
● White Chocolate Cranberry Version: Add dried cranberries + white chocolate.
● Salted Caramel Edition: Add caramel bits and flaky salt.
● Peanut Butter Version: Add peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts.
● Hot Chocolate Cookies: Add cocoa + marshmallows.
● Funfetti Christmas: Add extra sprinkles and white chocolate.
● Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
● Nutty Version: Add chopped pecans or walnuts.
What to Serve With Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
These cookies pair wonderfully with:
● Hot cocoa or peppermint mocha
● Eggnog
● Chai latte or Christmas coffee blends
● Ice cream for a warm-and-cold dessert
● Holiday cookie boards
● Edible gift baskets
● Christmas brunch spreads
They’re also ideal for Santa cookie plates on Christmas Eve.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
● Overbaking the cookies
● Using too many wet mix-ins
● Skipping the chilling step
● Adding sprinkles that bleed color
● Overmixing the dough after flour is added
Storing Tips for the Recipe
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 4–5 days.
Refrigerator: Keeps up to 1 week.
Freezer (Baked): Freeze for 2–3 months; thaw at room temperature.
Freezer (Cookie Dough Balls): Freeze up to 3 months and bake from frozen—add 1–2 minutes.
To Keep Soft: Place a slice of bread in the container.
Conclusion
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are festive, colorful, and packed with flavor—combining holiday sweetness with crunchy, salty elements for the ultimate Christmas cookie experience. They’re fun to make, easy to customize, and perfect for cookie trays, parties, gifting, and cozy December baking. Once you try them, they’ll become part of your yearly holiday traditions.
Recipe FAQ’s
- Why are they called “kitchen sink” cookies? Because you add everything but the kitchen sink!
- Can I use nonpareil sprinkles? Avoid them—they bleed color.
- Can I reduce the sugar? Yes, reduce by ¼ cup without issues.
- Can kids help make them? Absolutely—mix-ins make it fun.
- Why did my cookies spread too much? Dough wasn’t chilled long enough.
- Can I use a stand mixer? Yes, but fold mix-ins by hand.
- How do I make them thicker? Chill longer or add 2 tbsp flour.
- Can I use salted butter? Yes—reduce salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- Do they freeze well? Both dough and baked cookies freeze perfectly.
- Can I double the recipe? Yes, it scales beautifully.