Kitchen Sink Cookies Recipe: Chocolate, Nuts & Candy

I call these my Kitchen Sink Cookies because the dough is a flexible base that welcomes all kinds of mix-ins. They’re easy to make and perfect for stuffing with chocolate, nuts, salty bits, or anything else you love—think of them as a delicious way to use up pantry odds and ends.

Sometimes I add potato chip crumbs for an extra salty crunch or try different specialty baking chips. The dough is forgiving, so you can experiment freely.

Ingredients

Below is the combination I use most often. It makes a rich, balanced cookie with a mix of sweet, nutty and salty elements—pretzels are a favorite for contrast, but feel free to swap them for chips or other crunchy bits.

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions.

I recently discovered a favorite chocolate bar that worked especially well in these cookies; using bar chocolate and chopping it into chunks gives you beautiful melted pools on top of each cookie.

Method

Start by browning the butter and allowing it to cool. When butter browns some water evaporates, so measure the finished liquid and add a little neutral oil back in until the total fat equals 1 cup (this keeps the dough texture consistent).

Let the butter cool until it’s room temperature and nearly solidified. Beat the cooled butter with the sugars until light and fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until most of the flour is incorporated—stop while a few streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chunks, nuts, and crushed pretzels or chips. I like to reserve a few larger chocolate pieces to press onto the tops of the dough rounds before baking so each cookie gets a glossy chocolate puddle.

Portion the dough into the size you prefer; I make larger cookies and use a 2-ounce scoop for uniform patties. Arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet, about 3 inches apart, press a few reserved chocolate chunks on top, and bake until they are just set and lightly golden at the edges.

The brown butter adds a toasty, nutty depth that balances the sweetness so the cookies taste decadent without being cloying.

Notes & Tips

Browning butter: use a skillet and stir frequently to prevent hot spots and burning. Remove from the heat as soon as the butter turns golden since carryover heat will continue to brown it briefly.

For glossy chocolate pools on top of your cookies, chop a chocolate bar into chunks. Fold most of the chunks into the dough and press a few larger pieces onto each cookie before baking.

Cream the cooled butter and sugars for about 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy; this aeration helps create a tender cookie. Be mindful of butter temperature—ingredients should generally be at room temperature. If your kitchen is cold, aim for butter that is slightly softer so it blends easily with the sugar.

Substitutions

Swap light brown sugar for dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.

Use your preferred chocolate bar—plain or nutty bars both work well. If you prefer other nuts, substitute pecans and peanuts with walnuts, almonds, or none at all.

Pretzels can be replaced with crushed potato chips for a different salty note; using the crumbs at the bottom of a chip bag is a great way to make these cookies even more economical.

Recipe

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Yield: 24, 2-ounce cookies  |  Prep Time: 40 minutes  |  Cook Time: 15 minutes  |  Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned
• Neutral oil, as needed to reach 1 cup fat after browning
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 ounces chocolate bar, chopped into large chunks
• ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• ½ cup peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup pretzels, lightly crushed

Instructions

1. Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the foam subsides and the butter turns golden. Remove from heat.
2. Pour the browned butter into a heat-proof measuring cup. Add neutral oil until the liquid measures 1 cup total. Stir and let cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes).
3. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Chop the chocolate and nuts; reserve a few larger chocolate chunks for topping the cookies before baking.
5. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cooled butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla for about 30 seconds.
6. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix gently until almost combined and a few streaks of flour remain.
7. Fold in chocolate (reserving some chunks), pecans, peanuts, and pretzels. Mix briefly until no flour streaks remain.
8. Scoop 2-ounce portions onto baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Press reserved chocolate chunks on top of each cookie.
9. Bake 13–15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the edges are lightly golden and centers are set.
10. Cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per cookie)

Calories: 265 • Total Fat: 15g • Saturated Fat: 7g • Unsaturated Fat: 6g • Cholesterol: 39mg • Sodium: 242mg • Carbohydrates: 31g • Fiber: 1g • Sugar: 16g • Protein: 4g

Estimated values—actual numbers may vary based on specific ingredients used.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment or share a photo on social media. I love seeing how people customize their own versions of these Kitchen Sink Cookies.