Name: Kitchen Sink Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 34 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter - for browning; 1 cup Light Brown Sugar - packed; 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar; 2 Large Eggs - room temperature; 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract; 2 cups All-Purpose Flour - spooned and leveled; 1 teaspoon Baking Soda; 1/2 teaspoon Salt; 1 cup Old-Fashioned Oats; 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips; 3/4 cup Pretzels - small twists, broken into pieces; 3/4 cup Potato Chips - regular salted, crushed; 1/2 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut - toasted

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These kitchen sink cookies pack chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, oats, and coconut into one seriously loaded treat that hits every craving at once. Salty meets sweet meets crunchy meets chewy in cookies so stuffed with mix-ins, you’ll find something different in every bite.

Quick Summary

This is the cookie you make when you can’t decide what you want—or when you want it all. Simple brown butter base, no chilling required, and ready in under 40 minutes. These everything cookies prove that sometimes more is actually more, especially when you’re dealing with the perfect balance of textures and flavors.

Why This Recipe Works

Brown butter base adds deep, nutty flavor that stands up to all the mix-ins without getting lost
Mix of textures creates interest—chewy oats, crunchy pretzels, crispy chips, soft chocolate, and toasted coconut
Strategic salt balance from pretzels and potato chips enhances the chocolate without making cookies taste overly salty
Thick dough consistency holds all the mix-ins together and prevents spreading, resulting in thick, bakery-style cookies
No chilling needed because the brown butter firms up enough as it cools to create the right dough consistency

Ingredient Notes

Unsalted Butter – Brown it for that nutty, caramelized flavor that gives these cookies depth. Let it cool for 10 minutes before mixing.

Light Brown Sugar – More than granulated sugar here creates chewiness and adds molasses notes that complement the brown butter.

Granulated Sugar – Just enough for structure and those crackled tops without making cookies too sweet.

Eggs – Room temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the cooled brown butter.

Vanilla Extract – Balances all the competing flavors and ties everything together.

All-Purpose Flour – The foundation that holds this loaded dough together. Spoon and level for accuracy.

Baking Soda – Creates lift and those beautiful crackled edges.

Salt – Less than typical since the pretzels and chips add saltiness throughout.

Old-Fashioned Oats – Add chewiness and hearty texture. Don’t use quick oats—they’ll disappear into the dough.

Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet or dark chocolate works best. Milk chocolate gets too sweet with all the other add-ins.

Pretzels – Use the small twist pretzels broken into pieces. They add crunch and that essential salty contrast.

Potato Chips – Regular salted chips (not kettle-cooked or thick-cut). Crush them into small pieces but leave some larger shards for texture.

Sweetened Shredded Coconut – Toasting it first intensifies the flavor and keeps it from getting soggy in the dough.

How to Make Kitchen Sink Cookies

Brown the Butter

Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat so you can see the color change. Stir constantly as it foams and bubbles. After 5-7 minutes, you’ll see brown bits forming at the bottom and smell a nutty, toasted aroma. Immediately pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl (including all those flavorful brown bits) and let it cool for 10 minutes until it’s warm but not hot.

Toast the Coconut

While the butter cools, spread shredded coconut on a small baking sheet. Toast at 350°F for 3-4 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden brown in spots. Watch closely—coconut burns quickly. Set aside to cool.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Whisk together the cooled brown butter with both sugars until smooth and glossy—about 1 minute. The mixture should look like wet sand with no visible sugar granules. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla until everything is silky and emulsified.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add this to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula just until a few flour streaks remain. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.

Add All the Mix-Ins

Fold in the oats first until distributed evenly. Then add chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, crushed potato chips, and toasted coconut all at once. Fold gently but thoroughly with about 10-12 strokes—you want everything distributed without overworking the dough. The dough should be absolutely packed with mix-ins.

Shape and Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon portions (about the size of a large golf ball). Press a few extra mix-ins into the top of each cookie for that loaded, bakery-style look. Place them 3 inches apart—these cookies spread moderately. Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are golden brown and set but centers still look slightly soft and underbaked.

Cool Properly

Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They’ll continue setting from residual heat and firm up enough to move. Transfer to a cooling rack where they’ll finish developing that perfect chewy-crispy texture with all the mix-ins intact.

Pro Tip

Don’t skip browning the butter. That nutty, caramelized flavor is what prevents these cookies from tasting like a confused mess. It creates a cohesive base that makes all the random mix-ins taste intentional and balanced.

Expert Tips

Visual doneness check: Edges should be deep golden brown and fully set, but centers will still look puffy and slightly underbaked. If the whole cookie looks done, you’ve overbaked—they’ll be crunchy instead of chewy.
Texture validation: A cooled cookie should have crispy edges with a soft, chewy center that has distinct pockets of different textures from all the mix-ins. If it’s uniformly crunchy, reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes.
Mix-in distribution: When folding, use a lifting and turning motion rather than stirring. This distributes everything evenly without crushing the chips or breaking down the dough structure.
Size matters: Larger cookies (3 tablespoons) work better here because they have enough surface area to showcase all the different mix-ins. Smaller cookies get too crowded and don’t bake evenly.
Chip selection: Use regular thin potato chips, not kettle or thick-cut. Thick chips don’t integrate well and can make cookies taste too salty in concentrated spots.

Storage & Freezing

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The pretzels and chips will soften slightly but maintain enough crunch to provide texture contrast.

Freezer (Baked): Cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer bag with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes or warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.

Freezer (Dough): Scoop cookie dough into portions and freeze on a baking sheet until solid (about 2 hours). Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

FAQ

Can I use different mix-ins? Absolutely—that’s the point of kitchen sink cookies. Keep the ratios similar: roughly 2 cups total mix-ins. Try M&Ms, toffee bits, dried cranberries, or chopped nuts. Just maintain the balance of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy elements.

Why do my cookies taste too salty? You likely used kettle-cooked or heavily salted chips. Stick with regular thin chips and regular twist pretzels. Also check that you didn’t accidentally add the full amount of salt listed—with pretzels and chips, you need less added salt than typical cookies.

Can I skip browning the butter? You can use melted butter instead, but the cookies will lack that deep, nutty flavor that makes this recipe special. Brown butter is what elevates these from chaotic to intentional.

Do I need to toast the coconut? Yes. Raw coconut gets soggy and contributes an off, slightly chewy-weird texture. Toasted coconut stays crisp and adds actual flavor. It takes 4 minutes and makes a noticeable difference.

Why did my cookies spread too much? Your brown butter was likely still too warm when you mixed it. Make sure it cools for the full 10 minutes. Also, these cookies need that 3-inch spacing—any closer and they’ll merge together.