These Kitchen Sink Cookies are the ultimate sweet and salty cookie with crispy buttery edges and soft chewy centers. The brown butter base tastes nutty and rich, and the mix of salty pretzels, crunchy potato chips, toffee bits, gooey caramel, and two kinds of chocolate hits every craving at once.
I’ve been chasing the perfect Kitchen Sink Cookie recipe for years, and this is finally the one. The brown butter gives them this nutty, almost caramel-like depth, but it’s the contrast of the sweet and salty mix-ins that really wins people over.
The reason it took me so many tries? Getting those crispy edges with chewy centers after loading the dough with so many fillings. The fix turned out to be two small things… Chilling the dough for just 30 minutes AND weighing my flour (a single cup can vary by 30 grams depending on how you scoop).
That butter-to-flour ratio is everything in a cookie like this. So while I included the cup measurements as well, I highly suggest breaking out your kitchen scale. I promise it’s worth it!
— ♥︎ Jess —
Visit the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full directions.
1
BROWN THE BUTTER
Follow my directions for how to brown butter, then set it aside to cool for 20 minutes. While it cools, I measure out the rest of my ingredients.
2
MIX THE DOUGH
Stir the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together just until there are no more streaks of flour. Then fold in the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, toffee bits, pretzels, potato chips, and caramel pieces.
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3
SCOOP AND CHILL
I save a small handful of the mix-ins and press them onto the dough balls right before chilling. That’s the secret to making them look like they came from a bakery.
4
BAKE THE COOKIES
Bake one sheet at a time, with only 6 cookies per sheet, on the middle rack only. I know, it’s a pain, but if you crowd the cookies it messes with the spread.
I like to use Werther’s soft caramels, cutting each candy piece into 4ths for the perfect caramel-to-cookie ratio. They’re soft enough to slice with a butter knife, and they keep that soft and chewy texture. However, they can also melt out the side of the dough as it bakes.
If you are worried about that, you can skip mixing the caramel into the dough. Instead, press one or two caramel pieces only on the very TOP of the dough balls. I like to do a mixture of the two, a little caramel in the cookies and more on top.
Kraft caramels will also work, but they don’t stay soft after baking. You can also use caramel bits, but the texture won’t be quite as gooey. If you can find Werther’s, they really are the best option!
Recipe Help – Frequently Asked Questions
Technically no, but I really, really recommend it. Brown butter adds a nutty, toasty flavor that makes a huge difference. It’s the one step I’d never skip. If you choose to use regular melted butter instead, only use 180 grams of butter (about 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) as some of the butter evaporates when you brown it.
I don’t recommend it. The pretzels and potato chips absorb moisture from the raw dough and lose their crunch when thawed. Freezing the baked cookies works much better, and they reheat beautifully in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Most likely the dough wasn’t chilled long enough OR the brown butter was still warm when you mixed it in. The 30-minute chill is non-negotiable for getting the slightly thick but still chewy texture, and the browned butter should be cooled before being mixed into the dough.
Usually too much flour (always weigh if you can), or the dough was over-chilled. Anything past 30 minutes makes the dough too cold to spread properly and results in a thicker cookie. Set a timer.
Yes. Just reduce the salt in the recipe to 1/2 teaspoon. The flaky sea salt on top gives you most of the salty pop anyway.
Ingredients
- 260 grams unsalted butter, (about 1 cup + 2.5 tbsp)
- 220 grams light brown sugar, (about 1 cup packed)
- 80 grams granulated sugar, (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 260 grams all-purpose flour, (about 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 130 grams (3/4 cup) dark chocolate chips or chunks,
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) milk chocolate chips or chunks
- 75 grams (1/2 cup) toffee bits, such as Heath Bits 'O Brickle
- 1 oz mini pretzel twists, lightly crushed (about 1/2 cup crushed)
- 1 oz Ruffles potato chips, lightly crushed (about 1/2 cup crushed)
- 12 pieces Werther’s soft caramels, unwrapped and cut into 4ths
- flaky sea salt, for topping
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Instructions
- In a light colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir frequently and watch closely for the butter to brown. The butter will foam, then the milk solids at the bottom will turn deep golden brown and smell distinctly nutty. This whole process will take around 10 minutes. First time? Check my how to brown butter post for help!
- As soon as the butter is browned, immediately pour it into a heatproof bowl, scraping ALL the brown bits from the bottom into the bowl. Set the browned butter to the side to cool for 20 minutes.
- While the butter cools, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. I don't recommend silicone baking mats for this recipe, since they keep the cookies from spreading as much.
- Once the browned butter has cooled, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to mix the brown sugar and granulated sugar into butter until just combined. Then add in the 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and beat the mixture for a full minute, until glossy and slightly thickened.
- Add the dry ingredients and combine just until a dough forms and no flour streaks remain. Do not over-mix the dough as overworked dough will create cakey cookies!
- Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, fold in the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, toffee bits, pretzels, and potato chips until evenly distributed. You can choose to fold in the soft caramels now as well (which may create uneven edges to your cookies when the caramel melts as the cookies bake) OR press a couple of pieces of the caramel into the very top of the cookie dough balls for even baking. I also like to reserve a small handful of each to press onto the tops of the dough balls so the cookies look bakery-style.
- Scoop 3 heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place dough balls on a large plate, leaving just a small amount of space between them. Press a few extra toppings onto the tops of the cookie dough, if desired.
- CHILL the dough uncovered in the fridge for just 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. If the dough is chilled too long, you will have thick cookies. If the dough is not chilled at all, it will likely over-spread creating burnt edges and raw centers.
- Once chilled, place dough balls on a prepared baking sheet at least 4 inches apart, with only 6 cookies per sheet max. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are deep golden but centers still look soft and slightly underdone.
- Immediately sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt while still hot. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. So they can finish setting/firming up, giving you that soft, gooey center with a crispy edge. Enjoy cookies warm or transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Notes
Nutrition
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – Giant cookies with a nutty, caramel flavor and packed with rich chocolate chips and chunks.
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies – Packed with tons of peanut butter flavor and ready in just 30 minutes. A reader favorite!
- Marshmallow Chocolate Fudge Cookies – Dangerously quick and easy to make. Every bite is packed with fudgy goodness that melts in your mouth.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies – Super soft and filled with mini peanut butter cups and then topped with a full sizes Reese’s cup.
- Brookie Cookies – These bakery-style cookies are a combination of chocolate chip cookies and brownies in one.
- Chocolate S’mores Cookies – Loaded with rich chocolate, bites of graham crackers, and gooey marshmallow centers they’re truly irresistible.
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