Sweet, salty, crunchy and soft, these kitchen sink cookies have it all. They are full of caramel, chocolate and even bits of crunchy pretzels. If you like Panera’s kitchen sink cookies, this is the recipe for you!
These chewy cookies are loaded with all of the good stuff. They are sweet and salty, chewy and crunchy. They are based of the Panera kitchen sink cookies.
Enjoy them with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. Whip up a batch today and see for yourself just how good they are!
About the Recipe
As cold as it’s been, turning to baking for that warm and cozy feeling was definitely welcome. I wanted to make something easy and far away from the holiday flavors.
Plus they had to be made from ingredients I had in the house. These sweet and salty drop cookies were just the thing.
This recipe is based on the famous Panera kitchen sink cookies. They are a great mix of textures and flavors.
Little Dude and I had these whipped up in no time. He loved crunching up the pretzel bits. I loved starting with melted butter, so I didn’t have to plan ahead and soften anything.
The results were delicious. They had a nice buttery flavor and texture with crisp edges and soft centers.
The chewy of the caramel, crunch of the pretzel and creamy chocolate were delicious together. Of course that sweet and salty combination is always a winner too!
If you are looking to change up your cookie routine, these are a fun way to do it! The salty pretzels are definitely unexpected and fun. What are your favorite off the beaten path cookie stir-ins?
Tips and Tricks for Making Great Cookies:
If you don’t have caramel bits you can chop caramel candies or use caramel or butterscotch baking chips.
Using melted butter means the dough comes together really easily. It also makes for yummy chewy cookies.
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You can scoop and bake the dough right after you mix it up. For a more developed flavor, chill it overnight or up to a couple of days before baking.
For perfectly round cookies, use the TikTok hack of using a glass or round cookie cutter to shape the cookies when they are fresh from the oven. Just make sure the circle you are using is bigger than the cookie and swing it around a bit to help shape the cookie.
If you have trouble with your cookies baking flatter than you would like, I made a guide to keep your cookies from spreading too much. Hopefully that will help.
Storage
To store, put cookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple of weeks. To keep them extra soft, put a slice of sandwich bread in the container.
You can put baked cookies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes, just freeze balls of cookie dough for several hours in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, place the balls of dough in a freezer bag.
When ready, pull a few balls of dough out of the freezer and bake them from frozen. Just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Why are They Called “Kitchen Sink” Cookies?
Because they have everything but the kitchen sink in them! It’s as if you walked around the kitchen and through in a handful of everything you could find.
You can change up the mix ins if you want. Try subbing in bits of potato chips instead of pretzels. Or try using butterscotch chips or toffee bits instead of caramel bits.
Feel free to use milk chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips. You can even use peanut butter chips if that is your preference.
As long as you keep the proportions close, the cookies are sure to be delicious. The great thing is almost anything goes.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup bits of broken pretzels
- 1 cup caramel bits
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- Beat together the melted butter, sugars and vanilla until the butter is cooled and the mixture is lightened a bit.1 cup butter, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ cups light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.2 large eggs
- Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt into the butter mixture until just incorporated.2½ cups all purpose flour, 2½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Fold in the broken pretzels, caramel bits and chocolate chips.¾ cup bits of broken pretzels, 1 cup caramel bits, 1 cup chocolate chips
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons), scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies. Flatten slightly and top with a few additional chocolate chips, pretzel or caramel bits if desired. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. The edges should be just starting to take on color and the centers should still be soft and puffy looking. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
- Best served warmed with a glass of milk or cup of coffee.
Notes
Video
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I love "kitchen sink" recipes. They always make me feel like I'm rescuing ingredients that would otherwise go to waste!
I love that part too. Plus some of those strange mixes that result end up being new favorites!
My daughter would love these! This will be fun to make for her. I dont like making cookies though, cause it never seems to end!!!! lol! Thanks for sharing at celebrate 365
It can get to be a lot if you are doing dozens of cookies! Luckily these don't take too long to rotate through.
Hi Carlee, the name of these did make me laugh and I am so glad they aren't made with the orts in the kitchen sink!… Where were you when I had my two, I'd have quite happily let you move in if you came bearing goodies like these cookies. Two weeks ago I thought I'd never be able to face another sweet thing, but how wrong I was!
xx
It doesn't take long to be ready again, does it? I tell you what.. have another and I'll bring cookies! 😉
These look nothing short of AMAZING! PINNED!
Thank you!
I hope you do love it! <3
These cookies look amazing! I was eating some chocolate the other day and alternating with pretzels, just to get that sweet salty taste goin' on (yes, I just admitted that, ha ha :). I can get it all in one with this recipe-and with caramel! Mmm…
That sounds like my kind of snack! I hope you love these <3
Oh!! My!! these are a perfect little sweet treat. These are a must try for me. I just love those littler caramel bits for cookies. Thanks Carlee 🙂
The caramels bits definitely make it so easy! I hope you enjoy them!
Yummy! I have pinning these for later!
Yay! I hope you love them!
That brother you mentioned that about finished off the cookies-here's how that story ends: I asked him to save 2 cookies so that Pops and Chloe could enjoy one more the next day. He came back and ate them for breakfast. If anyone ever wants to do something special for Clint (or most anyone else) you could bake them these cookies.
Ha! I guess I'll have to make more!
Carlee, I am in heaven here. I've been hunting for a new cookie recipe and these are getting made this weekend, I can taste the goodness now! xo
I hop you love them! <3
My favourite