Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookie

Christmas kitchen sink cookies are the ultimate festive treat loaded with M&M’s, pretzels, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. Every bite is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy. Finished with a sprinkle of sea salt, they’re a holiday cookie platter must-have!

Love More Christmas Cookies? Try My Cherry Snowball Cookies or this ranberry Orange Cookies next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These cookies take everything you love about a classic chocolate chip cookie and crank it up a notch with M&M’s, pretzels, and white chocolate chips for extra crunch and sweetness. Every bite is a surprise, mixing chewy, salty, and sweet in the best way. They’re fun, festive, and guaranteed to disappear fast at any holiday gathering!

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Ingredients for Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

For the Cookie Base:

• 1¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Christmas Mix-Ins:

• 1 cup red/green Christmas M&M’s
• 1 cup pretzels (mini twists or stick pretzels), broken into pieces
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup miniature marshmallows
• Flaky sea salt (for topping)

Substitution Notes: I’ve used regular M&M’s when Christmas ones weren’t available – just pick out the red and green if you want. Regular flour works too, just expect them slightly chewier. White chocolate instead of milk chocolate? My sister does this every year.

Why These Ingredients Work

Brown sugar makes cookies soft. White sugar makes edges crispy. I use both because I’m greedy and want everything good in one cookie.

Room temperature butter creams properly with sugar. Cold butter makes flat, sad cookies. I’ve ruined enough batches rushing this step.

Cake flour mixed with regular flour gives the perfect texture when you’re stuffing cookies full of random stuff. Regular flour alone gets tough with all these mix-ins.

Pretzels add salt and crunch. M&M’s add chocolate and color. Marshmallows get gooey and slightly burnt (the best part). Chocolate chips because more chocolate never hurt anyone.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Big bowl, electric mixer, another bowl for dry ingredients, wooden spoon, cookie scoop, baking sheets, parchment paper, wire racks. That’s everything.

Cookie scoop isn’t essential but makes uniform cookies. I bought mine at the dollar store and use it constantly.

How To Make Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

Step 1: Create the Perfect Cookie Base

Cream butter with both sugars until fluffy – about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Don’t overthink this part.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients

Mix all flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. I always do this step because lumpy flour ruins everything.

Step 3: Bring It All Together

Add flour mixture to butter mixture slowly on low speed. Stop mixing when it just comes together. Overmixed dough makes tough cookies.

Step 4: Add the Christmas Magic

Fold in M&M’s, pretzels, chocolate chips, and marshmallows with wooden spoon. I break pretzels by hand – makes different sized pieces that look more natural.

Step 5: The Crucial Chill

Wrap dough and refrigerate minimum one hour. Overnight is better. I know waiting sucks but cold dough makes thick cookies instead of pancakes.

Step 6: Bake to Golden Perfection

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line pans with parchment. Scoop 2 tablespoons dough per cookie, space 2 inches apart. Keep unused dough cold while baking batches.

Step 7: The Final Touch

Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are golden but centers look underdone. Sprinkle flaky salt on hot cookies immediately. This step makes people think you’re fancy.

Step 8: Cool and Enjoy

Leave cookies on hot pan few minutes before moving to racks. They’ll break if moved too soon. Eat one warm for quality control purposes.

You Must Know

Don’t skip chilling dough. I’ve tried – always disappointed. Cold dough holds shape better during baking.

Room temperature butter is non-negotiable. I microwave mine 10 seconds if I forgot to take it out early.

Personal Secret: These cookies look raw when they’re actually done. Edges should be golden, centers soft. They firm up cooling on hot pans.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Break pretzels by hand instead of knife. Uneven pieces distribute better and look homemade.

Don’t flatten cookie balls before baking. They spread naturally and stay thick.

Rotate pans halfway through if your oven has hot spots like mine does.

Common mistakes:

• Overmixing after adding flour
• Skipping chill time
• Baking too long
• Using cold butter

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

White chocolate and cranberries instead of milk chocolate works great. My neighbor does this version.

Crushed candy canes instead of pretzels for peppermint bark cookies. Kids go crazy for these.

Graham crackers, extra marshmallows, and chocolate chips make s’mores cookies. Messy but amazing.

Add chopped nuts if your family likes them. Mine doesn’t so I skip this.

Make-Ahead Options

Dough keeps refrigerated 3 days. Scoop cookies and freeze on trays, then bag up. Bake straight from freezer – add 1-2 minutes.

Finished cookies freeze perfectly 3 months. Thaw on counter when ready to eat.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

If you only have regular flour, use it. Cookies will be slightly different but still delicious.

Christmas M&M’s are regular M&M’s in holiday colors. Don’t stress finding them.

Mini marshmallows get golden and caramelized edges in oven. Regular marshmallows work cut up but mini ones are easier.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect for cookie exchanges – everyone asks for the recipe. Great for Santa cookies too.

Pack in tins for neighbor gifts. Serve at parties with hot chocolate. Keep some hidden for yourself because they disappear fast.

How to Store Your Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies

Airtight container room temperature 3 days max. Layer with parchment so they don’t stick together.

Freeze in containers or bags up to 3 months. They thaw perfectly.

Add bread slice to container – keeps cookies soft longer. Old baker’s trick my grandma taught me.

Allergy Information

Contains wheat, eggs, dairy. Check M&M and chocolate chip labels for nut warnings.

Use gluten-free flour blend for celiac friends. Plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate for vegan version. Flax eggs work too.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I make different sizes?

Sure. Small cookies bake 8-10 minutes, large ones 12-15 minutes.

My cookies spread too much.

Dough wasn’t cold enough or butter was too warm when you started.

Different mix-ins okay?

Absolutely! That’s the whole point. Keep total amount similar though.

How do I know they’re done?

Golden edges, centers look slightly underbaked. They finish cooking on hot pans.

💬 Tried this recipe? Tell me what mix-ins you used! My daughter wants to try adding crushed Oreos next time.