Kitchen Sink Cookies (Panera Copycat)

If you’ve never had kitchen sink cookies, you’re in for a real treat.

They’re perfectly soft, chewy, and absolutely loaded with chocolate, toffee, and crunchy pretzels. 

And that’s not all. You can easily go nuts with this recipe (literally!) with all kinds of fun add-ins. Enjoy!

Why Are They Called Kitchen Sink Cookies?

Kitchen sink cookies are aptly named because they’re a delightful mishmash of various ingredients. 

These bad boys really capture the essence of “everything but the kitchen sink.” 

Featuring an array of add-ins, such as chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruits, oats, and even candies, they’re hard to beat. 

By using a medley of ingredients, they offer a combination of tastes, textures, and surprises in every bite. 

So, if you’re looking for a cookie recipe with a little bit of everything, kitchen sink cookies are the best choice.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Ingredients

When you have a cookie that includes “everything but the kitchen sink,” you expect the ingredient list to be long.

Luckily, it’s mostly common, everyday items that you probably already have at home:

• Butter. Set the butter out so it can soften to room temperature before adding it to the batter. Use unsalted if you want to precisely control the amount of salt in the cookies.

• Sugars. For these cookies, you’ll use 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. That ratio ensures you have the softest, chewiest, most melt-in-your-mouth cookies possible.

• Vanilla and salt. These two ingredients act as flavor enhancers. You may not really notice them in the cookies, but they’ll make everything else taste better.

• Egg. The egg holds everything together and adds moisture.

• Flour. Good old all-purpose flour is fine for this recipe. It’s budget-friendly and easy to work with.

• Baking soda. This will help the cookies rise.

• Chocolate chips. Here again, you’ll use two different types of chocolate chips. You’ll need 3/4 cups of both semisweet and milk chocolate chips. You can opt for chocolate chunks instead or swap one for white chocolate chips.

• Pretzels. Crush them into small pieces, but don’t powder them. The pieces need to be large enough to add some crunch and texture.

• Toffee bits. Use Heath brand toffee bits for the best taste. This is a hill I will gladly die on. No other toffee bits even come close.

• Sea salt. This salt is for the tops of your cookies. It won’t get into the batter.

How to Make Kitchen Sink Cookies

Time to roll up your sleeves and make these cookies!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Make the dough. Mix the butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Then add the dry ingredients.

3. Add the extras. Stir in the chocolate chips, pretzels, and toffee bits. Do not overmix.

4. Bake. Portion the dough and be sure to leave at least 4 inches between each dough ball. Top with sea salt and bake.

5. Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

What Can I Add to Kitchen Sink Cookies?

This is where the name really comes into play. A few of my go-to add-ins include:

• Peanut butter chips
• Chopped peanut butter cups
• Reese’s Pieces
• Popcorn

If you want something a little different, why not try one of these awesome combinations:

• White chocolate chips with dried cranberries and toasted pecans
• Toasted coconut with chopped raspberries and pistachios
• Orange zest with dark chocolate and chopped walnuts
• M&Ms with mini-marshmallows and graham cracker chunks
• Salty potato chips with butterscotch chips and chocolate chunks
• Rum-soaked raisins with dried mango and toasted coconut

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. These cookies will work with any crazy combination you can think of!

Tips for Making Great Cookies

It might seem like an odd extra step, but using the combination of brown and white sugar is actually scientific. And who doesn’t love cookie science?

Here’s the science behind the two sugars and a few more tips for you to remember:

• Use both sugars. Most cookies with baking soda and only white sugar will spread out more and be thinner and crispier on the edges. Adding in the brown sugar will ensure you are left with a thick cookie that’s soft and chewy.

• Remember to cream! It’s so important to cream your butter and sugar to a light fluffy texture. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a tasty but flat and sad-looking cookie. 

• Reserve some toffee bits. If you like the crunch you get from toffee bits, try holding some back from the dough and sprinkling them over your freshly baked cookies. They’ll melt just enough to stick but won’t lose their texture.

• Don’t overcrowd your tray. These are pretty big cookies that need room to spread. It’s better to work in batches than overcrowd the baking sheet. Keep your dough in the fridge if you need to bake in batches. 

• Make it vegan-friendly. Use your favorite vegan cookie recipe and incorporate vegan-friendly add-ins, such as chopped nuts, dried fruits, and dark chocolate chunks. 

• Let them cool. Pulling these out of the oven when they’re still a little soft in the center is the key to that great texture. But be sure to give them time to cool, so they set up just right.

Storing & Freezing

Kitchen sink cookies are worth keeping around, and luckily, they store exceptionally well.

To Store Baked Cookies: Place the cooled cookies in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature. They’ll be fine for about 4 days.

To Freeze Baked Cookies: Transfer cooled cookies to freezer-safe Ziploc bags, then, pop them in the freezer. They’ll keep well for up to a month.

You can enjoy them frozen, chilled, or warmed in the microwave for about 10-30 seconds. (10 seconds for chilled cookies, 30 for frozen.)

To Freeze Cookie Dough: Freeze the dough BEFORE mixing in the pretzels and toffee bits so they don’t lose their texture.

Wrap and date your dough, and thaw completely before mixing in your add-ins and baking.

To Bake Frozen Cookie Dough: You can bake the dough straight from the freezer if you’ve pre-shaped it into balls.

Just press the missing mix-ins on top, and add an extra 5 minutes to the bake time.

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coffee Cookies
Homemade Butter Toffee Cookies
Applesauce Cookies