Welcome to the enchanting world of holiday baking, where tradition meets delightful chaos! This festive season, forget perfection and embrace the glorious mess with our irresistible Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies. Often dubbed “kitchen sink cookies” for their wondrous array of ingredients, these treats are a celebration of everything sweet, salty, and wonderfully indulgent. Imagine a soft, chewy cookie base brimming with a delightful medley of mini white and chocolate Reese’s cups, a generous scattering of chocolate chips, crunchy pretzels, savory potato chips, a hint of sea salt, and a shower of festive sprinkles. It’s a symphony of textures and flavors that will undoubtedly become a new favorite holiday tradition for your family.
Our Christmas Trash Cookies are more than just a recipe; they’re an experience. They capture the joyous spirit of Christmas, combining beloved sweet and salty elements into one sensational bite. These cookies aren’t just for Santa – they’re for anyone who believes that the best treats are a little bit unconventional and a lot bit delicious. Get ready to transform your kitchen into a festive wonderland as you whip up a batch of these extraordinary holiday delights!
Beyond these glorious Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies, Santa himself has a soft spot for other festive creations. You might also find him enjoying Red Velvet Santa Cookies, the luscious Best Soft Sour Cream Cookies, the versatile 1 Dough – 3 Kinds of Chocolate Cookies for the Holidays, a delightful bowl of Santa’s Reindeer Chow, and the ever-popular Holiday Cranberry White Chocolate Blondies!
Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies
You might wonder, “Why ‘trash’ cookies?” The name might be playful, but the taste is pure gold! These cookies defy expectations, turning a seemingly random assortment of ingredients into a harmonious, addictively delicious treat. Here’s why these Christmas Trash Cookies will quickly become a cherished part of your holiday baking repertoire:
- The Ultimate Sweet & Salty Sensation: It’s no secret that the combination of sweet and salty is a match made in heaven. These cookies perfectly balance the sweetness of chocolate, candies, and sugars with the savory crunch of pretzels and potato chips. Every bite offers a delightful surprise for your taste buds, keeping you coming back for more. This unique flavor profile truly sets them apart from traditional holiday cookies.
- A Texture Extravaganza: Forget monotonous cookies! These trash cookies boast an incredible range of textures. You get the soft chewiness of a classic cookie, the satisfying snap of chocolate, the crisp bite of pretzels, and the delicate crunch of potato chips. It’s an exciting adventure for your palate in every mouthful.
- Effortless & Quick Preparation: In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, quick recipes are a lifesaver. These cookies require absolutely no chill time, meaning you can go from craving to indulging in under 30 minutes. They’re straightforward to make, perfect for busy schedules or impromptu baking sessions with the family.
- Incredibly Versatile & Customizable: The beauty of “trash” or “kitchen sink” cookies lies in their flexibility. They’re a fantastic way to use up those leftover candies, chips, or sprinkles you have in your pantry. Feel free to swap out ingredients based on your preferences or what you have on hand, making each batch uniquely yours.
- Festive & Fun for All Ages: With their vibrant sprinkles and colorful mix-ins, these cookies are a visual treat as much as a culinary one. They bring a lively, playful energy to any Christmas cookie platter and are incredibly fun for kids (and adults!) to help make and decorate. Imagine Santa’s delight when he finds these waiting for him! They’re even more exciting than these Ultimate Trash Brownies.
Essential Ingredients for Your Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies
Creating these magical cookies starts with a foundation of classic cookie ingredients, enhanced by a glorious array of “trash” treasures. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
Core Cookie Dough Essentials:
- Unsalted Butter, room temperature: Crucial for a tender crumb and rich flavor. Ensure it’s softened, not melted, for proper creaming.
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: The combination provides both sweetness and that desirable chewy texture. Brown sugar also adds moisture and a subtle caramel note.
- Egg: Acts as a binder, adding structure and moisture to the dough.
- All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our cookies, providing the necessary structure.
- Baking Soda: Our leavening agent, ensuring the cookies rise beautifully and have a soft, airy interior. Make sure it’s fresh for optimal results.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
The “Trash” Add-Ins – Where the Magic Happens:
- Crushed Potato Chips: The secret weapon for that irresistible savory crunch and salty kick. Any plain salted variety will work perfectly.
- Crushed Pretzels: Adds another layer of delightful saltiness and a distinct pretzel crunch.
- Mini White Chocolate Reese Cups: Creamy white chocolate with that classic peanut butter swirl – a truly indulgent addition.
- Mini Chocolate Reese Cups: The traditional peanut butter cup flavor, offering a rich chocolatey and nutty bite.
- Milk Chocolate Chips, Dark Chocolate Chips, or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Choose your favorite chocolate to contribute melty pockets of cocoa goodness. You can even mix and match for more complexity.
- M&M’s: We suggest using festive red, green, and blue M&M’s to add a pop of color and a satisfying candy crunch, perfect for Christmas.
- White Chocolate Chips: For extra creaminess and a complementary sweetness.
- Sprinkles of Choice: A must for visual appeal! Opt for festive Christmas-themed sprinkles to make them extra special.
- Optional: Sprinkles of Flaky Sea Salt for tops of cookies: A final flourish that amplifies all the flavors, creating an even more pronounced sweet and salty experience.
Simple Instructions: How to Bake Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies
Get ready to create some holiday magic! These cookies come together quickly and easily, making them perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Follow these steps for perfect Christmas Trash Cookies every time:
- Prepare Your Workspace: Begin by preheating your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until they are well combined. Set this bowl aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat for 1-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and has turned a pale yellow color. Be careful not to over-cream, as this can lead to a greasier cookie.
- Incorporate the Egg: Add the large egg to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add Dry to Wet: Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be quite thick at this stage, which is perfectly normal. Avoid overmixing once the flour is added, as this can develop the gluten and result in tougher cookies.
- Fold in the “Trash”: Now for the fun part! Gently fold in the crushed potato chips, crushed pretzels, M&M’s, mini white and chocolate Reese’s cups, and chocolate chips. Mix until evenly distributed throughout the thick cookie dough.
- Scoop and Prepare for Baking: Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (about 1.5-2 tablespoons), drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets. For thicker cookies, leave them as rounded balls. For slightly flatter cookies, gently press them down a little. For an extra festive touch and to showcase all the delicious add-ins, press additional pretzels, chips, candies, and sprinkles onto the tops of each cookie. If you desire that amazing sweet and salty balance, sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top of each cookie before baking.
- Optional Dough Chilling: While these cookies require no chill time, you can chill the scooped dough balls in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes if you prefer a slightly thicker cookie or need to bake in batches. You can also freeze scooped dough balls for future baking.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn a light golden brown. The centers may still look slightly soft, but they will set as they cool. Overbaking will result in a dry cookie, so keep an eye on them!
- Cool and Enjoy: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This resting time helps them firm up and prevents them from breaking.
The addition of a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt truly elevates these cookies to another level. Just a hint is all you need. It magically enhances the sweet sugar flavor in every bite, creating an irresistible contrast that will have everyone reaching for more!
Endless Sweet & Salty Combinations for Your Christmas Trash Cookies!
The beauty of “trash cookies” is their incredible versatility. You can truly go bonkers with the add-ins, customizing them with whatever sweet, salty, or crunchy treasures you have lurking in your pantry. These cookies are a blank canvas for your culinary creativity! Here are even more ideas to inspire your next batch:
Amp Up the Sweetness:
- Caramel Delights: Instead of peanut butter cups, melt in some Rolos or chopped caramel candies for gooey pockets of caramel bliss. You could also swirl in a bit of caramel sauce into the dough.
- Nutty Indulgence: Add chopped candy bars like Snickers or Butterfingers for more peanuts, caramel, and chocolate.
- Dried Fruit Fusion: For a touch of natural sweetness and chewiness, incorporate dried cranberries, cherries, or chopped apricots. These add a lovely contrast to the crunchy elements.
- Marshmallow Magic: Mini marshmallows can be folded into the dough during the last minute of baking (or after) for soft, pillowy surprises.
- Other Candies: Consider adding chopped peppermint candies (especially for Christmas!), Skor bits, Heath bar toffee bits, or even gummy bears (though these can get quite chewy!).
- Different Chocolate Varieties: Experiment with butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, or even chopped chocolate bars like dark chocolate with almonds.
Elevate the Saltiness & Crunch:
- Nutty Adventures: If you want to switch out the potato chips, try roasted peanuts, salted pistachios, candied pecans, or toasted almonds. These add healthy fats and a deep, satisfying crunch.
- Cereal Surprises: Crush up some cornflakes, Rice Krispies, or even a sugary breakfast cereal for an unexpected textural pop.
- Pretzel Power: Use different types of pretzels – mini pretzel sticks, pretzel twists, or even flavored pretzels (like honey mustard or cheese, if you’re feeling adventurous!).
- Cracklin’ Bacon: For the truly bold, a small amount of finely crumbled cooked bacon adds an incredible smoky, salty, and savory depth.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: A daring choice, but a light sprinkle can add an oniony, garlicky, salty kick that surprisingly works with sweet cookies!
‘Tis the season for creativity, after all! The more unique combinations, the merrier your cookie platter will be. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make these cookies truly your own!
Expert Tip: How to Keep Pretzels Crunchy in Cookies
One of the best parts of Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies is the satisfying crunch from the pretzels and potato chips. To ensure your pretzels retain their crispiness and don’t become soggy from the cookie dough’s moisture, here’s a simple trick:
- Add Just Before Baking: The key to maintaining that delightful pretzel crunch is to fold them into the dough right before you scoop and bake the cookies. Incorporating them too early allows the moisture from the eggs and other liquid ingredients to soak into the pretzels, making them soft. Mix them in as the very last step before scooping the dough onto your baking sheets. If you’re chilling the dough, add the pretzels and chips just before baking, or even press them onto the outside of the scooped dough balls before chilling.
- Consider Larger Pieces: Larger pretzel pieces tend to hold their crunch better than finely crushed ones. You can lightly crush them, leaving some substantial chunks for extra texture.
Customize These “Trashy” Cookies for Any Holiday!
These versatile “kitchen sink” cookies aren’t just for Christmas! With a simple switch of colors and candies, you can transform them into a festive treat for any special occasion throughout the year. The possibilities are truly endless!
- Easter: Switch out your Christmas M&M’s and sprinkles for pastel-colored candies, jelly beans, or mini chocolate eggs. Think soft blues, pinks, yellows, and greens to capture the essence of spring.
- Valentine’s Day: Embrace the colors of love! Use red, pink, and white M&M’s and heart-shaped sprinkles. You could even add chopped white chocolate or strawberry-flavored candies for a romantic touch.
- Halloween: Get spooky! Opt for orange, black, purple, and green candies and sprinkles. Consider adding candy corn, chopped chocolate bars with nougat, or even small edible googly eyes for a fun, ghoulish twist.
- Thanksgiving: Embrace the rich hues of autumn. Choose M&M’s and sprinkles in fall colors like orange, brown, deep red, and gold. Incorporate nuts like pecans or walnuts for an earthy flavor, or add dried cranberries for a seasonal touch.
- Fourth of July: Show your patriotism with red, white, and blue M&M’s and star-shaped sprinkles.
- Birthdays: Customize with the birthday person’s favorite colors or candies!
You get the drift – these cookies are your ultimate customizable canvas! Let your imagination run wild and match your cookies to any celebration.
Storing Your Delightful Trash Cookies
One of the best things about these cookies (aside from their incredible taste) is how well they store! This makes them perfect for making ahead during the busy holiday season or for enjoying long after Christmas day.
- Room Temperature: For optimal freshness and that classic soft-chewy texture, store your baked Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain wonderfully delicious for up to 1-2 weeks. Be sure they are completely cooled before storing to prevent condensation.
- Refrigerator: If you prefer to extend their shelf life slightly, you can store these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks. They might firm up a bit in the cold, but will soften quickly once brought back to room temperature.
- Freezer Friendly: These cookies are fantastic for freezing! They will keep beautifully for up to 3 months.
- To freeze baked cookies: Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours). This prevents them from sticking together. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer bag or an airtight freezer-safe container, layering parchment paper between layers if stacking. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
- To freeze cookie dough: You can also prepare the dough, scoop it into balls, and freeze the unbaked dough. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to bake, you can bake them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time, or let them thaw slightly in the fridge first.
Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies have quickly become a beloved holiday tradition for many families. They offer a unique and fun way to use up those extra bits and bobs from your holiday pantry, turning potential “leftovers” into a dazzling array of flavors and textures.
At their heart, these are amped-up chocolate chip cookies, starting with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, and butter, which then combine with a symphony of mix-ins to form a truly delectable Christmas cookie experience. Each bite delivers a delightful crunch, a sweet chew, and a salty surprise – a perfect representation of the festive spirit.
Whether it’s the exciting taste, the boundless creative spirit that goes into making them, or the sheer joy of customizing each batch, Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies are a wonderfully sweet way to commemorate this special time of the year. They embody the magic and generosity of Christmas in every delicious bite.
So, why not gather your loved ones, raid your pantry for all those tempting treats, and get baking this holiday season? Christmas is a time for togetherness, warmth, and shared joy, and there’s truly no better way to celebrate than by taking part in this modern, yet already timeless, baking tradition. Create memories, spread cheer, and enjoy the most exciting cookies you’ll bake all year!
For even more delightful holiday cookie inspiration, be sure to explore our extensive cookie page – you’ll discover a treasure trove of recipes!
Don’t forget to share your amazing creations on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! We love seeing your festive baking adventures!
More Favorite Cookies You’ll Keep Coming Back For!
- Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best-Ever White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Christmas Cowboy Cookies
- Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies! Pure Nirvana!
- Ultimate Chocolate Cookies
- “Phenomenal” Milk Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
- Grinch Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Tree Pull Apart Cupcakes Cake
- Easy Melted Snowman Cookies
Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies
Recipe by Kim Lange
These cookies pretty much cover everything you could ever want in cookies and more, which is why they are called ‘trash’ cookies. Imagine soft, chewy cookies smooshed with loads of mini white and chocolate Reese cups, white and chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, sea salt and festive sprinkles! Trash never tasted so good!
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 7-8 mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 Cookies
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Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (make sure it’s not expired)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup crushed potato chips
- ⅓ cup crushed pretzels
- ½ cup mini white chocolate Reese cups
- ½ cup mini chocolate Reese cups
- ⅓ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup M&M’s (we used red, green and blue)
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup sprinkles of choice
- Sprinkles of flaky sea salt for tops of cookies (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars for 1-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Once the mixture turns pale yellow in color and has a light and fluffy texture, you’re done. Do not over-cream mixture.
- Beat in egg until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. (Dough will be very thick.)
- Add in potato chips, pretzels, M&M’s, Reese cups, chocolate chips, and sprinkles and mix together until evenly distributed.
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough onto parchment paper. Slightly press them down onto baking sheets for a flatter cookie, or leave them rounded for thicker cookies. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. For decorative touches, press additional pretzels, chips, candies, and sprinkles onto the tops of cookies. You can also chill dough until ready to use, scoop the dough balls and store them in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Bake until edges are just starting to get golden, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Can add more potato chips or pretzels (up to 2/3 cup of each, if you wish for more saltiness).
- Feel free to modify any candies with whatever treats you wish.
- Add some vanilla extract if you wish for an extra layer of flavor.
Keyword: Christmas, Cookies, M&Ms, Potato Chips, Pretzels, Holiday Baking
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Recipe slightly modified from Delish
