Description

Delight in these Kitchen Sink Cookies, a flavorful and irresistible treat packed with a variety of textures and tastes including chocolate chips, pretzels, and melty caramel chunks. Perfectly chewy with a slight crunch from pretzels and gooey caramel centers, these cookies are easy to make and bake in under 30 minutes, making them an ideal dessert or snack to satisfy any sweet craving.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed, scooped and leveled)

Mix-ins

1 cup chocolate chips (1/2 cup chopped semi-sweet and milk chocolate, 1/2 cup whole chocolate chips)
1/2 cup pretzels, chopped
1/2 cup caramel candies, chopped (about 10 Kraft caramels)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the cookies.
Prepare Mix-ins: Chop half of the chocolate chips into small shards and slivers. Cut the caramels into small chunks roughly the size of the chocolate chips, and break up the pretzels into pieces. Set all aside.
Melt Butter: Place the unsalted butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and cover with a paper towel to prevent splattering. Melt in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds until fully melted and hot, but not boiling.
Combine Sugars and Butter: Stir in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Allow the mixture to cool slightly if still piping hot.
Add Egg and Vanilla: Stir in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, creating a smooth mixture.
Add Leavening and Salt: Mix in baking soda and salt to distribute evenly throughout the batter.
Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and stir until no flour streaks remain. The dough will be wet and sticky at this stage.
Mix in Add-ins: Fold in the chopped chocolate chips, whole chocolate chips, chopped pretzels, and chopped caramel chunks. Let the dough sit for 1 to 2 minutes to firm up slightly. If still too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour as needed.
Shape Cookies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop ¼ cup portions of dough and gently roll into balls. Flatten each ball into a thick disc shape to prevent cakey texture. Optionally press extra pretzel pieces on top for garnish.
Bake: Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes until edges and tops are lightly browned and centers appear slightly underbaked. A 13-minute bake time is ideal in most ovens.
Shape Cookies: If cookies are unevenly shaped after baking, immediately use a slightly larger bowl to gently nudge them into a round shape while still warm.
Cool: Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 to 15 minutes to finish baking and set. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy warm.
Serve: Enjoy the cookies slightly warm for gooey caramel or fully cooled for a firmer texture. Both ways are delightful.

Notes

Do not use a mixer—the dough is best mixed by hand using a spatula.
The dough is naturally sticky; allowing it to sit briefly after mixing helps it firm up for easier handling.
If the dough remains too sticky to shape, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour a little at a time.
Pressing pretzel pieces on top before baking adds extra crunch and visual appeal.
Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for several days.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet to finish baking gently before transferring; will help maintain the soft center.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 large cookie
Calories: 230
Sugar: 16g
Sodium: 150mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 3g
Cholesterol: 35mg