Sweet and Salty Kitchen Sink Thanksgiving Cookie Recipe
On the hunt for a quick and easy dessert idea this holiday season? This delicious Thanksgiving cookie recipe is the way to go! They’re sweet, salty, chewy, and packed with candy corn, pretzels, chocolate chips, and Reese’s pieces for a cute and colorful cookie that kids (and adults!) will love. Whether you’re baking for a classroom party, a fall get-together, or just a cozy night at home, this easy cookie recipe is sure to become one of your new favorite Thanksgiving snacks.
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These sweet and salty chocolate chip cookies are stuffed with all the best mix-ins — crunchy pretzels, candy pieces, and fall sprinkles — to create the ultimate fun Thanksgiving cookie idea. It’s the best combination of flavors and textures, and the candy corn on top makes them festive and adorable for the holiday season.
Thanksgiving Cookie Recipe
These cookies have a little bit of everything — and that’s exactly why they’re sometimes called “kitchen sink cookies.” They’re soft and chewy in the middle, crisp around the edges, and packed with sweet and salty mix-ins that make every bite exciting. The candy corn on top gives them that perfect fall touch, making them one of the best easy Thanksgiving dessert ideas for kids or a great snack to serve at your holiday party.
You only need a few pantry staples and some fun mix-ins to make these cookies come to life! Here’s what you’ll need to start baking your own Thanksgiving cookies today:
- Butter – Softened butter gives your cookies that perfect chewy, bakery-style texture.
- Brown and granulated sugar – A mix of both creates a sweet caramel flavor and chewy bite.
- Egg and vanilla – For richness and classic cookie flavor.
- Flour, baking soda, and salt – The base of your cookie dough.
- Mini chocolate chips – Add that classic chocolate chip cookie taste.
- Reese’s Pieces – Bring color and peanut butter flavor.
- Crushed pretzels – Add that satisfying salty crunch.
- Toffee pieces – Give your cookies a buttery, caramel flavor.
- Fall sprinkles – For a festive touch.
- Candy corn – Pressed into the cookies after baking to give them a cute Thanksgiving look.
How to Make Thanksgiving Cookies
Ready to start baking? These easy Thanksgiving cookies come together quickly — just mix, chill, bake, and decorate!
The first step to making these cute cookies is to mix the dry ingredients together. Combine your flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, then whisk everything together until they’re well combined. After that, set your dry ingredients aside.
Next, cream your butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Make sure to start with softened butter and beat the ingredients together until they’re a light and fluffy consistency.
After that, add your egg and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat the ingredients together until they’re just combined.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the bowl to finish making your cookie dough. Beat the ingredients together until thick and smooth.
After that, add all of your mix-ins to the dough except the candy corn and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour or up to overnight.
When you’re ready to start baking, use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to form the dough into balls. Arrange the dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and top each cookie with a few extra pieces of candy, sprinkles and crushed pretzels.
Then, pop the pan in the oven and bake your cookies for 2–14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still slightly soft.
While the cookies are still warm, press a couple of candy corn pieces into the top of each one. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
What to Put in Kitchen Sink Cookies?
The best part about these sweet and salty treats is the mix ins! The combination of crunchy pretzels, melty chocolate chips, and festive sprinkles makes the best Thanksgiving dessert!
For this recipe, I used a fun mix of mini chocolate chips, Reese’s Pieces, crushed pretzels, toffee bits, fall sprinkles, and candy corn to create the perfect balance of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy. Each mix-in adds a different texture and flavor, turning a simple chocolate chip cookie into a festive Thanksgiving dessert idea that kids and adults love.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! Kitchen sink cookies are incredibly flexible, and you can mix in just about anything you already have in your pantry. If you want to switch things up or personalize your cookie dough, try adding some of these delicious options:
- M&Ms or peanut butter M&Ms
- Chopped nuts (pecans, peanuts, or walnuts)
- Crushed potato chips
- Caramel bits
- Peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips
- Crushed Fritos
- Mini marshmallows
- Dried cranberries or cherries
- Crushed graham crackers
- Shredded coconut
- Broken pretzel rods or chocolate covered pretzels
Thanksgiving Cookie Recipe Ideas
If you love desserts that are both sweet and salty, these Kitchen Sink Thanksgiving Cookies are the perfect Thanksgiving treat. They’re cute, easy, and loaded with fun fall flavors — everything you want in a holiday cookie recipe for kids or adults!
And the best part about making them is that these cookies are endlessly customizable! Try these fun swaps:
- Make them for every holiday: You can easily swap out the ingredients for any holiday! Use red and green M&Ms for Christmas or red, white, and blue candy for the 4th of July.
- Top with melted chocolate: Add a drizzle of melted chocolate on top for added sweetness and a fun decoration.
- Turn them into sandwich cookies: Since these cookies are soft and chewy, they make great sandwich cookies! Fill them with white icing or even vanilla ice cream for a sweet holiday treat.
Thanksgiving Kitchen Sink Cookie FAQs
Can I make these cookies gluten free?
Yes! Simply swap in your favorite gluten free 1:1 baking flour blend. My favorite Gluten free flour is King Arthur. You’ll also need to grab some gluten free pretzels. And don’t forget to check the label for the rest of your mix-ins — especially the candy corn and sprinkles!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Absolutely. Prepare the dough up to two days in advance and store it in the fridge until ready to bake.
Can I mix the candy corn into the cookie dough?
No. Adding the candy corn to the cookie dough isn’t a good idea because the candy will melt in the oven, causing the cookies to spread into a big mess. Instead of baking the cookies with the candy corn, it’s best to add the candy pieces to the tops of the cookies after they come out of the oven. Make sure to press them into the tops of the cookies while they’re still hot so they don’t crack the cookies.
How Do You Store These Thanksgiving Cookies?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze the cookies in a sealed bag for up to two months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Thanksgiving Cookie Recipe
These fun and easy kitchen sink chocolate chip cookies are loaded with sweet and salty mix-ins like candy corn, pretzels, toffee, and chocolate for the best Thanksgiving dessert or snack idea. Kids love them, and they bake up perfectly soft every time!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour or gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Reese’s pieces
- 1/2 cup crushed pretzels or gluten free pretzels
- 1/4 cup toffee pieces
- 1/4 cup fall sprinkles
- 1/2 cup candy corn
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until smooth.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips, Reese’s pieces, toffee pieces, crushed pretzels, and fall sprinkles.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet at least one inch apart.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still soft.
- After removing the pan from the oven, press the candy corn into the tops of each cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
More Easy Recipe Ideas:
Cute Thanksgiving Dessert: Mini Turkey Pudding Pies
Pumpkin Pie Cheese Crackers for Thanksgiving
Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
