If you’re on the hunt for a cookie that’s both a little nostalgic and totally irresistible, I can’t recommend my Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe enough. This fun, festive twist on the classic “kitchen sink” cookie blends salty, sweet, crunchy, and melty all in one bite. Honestly, the first time I made these, my family went crazy—so much so that I had to hide the last few to keep some for myself. Stick with me here, because you’re about to discover a seriously fan-freaking-tastic cookie to add to your holiday baking lineup.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Sweet and Salty Perfection: The mix of M&M’s, peanut butter chips, potato chips, and pretzels hits all the right flavor and texture notes in each bite.
Super Simple to Make: The dough comes together quickly in a stand mixer and is easy to scoop, bake, and share.
Customizable Fun: You can tweak the mix-ins or chips based on what you have on hand, making it great for any holiday pantry.
Perfect for Gifting: They keep well and look adorable sprinkled with flaked sea salt, making them a crowd-pleaser for cookie exchanges.

There are six round cookies arranged on a white marbled surface, each with a light golden-brown color and a soft, slightly bumpy texture. Each cookie has colorful red and green candy pieces embedded on top, along with small broken pretzel pieces and a few wavy potato chip slices. One cookie is partially eaten, showing a soft inside with candy and pretzel pieces. Around the cookies, there are scattered red and green candies, and near the top right corner, there are two large silver jingle bells with a striped ribbon. The whole scene is bright and festive, with a cozy holiday feel. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Santa's Trash Cookie, festive holiday cookies, kitchen sink cookie, easy Christmas cookies, salty sweet cookie treat

Ingredients You’ll Need

Each ingredient in this Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe is carefully chosen to add layers of flavor and texture — from creamy butter to the crunch of chips and pretzels, every bite has a little surprise. I love using classic pantry staples mixed with some holiday candy favorites.

Flat lay of a small block of fresh butter, a small white bowl of packed brown sugar, a small white bowl of granulated sugar, two whole brown eggs with clean shells, a small white bowl of golden vanilla extract, a small white bowl of all-purpose flour, a small white bowl of colorful M&M's, a small white bowl of creamy peanut butter chips, a small white bowl of golden crinkled potato chips, a small white bowl of broken crunchy pretzels, and a small white bowl of coarse flaked sea salt, all arranged symmetrically on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997 - Santa's Trash Cookie, festive holiday cookies, kitchen sink cookie, easy Christmas cookies, salty sweet cookie treat

Butter: Use unsalted and softened butter for the best creamy texture and to control saltiness.
Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a caramel-like depth that pairs perfectly with the salty mix-ins.
Granulated sugar: Balances sweetness and helps cookies crisp just right around the edges.
Eggs: Bind everything together and create that tender cookie crumb.
Vanilla extract: Brings warmth and enhances all the flavors in the mix.
Baking powder and baking soda: These leavening agents give the cookies a nice rise without making them cakey.
Salt: Just a touch to balance sweetness and boost flavor.
All-purpose flour: The base of your cookie; sift it for lightness when you can.
M&M’s: For that classic chocolate and color pop that make these cookies festive.
Peanut butter chips: My secret weapon for little pockets of creamy, nutty goodness.
Potato chips: Yes, chips inside cookies! They add an addictive salty crunch.
Broken pretzels: Another crispy, salty element that perfectly contrasts the sweet dough.
Flaked sea salt: For sprinkling on top, enhancing all the flavors and adding a beautiful finish.

Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Variations

One of my favorite things about Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe is how easy it is to customize. Whether you want to swap candies or adjust for allergies, these cookies welcome your personal touch. Don’t hesitate to get creative!

Swap the M&M’s for holiday-themed chocolate chips or white chocolate chips: I tried this last Christmas, and the white chocolate gave the cookies a lovely creamy sweetness that paired beautifully with the salty chips.
Use gluten-free flour: For a gluten-free version, just replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free blend; the texture is surprisingly close!
Make it nut-free by omitting peanut butter chips: Replace them with more pretzels or add toasted coconut flakes to keep things exciting.
Add crushed candy canes or toffee bits: I once sneaked in some crushed candy canes for an extra peppermint holiday vibe—delicious and festive!

How to Make Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe

Step 1: Get Your Oven and Prep Ready

Preheat your oven to 365°F (that’s a little higher than the usual cookie temp, helping these get a perfect golden edge). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper so your cookies don’t stick and clean-up is a breeze. I always line two sheets to bake more cookies at once, which speeds up the whole process.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugars Until Fluffy

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer will work), beat the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes. You want it light and fluffy here—this makes the cookies tender and gives them a lovely lift. When I first tried rushing this step, my cookies came out dense, so don’t skip it!

Step 3: Mix in Eggs and Vanilla

Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then pour in your vanilla extract. This is when your kitchen starts smelling like holiday magic—a moment worth savoring.

Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients Carefully

Slowly add in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Here’s what I learned: don’t overmix! Stop as soon as you still see a few streaks of flour here and there—this keeps your cookies tender and avoids toughness.

Step 5: Fold in the Fun Stuff

Gently fold in your M&M’s, peanut butter chips, crushed potato chips, and broken pretzels. This mix gives Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe its signature sweet-and-salty combo and addictively crunchy texture. The first time I folded in the chips, I was worried they’d get lost—but they hold up beautifully to baking!

Step 6: Scoop and Add a Little Extra

I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop to make large cookie dough balls—about six to eight per baking sheet works well. Before popping them in the oven, I add a few extra M&M’s and peanut butter chips on top plus a sprinkle of flaked sea salt. This not only makes them look amazing but amps up the flavor punch.

Step 7: Bake to Golden Perfection

Bake for 11 to 14 minutes. Keep an eye out for nicely golden edges and a slightly glossy center—this means they’re perfectly soft inside with that slight chew we all crave. If your cookies spread unevenly, I’ve found that gently circling the edges with a spatula right out of the oven helps bring them back into a neater shape.

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Pro Tips for Making Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe

Don’t Overmix the Dough: This keeps your cookies tender and prevents gluten from toughening the texture.
Use Flaked Sea Salt on Top: Instead of regular salt, flaky sea salt gives a pleasant crunch and bursts of flavor.
Add Extra Mix-ins on Top: Pressing a few chips or pretzels onto each cookie before baking makes them more festive and keeps the fun ingredients visible.
Shape After Baking If Needed: Gently reshape spreading cookies while still warm for a prettier final presentation.

How to Serve Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe

The image shows seven thick cookies laid on white parchment paper over a white marbled surface. Each cookie is light brown and chunky with three main visible layers: the soft dough base, scattered red and green candy pieces embedded inside, and crunchy pretzel pieces along with ridged potato chip bits placed on top. Some loose red and green candies surround the cookies. The texture of the cookies appears soft and a little crumbly with the pretzels and chips adding a crisp contrast. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Santa's Trash Cookie, festive holiday cookies, kitchen sink cookie, easy Christmas cookies, salty sweet cookie treat

Garnishes

I love sprinkling a touch more flaked sea salt right after baking to highlight the sweet-salty contrast. Sometimes, a light dusting of powdered sugar makes them look extra festive for gift boxes or holiday platters.

Side Dishes

These cookies pair wonderfully with a cold glass of milk or a spiced cup of hot cocoa. For holiday gatherings, I like setting them alongside spiced nuts, peppermint bark, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a more decadent treat.

Creative Ways to Present

I’ve wrapped them up in festive cellophane bags tied with twine and mini pine sprigs—giving out Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe as homemade gifts instantly becomes a crowd favorite. For cookie exchanges, stacking them on a rustic wooden board with holiday greens makes a beautiful display.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Once completely cooled, store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. I’ve found they keep their perfect chewy texture for up to 5 days—though trust me, they rarely hang around that long in my house.

Freezing

I often freeze scooped, unbaked dough balls ahead of time. Just flash-freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you want fresh-baked cookies on demand, bake them straight from frozen adding a minute or two to the bake time.

Reheating

To enjoy leftovers warm, pop cookies in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes — this brings back that fresh-baked softness. Avoid microwaving as it can sometimes make them overly soft or chewy in an unpleasant way.

FAQs

Can I use regular potato chips or do they have to be a specific kind?

You can use any thin, crispy potato chips you love. Regular salted potato chips work great, but if you want to add extra flavor, kettle-cooked or flavored chips can also be fun. Just avoid heavily seasoned chips that might overpower the cookie’s sweetness.
How big should I scoop the cookie dough?

I recommend using a ¼ cup scoop or a similarly sized ice cream scoop for nice, thick cookies that bake evenly. Smaller scoops work too but the large size really lets the mix-ins shine and gives a soft center.
Can I substitute other mix-ins instead of peanut butter chips?

Absolutely! You can swap peanut butter chips with butterscotch chips, white chocolate, or even add chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans for a different texture and flavor profile.
Why is the cookie dough a bit crumbly when mixing in the flour?

It’s normal to see a little flour that hasn’t fully absorbed because the dough is thick with all the mix-ins. Don’t overmix at this point or you’ll toughen your cookies. Folding gently until mostly combined is key.
What if I don’t have flaked sea salt?

You can use coarse kosher salt or even table salt, but flaked sea salt gives the best texture and melt-in-your-mouth bursts of saltiness. If you use finer salts, sprinkle less to avoid overpowering sweetness.

Final Thoughts

Santa’s Trash Cookie Recipe holds a special spot in my heart—and pantry! It’s the kind of cookie that feels like a warm hug during the holiday rush: a little messy, loaded with love, and packed with all your favorite flavors. I hope when you try this recipe, you get the same joy and giggles my family and I share every time we bake a batch. Seriously, grab your mixing bowl, invite your favorite holiday helpers, and get ready to make some delicious memories!