Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies Are A Fun Way To Get Creative For The Holiday

Have you ever heard of "everything but the kitchen sink" cookies? These fun cookies are made from a standard vanilla cookie dough (some people use a chocolate chip cookie dough recipe as a base) but are packed with all sorts of fun mix-ins, ranging from more off-the-wall options such as potato chips to classic fillings like chocolate chips. What makes them unique is that they have both sweet and savory flavors that perfectly complement one another. 

Half the fun of making this particular sweet treat is that you can get as creative as you like with the add-ins. This holiday season, one way to add some flair to your cookies is to use Christmas-themed ingredients in them instead. Not only will you still get that fun balance of sweet and salty, but you can also add a taste of the holidays to your treat.

Wondering what kinds of mix-ins you can add to your kitchen sink cookies to give them a Christmas flair? And, once they're baked, how do you go about storing and serving them? We've got you covered so you'll be ready to break out your creative side this holiday.

The first step to take when making your Christmas kitchen sink cookies is to choose a base. You can make cookie dough from scratch, which can be especially fun if you want to get the whole family involved in the activity. Or, if you need to save time, you can pick up a store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough to use as the base. If you go this route, you can opt for either a mix that still requires you to add ingredients like eggs and liquid, or you can use a ready-made dough and all you have to worry about is tossing in your chosen mix-ins.

Speaking of the mix-ins, once you have your dough figured out, it's time to get down to adding everything but the kitchen sink to your cookies. One way to give them a Christmas flair is to add holiday M&M's, which come in festive green and red colors. You could also get the same bright appearance by tossing in some holiday sprinkles. Another fun option for giving your cookies a merry appearance is to add crushed candy canes. This will also transform the flavor and add a minty, wintery taste. Other sweet additions include mini marshmallows.

Moving away from sweet mix-ins, there are also savory ingredients to try. Potato chips and pretzels are classic picks, but you could also go for salted nuts or even just a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the cookies. The choice is yours!

Once you've added all the mix-ins to your cookies, pop them in the oven and cook them as you usually would for your chosen cookie dough recipe. Once they're out of the oven, you could add even more uniqueness to them by dipping them in chocolate and rolling them in holiday sprinkles, chopped nuts, or crushed peppermint candies. Or, just eat them as is — either way, they'll taste delicious.

You can add further to the holiday feel by serving the cookies alongside your favorite holiday beverages. Rather than opting for the standard glass of milk, pair them with a creamy cup of eggnog, for instance, or dip them in a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

For those who don't want to eat them right away, you can keep these cookies in an airtight cookie tin for about 5 days. Alternatively, you can make these ahead of time and freeze them for up to 2 months. So, whether you want to make them ahead of time or eat them right away, these cookies can be a fun and festive recipe to try over the holidays.