Mom Called It the 10-Cup Cookie: 13 Kitchen Sink Cookies and Bars That Use Up Everything in the Pantry

Kitchen sink cookies are what happens when you open the pantry, find half a bag of this and a handful of that, and decide every last bit belongs in one big bowl of dough. My mom called her version the 10-cup cookie because she measured one cup of ten different things and never wrote anything else down. These are chewy, salty, sweet and a little messy, and nobody has ever complained. Below you will find 13 kitchen sink cookies and bars, from cowboy cookies and ranger cookies to toffee pretzel bars and a no-bake cornflake treat, and most of the doughs freeze well for later. Every recipe is flexible, so swap in whatever chips, nuts, cereal or candy you already have. Clean out the cupboard, turn on the oven and get ready for the best smelling kitchen on the block..

The Original Kitchen Sink Cookies: Mom’s 10-Cup Cookie

The 10-cup cookie is the grandmother of every pantry cookie. The idea is simple: one cup each of ten ingredients, stirred together and scooped onto a sheet pan. Mom kept the list in her head and changed it with whatever was left from holiday baking. Peanut butter and oats keep the dough chewy, while chips, coconut and nuts give every bite something new. Taste of Home has a version of the classic 10-cup cookies that many families still use as their starting point..

You will need: 1 cup each of softened butter, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, white sugar, all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, shredded coconut and chopped nuts, plus 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two sheet pans. 2. Beat the butter, peanut butter and both sugars until fluffy. 3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 4. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt, then fold in the oats, chips, coconut and nuts. 5. Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds and bake 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden. 6. Cool 5 minutes on the pan before moving to a rack.

Classic Kitchen Sink Cookies With Pretzels and Chips

This is the version most bakeries sell, and it is the easiest of all the kitchen sink cookies to love. A brown butter dough holds crushed pretzels, two kinds of chocolate chips, toffee bits and a few sliced almonds. The pretzels stay crunchy and add a hit of salt that makes the chocolate taste even richer. If you only have one kind of chip, use it. If you have a few broken crackers or a handful of chopped nuts, toss them in too. The dough is forgiving and bakes up thick and craggy every time.

You will need: 1 cup butter (browned and cooled), 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup crushed pretzels, 1 cup semisweet chips, 1/2 cup white chips, 1/2 cup toffee bits, 1/2 cup sliced almonds.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the cooled brown butter with both sugars. 2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt. 4. Fold in the pretzels, chips, toffee and almonds. 5. Chill the dough 30 minutes. 6. Bake 3-tablespoon scoops at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes.

Monster Cookies With Candy-Coated Chocolates

Monster cookies are the flour-free cousin of kitchen sink cookies, made mostly with oats and peanut butter. That gives them a dense, chewy bite and a nutty flavor that kids go wild for. Bright candy-coated chocolates are pressed into the tops right before baking so the colors stay bold. Many church cookbooks list a giant batch made with a whole jar of peanut butter, but this smaller version fits in one bowl. Use certified gluten-free oats if anyone at the table needs them.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup candy-coated chocolates.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy. 2. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and baking soda. 3. Stir in the oats, then the chocolate chips and most of the candies. 4. Scoop onto lined pans and press the remaining candies on top. 5. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until just set in the center.

Texas-Size Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy cookies are the heartiest kitchen sink cookies of all, big and built for a long day. The classic mix is oats, chocolate chips, coconut and pecans, and some Texas families add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough. They are baked large, about the size of a saucer, so the edges turn crisp while the middle stays soft. A little extra brown sugar gives them a warm, caramel note. Wrap one in wax paper and tuck it into a lunch box and you will be everyone’s favorite person by noon.

You will need: 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, 1 cup shredded coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and sugars. 2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 4. Stir in the oats, chips, coconut and pecans. 5. Scoop 1/4-cup portions, flatten slightly and bake at 350°F for 15 to 17 minutes. 6. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes.

Leftover Candy Everything Bars

Every November the same question comes up: what do you do with the bowl of leftover candy? Chop it and bake it into bars. A thick blondie-style dough holds chopped chocolate bars, caramels, peanut butter cups and candy-coated pieces, then gets a quick chocolate drizzle on top. Because the pan does the work, there is no scooping and no batches. If you need more ideas for that candy bowl, try our gallery of genius ways to use leftover Halloween candy. Cut the bars small; they are rich.

You will need: 1 cup butter (melted), 2 cups brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 to 3 cups chopped leftover candy, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup melted chocolate for drizzling.

How to make it: 1. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment. 2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. 4. Fold in 2 cups of candy and the peanuts, spread in the pan and scatter the rest on top. 5. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. 6. Cool completely, drizzle with chocolate and cut into squares.

Sweet and Salty Kitchen Sink Cookies With Potato Chips

Potato chips in a cookie sound strange until you try one. Crushed kettle chips and pretzels bring crunch and salt, while butterscotch and chocolate chips melt into sweet pockets. A spoonful of instant coffee in the dough deepens the flavor without tasting like coffee. These sweet and salty kitchen sink cookies are perfect for using up the last crumbs in the bottom of the chip bag. Sprinkle a little flaky salt on top as soon as they come out of the oven so it sticks.

You will need: 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon instant coffee, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup crushed kettle chips, 1 cup crushed pretzels, 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup oats, flaky salt.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and sugars until light. 2. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and instant coffee. 3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt. 4. Fold in the chips, pretzels, butterscotch, chocolate and oats. 5. Chill 1 hour. 6. Bake large scoops at 375°F for 11 to 13 minutes and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Crispy Ranger Cookies

Ranger cookies are a mid-century take on kitchen sink cookies that mix oats, coconut and crisp rice cereal into a buttery dough. The cereal is the secret: it keeps the cookies light and crunchy, even a day or two after baking. Old community cookbooks often add raisins or chopped dates, so treat it as a template rather than a strict rule. They spread a little more than the other cookies here, giving you thin, lacy edges and a golden, toasty center that pairs well with a cup of coffee.

You will need: 1 cup butter, 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups oats, 2 cups crisp rice cereal, 1 cup shredded coconut.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and both sugars. 2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 4. Gently fold in the oats, cereal and coconut so the cereal does not crush. 5. Bake rounded tablespoons at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.

Trail Mix Kitchen Sink Cookies

That half-eaten bag of trail mix from your last road trip is basically a cookie add-in kit. Peanuts, raisins, seeds, dried cranberries and a few chocolate pieces go straight into an oatmeal dough. The result is a chewy, hearty cookie that travels well and holds up in a backpack. These trail mix kitchen sink cookies are also a good way to use any stray dried fruit hiding in the pantry. Chop larger nuts so every cookie gets a fair share of the good stuff.

You will need: 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups oats, 2 cups trail mix (roughly chopped).

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and sugars. 2. Beat in the egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 4. Fold in the oats and trail mix. 5. Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds and bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes. 6. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Tart dried cranberries and creamy white chocolate are a natural pair, and a scoop of oats turns them into a chewy everyday cookie. This one is a gentler member of the family, perfect for anyone who finds candy-loaded cookies too much. Add a handful of chopped pecans or a little orange zest if you have them. Bake one tray now and roll the rest of the dough into balls for the freezer, because these disappear quickly once the holiday baking season starts.

You will need: 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 cups oats, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup white chocolate chips, optional zest of 1 orange.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and sugars. 2. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and zest. 3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt, then the oats. 4. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate. 5. Bake rounded tablespoons at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Pantry Clean-Out Blondies

Blondies are the lazy baker’s answer to kitchen sink cookies: one bowl, one pan, no chilling. The brown sugar base tastes like butterscotch and happily soaks up whatever mix-ins you throw at it. Peanuts and chocolate chips are a classic combination, but broken graham crackers, coconut or the last spoonful of peanut butter all work. Pull the pan when the center still looks a little soft, and the blondies will stay fudgy for days in an airtight tin.

You will need: 3/4 cup butter (melted), 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups mixed add-ins (chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, coconut, broken crackers).

How to make it: 1. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment. 2. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. 4. Fold in the add-ins and spread in the pan. 5. Bake at 350°F for 22 to 26 minutes. 6. Cool before cutting.

Toffee Pretzel Bars

These bars start with a layer of mini pretzels in a sheet pan, topped with bubbling homemade toffee and a blanket of melted chocolate. They taste like a fancy candy shop treat, but they come together with butter, brown sugar and a bag of chips. The pretzels stay crunchy under the toffee, and a sprinkle of pecans and sea salt finishes them off. Break them into pieces or cut them into neat bars for a holiday cookie tray.

You will need: 4 cups mini pretzel twists, 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, flaky sea salt.

How to make it: 1. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and spread the pretzels in one layer. 2. Boil the butter, brown sugar and salt for 3 minutes, stirring. 3. Pour over the pretzels and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. 4. Scatter the chocolate chips, wait 3 minutes and spread smooth. 5. Top with pecans and sea salt, chill until firm and cut.

Peanut Butter Kitchen Sink Cookies

If peanut butter is the one jar you always have, build your cookie around it. Peanut butter kitchen sink cookies use a soft, salty peanut butter dough loaded with oats, chopped roasted peanuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and a handful of crispy cereal. They bake up thick with the classic crosshatch look if you press them with a fork. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter both work; crunchy adds even more texture. Serve them with a cold glass of milk and watch the plate empty.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup oats, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter chips, 1/2 cup crisp rice cereal.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy. 2. Beat in the egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt. 4. Fold in the oats, peanuts, chips and cereal. 5. Roll into balls, press with a fork and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

No-Bake Chocolate Cornflake Clusters

When the oven is full or the kitchen is already hot, these no-bake clusters come to the rescue. Melted chocolate, a spoonful of golden syrup or honey and a little butter turn the last of a cereal box into crunchy treats in about 30 minutes. Spoon them into paper cases and press a candy or two on top, or swap half the chocolate for butterscotch chips and peanut butter for a sweet, salty twist. Kids can help with the stirring and scooping once the mixture cools slightly.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or half butterscotch chips), 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons golden syrup or honey, pinch of salt, 4 cups cornflakes cereal, optional small candies or chopped peanuts for the tops, paper baking cases.

How to make it: 1. Set 18 paper cases on a tray. 2. Melt the chips, butter and syrup in a bowl over barely simmering water or in short microwave bursts, stirring until smooth. 3. Add the salt. 4. Gently fold in the cornflakes until coated. 5. Spoon into the cases, press candies on top and chill 30 minutes to set.