If you've met my parents via my social media before, you know that they are 100% cookie obsessed. If you know me I am cookie obsessed and perfected the best chocolate chip cookies recipe of all time, but we will save that post for another day. Back to my parents. I don't think I've ever been home to visit without finding at least a few dozen of my dads Kitchen Sink Cookies stashed in the freezer in case of an emergency. And by emergency, I really mean when the mood strikes to eat 5-6 cookies in one sitting. We are total cookie fanatics. It's part of our DNA. They just got into town for the week so we're making cookies with Poppy to celebrate!
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One of my favorite parts of going home is that my dad always makes me his famous Kitchen Sink Cookies. They've evolved over the years. What started as basic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have turned into something way more delicious and I seriously start craving them the second I hop on a plane to Seattle.
I make them plenty of times in my own kitchen, but for some reason they are always better when dad makes them. Kind of like his grilled cheese sandwiches. There's just no arguing it. So nowadays they are stuffed with chocolate chips, M&M's, dried cranberries and dried apricots. Genius. His Kitchen Sink Cookies are just slightly under baked and perfectly chewy, stuffed full of chocolate and that's just the way I like them.
Watch How to Make it
Ingredients
- Butter
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Old Fashioned Oats
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- M&M's
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Dried Apricots
How to Make Kitchen Sink Cookies
Start by preheating your oven to 375º F.
In a large stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides in between additions. Add the vanilla and incorporate.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, pulverized oats (just measure 2 ½ cups of oats and blend them in a high powered blender for a few seconds to break them down), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix everything together. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2 batches and mix on a low speed.
Add the M&M's, chocolate chips, dried cranberries and dried apricot and mix for a few seconds until just incorporated.
Using a medium sized cookie scoop, place 12 balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes depending on how chewy you want your cookies. I'm a 10.5 minute kind of cookie baker.
Remove the cookies from the oven once they are baked and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Tips & Tricks
Use room temperature butter - This will ensure that your Kitchen Sink Cookies spread evenly and don’t end up too flat.
Add a little salt - This will help to balance out the sweetness of the chocolate chips and give the Kitchen Sink Cookies a little flavor boost. I love Maldon.
Don’t overbake - The key to soft and chewy cookies is taking them out of the oven while they’re still slightly underbaked. Just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown.
How to cream together the butter and sugar - You have to let it cream together for 3 minutes to ensure the butter and sugar properly combine. The color should be a pale light yellow – here is a great color example.
How to measure flour - I am a scoop and level kinda girl. If you spoon and level, that will not result in enough flour. I scoop my measuring cup into the flour and then use a knife to level it out. When you mix everything together, just mix the dry ingredients until JUST combined. No need to over-mix.
FAQ's
What kind of butter is best for cookies?
Unsalted! I always use unsalted in my baked goods so I can add salt later to my preference! IF you use salted butter, please feel free, just skip the excess salt because it could be TOO salty and that’s hard to fix.
How to make chewy cookies?
The key to chewy cookies is brown sugar! I do a half and half combo of white sugar and brown sugar in this Kitchen Sink Cookie recipe. If you use only white sugar you'll get a more crispy cookie.
Can you freeze the dough?
Yes absolutely. Follow steps to make the dough and then portion into 2 tablespoon scoops and freeze on a flat surface. Once the balls are frozen, you can transfer the frozen balls into a zip-top bag and save for later. When ready to bake off the Kitchen Sink Cookies, let them sit on the counter for 15 minutes before baking at the same time and temp listed below.
How do you store these Kitchen Sink Cookies?
I prefer to bake them all, let them cool and then transfer to an air tight container and store in the freezer. Then when it’s time to eat, take a few out, let them come to room temp and devour.
Similar Recipes
- Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Perfect Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 26 Best Cookie Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Dad’s Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats pulverized
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup M&M's
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides in between additions. Add the vanilla and incorporate.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, pulverized oats (just measure 2 ½ cups of oats and blend them in a high powered blender for a few seconds to break them down), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix everything together. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2 batches and mix on a low speed.
- Add the M&M's, chocolate chips, dried cranberries and dried apricot and mix for a few seconds until just incorporated.
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop, place 12 balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes depending on how chewy you want your cookies. I'm a 10.5 minute kind of cookie baker.
- Remove the cookies from the oven once they are baked and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Freeze them as needed so you always have some on hand 🙂
Notes
- Keep these cookies in the freezer for when the craving hits!
- Feel free to swap out the additions, just keep it to about 4 cups total.
Nutrition Information
I have been following WGC for at least 6 years and I have seen these cookies over and over on socials & the blog, I was skeptical...and all I can say now is how did I wait 6 years to make these? These are so freaking delicious! The combo of flavors and textures works so well & they freeze SO good (I froze after baking & letting them cool all the way)! It's a treat to have these stashed in the freezer!
If I want to freeze some, should I freeze them as dough balls prior to baking or bake them then freeze?
you could do either!!
Hi Gaby - do you have a go-to egg sub for cookies?
I have been making cookies for YEARS! I read this today and thot -- I haven't had anything good in the house since Christmas! OMG OMG the BEST cookie that has been produced in my kitchen -- and I'm 70 years old! The cranberry is the pop! My new cooking FOREVER! Thank you Gaby! I never miss any of your posts!
I AM HONORED!
I made a half batch of these, and was lazy so I just baked them in an 8x8 pan. They lasted a day! Clearly, a hit!
My new favorite cookie! The chewiness from the dried fruit is such a nice addition. 2nd time making them in 2 weeks- nighttime treat from freezer thanks for sharing your dad’s recipe!
These were incredible! Pulverized old fashioned oats are a game changer!
I made these cookies and wow! I had to sub butter with plant based butter (it’s all I had) and I subbed pumpkin seeds for the apricots. They are amazing.
Gaby- I need to buy bigger pants, I ate four cookies after dinner. Please include this as a recommendation when baking. I work at a hospital and will be baking more to give to each nursing unit. Big pants club unite!!!
What can you use as a substitute for the dried apricots?
any other chopped dried fruit
The recipe doesn’t say to chill them, but the YouTube video does say to chill them. Does it make that big of a difference?
its always good practice to chill - but its not imperative for this recipe
Is it ok to not pulverize the oats?
The best cookies! We've made them over and over again, sometimes changing up the mix-ins!
These have become my go to chocolate chip cookie, so good! I like to sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on the top when I take them out of the oven.
My toddler LOVES making these (well, pouring in ingredients and eating the M&Ms). Thanks for the fun recipe!