OUR SANTA'S TRASH COOKIES WILL NEVER GET TOSSED OUT

If you’re looking for a last-minute boost to place you comfortably on the nice list, these Christmas cookies are just the trick. Our Santa’s trash cookies start off just like a classic batch of chocolate chip cookies, but get punched up with Santa’s favorite snacks—pretzels and potato chips (yes, potato chips—just trust us)—to break up all that sweetness. The result is soft, tender cookies with crunchy, salty-sweet surprises inside. These cookies are so easy and adaptable that you can really add in whatever candy and snacks you have on hand, so feel free to experiment to find out your favorite combo.

Choosing your fillings:

We achieved our ideal sweet and salty combo with crushed potato chips, pretzels, chocolate chips, and sprinkles, but the fun doesn't stop there. Swap out the chocolate chips and sprinkles for some of your favorite candy or any you have on hand. M&M's, crushed Oreos, or dark chocolate chips would work great in these cookies, and peanut butter cups would add heaps to the sweet and salty factor. Not on board with the potato chips? We truly think the salty, crunchy factor is a game-changer, but you can also throw in roasted pecans or peanuts if you'd prefer.

Storage:

If you manage to have any leftovers, you can store them in a resealable container up to 1 week.

Made these cookies? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

Yields: 20 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 c.

  (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 c.

  (110 g.) packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 c.

  (100 g.) granulated sugar

• 1

  large egg

• 2 tsp.

  pure vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 c.

  (270 g.) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp.

  baking soda

• 1/4 tsp.

  kosher salt

• 1 1/4 c.

  semisweet chocolate chips

• 3/4 c.

  crushed potato chips

• 3/4 c.

  crushed pretzels

• 1/2 c.

  red and green sprinkles

• Flaky sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and kosher salt until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients to egg mixture and beat until just combined.
3. Gently fold in most of the chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels, and sprinkles (reserve some for pressing on tops of cookies).
4. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) and arrange on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Lightly press down on each cookie to flatten, then press reserved chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels, and sprinkles on top. Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Bake cookies until edges are just starting to get golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.

2025-12-16T21:47:42Z