Alright, hear me out: Santa’s Trash Cookies might just be the most chaotic (and delicious) cookies you’ll ever make.
Picture this—a soft, chewy cookie base packed with all your favorite salty-sweet snacks like pretzels, potato chips, M&Ms, chocolate chips, and, of course, festive sprinkles. It’s like a holiday party in every bite! These cookies are fun, over-the-top, and honestly, exactly what you need when the holidays are in full swing, and you want to bake something that feels effortless but still super festive. Trust me, Santa won’t leave a crumb behind.
So grab your mixing bowl, raid your pantry, and let’s whip up some Christmas magic!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Sweet Meets Salty Magic: The combo of chocolate, pretzels, and potato chips creates a flavor explosion that’s both nostalgic and unexpected.
- Customizable Chaos: Don’t have M&Ms? Swap them for Reese’s Pieces, chopped candy canes, or even mini marshmallows. These cookies are super flexible.
- Holiday Vibes in Every Bite: The red and green sprinkles make these cookies feel like a party all on their own. Perfect for gift boxes or last-minute holiday baking.
- Easy to Make: No complicated steps here—just mix, bake, and enjoy.
- Ridiculously Delicious: Need I say more?
Santa's Trash Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the sugar
- Egg yolk: the protein in the egg yolks gives these cookies their extra chewy texture.
- Sugar: I used mostly brown sugar in this recipe that lends to the warm flavor of Santa's cookies.
- All purpose flour: gives the cookies their chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract: I always add vanilla in my cookies! It helps add depth of flavor.
- The mix ins: m&ms, pretzels, chocolate chips, potato chips, and sprinkles.
Tips for Making Santa's Trash Cookies
- Stick to Softened Butter: Don’t melt it! Softened butter gives you that perfect cookie texture—crispy edges and a chewy center.
- Don’t Overmix: When you add the mix-ins, fold them in gently to avoid crushing the pretzels and chips.
- Customize the Mix-Ins: Feel free to get creative! Add crushed candy canes, mini marshmallows, or even caramel bits.
- Watch the Bake Time: These cookies bake quickly, so keep an eye on them. You want the edges to be set but the centers to look slightly underbaked—they’ll finish baking as they cool.
- Use a cookie scoop to give your cookies the perfect shape.
Storage Tips
These cookies are so good that they might not even make it to the storage stage, but if you do have leftovers:
- Room Temp: Store them in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen—just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time. You can also freeze the baked cookies; just let them thaw at room temp before serving.
FAQs
Can I make these cookies with just m&ms? For sure. The batter may not be as thick without the other add-ins.
Can I make these cookies gluten-free? Yes! I would sub with 1:1 all purpose gluten-free flour.
Can I freeze the cookie dough? Yes, the cookie dough freezes well! Scoop the dough into balls, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Can I customize the mix-ins? Absolutely! The beauty of Santa’s Trash Cookies is their versatility. Swap in your favorite mix-ins like chopped nuts, white chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, or crushed candy canes for a festive twist.
If you make these Santa's Trash Cookies, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below, under the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Pinterest. For more ideas, check out my Holiday Recipes page.
Santa’s Trash Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Mix ins
- 1/2 cup M&Ms
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pretzels
- 1/3 cup potato chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 red and green sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the egg yolks one at a time, ensuring they are fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix again until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Gently fold in the M&Ms, semi-sweet chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, white chocolate chips, and festive red and green sprinkles. Make sure the mix-ins are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If you’d like a bakery-style look, press a few extra M&Ms or pretzels on top of the dough balls before baking.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers will look slightly underbaked—this is perfect for a chewy texture!
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