This Panera Copycat Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe is loaded with chocolate, caramel, salty pretzels, with soft, chewy centers.
Author’s Notes
The Cookie Secrets I Learned In Culinary School
I recently took a double batch of these cookies to a dinner party with homemade ice cream for cookie sundaes, and I don’t think I’ve EVER gotten more excited feedback on something I’ve baked. Everyone was obsessed, I came home with a completely clean platter, and I couldn’t wait to share the recipe here.
One thing culinary school really drove home for me was how much butter quality matters. We actually had an entire three-hour lecture on dairy, including butter, cream, and milk, and learned that some butter brands can be surprisingly inconsistent in fat content, which can completely change how baked goods turn out. There’s a reason great bakeries spend so much on high-quality butter even when cheaper options are available.
I learned to look for butter with around 82-83% fat, and Kerrygold is one option that’s easy to find in the States. It’s definitely more expensive than store-brand butter, but I swear it was one of the “secrets” to these cookies.
The other big secret to this kitchen sink cookie recipe is weighing your ingredients. I was required to bring a scale to class every single day because weighing is simply the most accurate way to bake and gives you much more consistent results.
A few other little upgrades make a difference too: very soft dark brown sugar for extra moisture and flavor, plus double-fold vanilla extract, which gives you twice the vanilla flavor without adding extra liquid.
I know this makes the cookies sound a little fussy, but this is exactly how I make them when I want the absolute BEST version. However, I did still test them with regular store-brand butter, light brown sugar, and standard vanilla extract and they work out just fine. I just don’t want to “gate-keep” the little things that take them to the next level! I hope you love this recipe!
Chelsea’s Notes
What Exactly Is A Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe?
It’s a loaded cookie with a mix of sweet and salty add-ins. This version is inspired by Panera’s Kitchen Sink Cookie and has chocolate, caramel, pretzels, and flaky sea salt.
The Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe Mix-In Formula
If you’re experimenting, I like thinking about the mix-ins in three categories:
Something chocolatey + something chewy + something salty/crunchy.
For this recipe that’s:
Chocolate + caramel + pretzels
It’s such a good balance because you aren’t just adding five different sweet ingredients to an already-sweet cookie. I found that adding the pretzels and caramels during the last 2-4 minutes keeps the caramel from burning and the pretzels fresh and crunchy!
Storage
Nothing beats one of these fresh out of the oven!
Once this kitchen sink cookie recipe completely cools, store leftovers in an airtight container.
If you want freshly baked cookies without making an entire batch at once, freezing the dough is my favorite option.
Freeze Kitchen Sink Cookie Dough:
Shape the cookie dough balls and freeze them for up to 3 months. Bake the dough straight from frozen and add about 2 to 3 extra minutes to the baking time.
This is also a VERY good recipe to keep in the freezer for those times when you suddenly need dessert. Or when you just want one really good warm cookie.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes:
Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Large pan plus silicone baking mats
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons Kerrygold unsalted butter cold, see note 1
- 1 cup (208g) dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 2/3 cup (142g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract I use double-strength
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (475g) all-purpose flour weigh it! See note 2
- 1 cup (185g) mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup (157g) chocolate melting wafers or baking bar, coarsely chopped
- 22 Werther's soft caramels each unwrapped and cut into 3 pieces
- 22 pretzel twists
- Flaky sea salt optional, for topping
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a metal sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes. Add butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until creamy and smooth, with a consistency similar to peanut butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined. Add the flour (weigh for accuracy if possible) and mix just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing. Add both types of chocolate chips and mix briefly to distribute.
- Portion the dough into 65-gram balls, about 1/4 cup packed dough each. Place only 6 dough balls at a time on the prepared pan, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven. Working quickly, use the back of a metal spatula to gently press in any edges that have spread outwards unevenly. For each cookie, cut 1 unwrapped caramel into 3 pieces. Press the pieces into the top center of the cookie, keeping them away from the edges so the caramel doesn’t melt down the sides. Break 1 pretzel into pieces and gently press them into the top as well.
- Return the cookies to the oven for another 1–3 minutes, or until the tops no longer look wet or gooey. Don’t overbake. These cookies are best slightly under-baked and will firm up significantly as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and immediately press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops, if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a full 10 minutes. They are very delicate while hot. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
