You’ll find everything but the kitchen sink in these vegan Kitchen Sink Cookies! Chock full of pretzels, dairy free chocolate, caramel bites, and finished with flake salt, the chewy and chocolatey bites are impossible to pass up.
Open up your cupboards and see what you can find to put in these vegan Kitchen Sink Cookies. They’re packed with all kinds of sweet and salty treats, like caramel pieces, dairy free chocolate, and salted pretzels. Top them with a little flake salt and enjoy the chewy, chocolatey bites!
Looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe? Go make my Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Why are they called kitchen sink cookies?
With every bite, you’ll discover plenty of sweet treats and mix-ins in these cookies. In other words, they’re made with everything but the kitchen sink!
They’re chewy cookies inspired by the real kitchen sink cookies sold at Panera Bread. Their cookies are filled with the same sweet and salty mix-ins as this recipe but aren’t vegan-friendly.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Vegan butter – I’ve tried making cookies with countless vegan butter brands, as well as my own homemade vegan butter. I’ve had success with many, but my favorite brand is Miyoko’s. You can try substituting melted refined coconut oil, but it may change the texture and flavor. If you want to use coconut oil, try these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
- Light brown sugar – Brown sugar gives the cookies a deep, molasses-like flavor, just like classic chocolate chip cookies. If you don’t have brown sugar, use coconut sugar or granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of molasses instead.
- Soy milk – You can make these cookies with any kind of dairy free milk, like oat milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour – This is my go-to flour for most of my cookie recipes, but if you need them to be gluten free, you can substitute a gluten free flour blend. I usually have great results with Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, and Better Batter. I don’t recommend using almond flour, unless you want to fill these Almond Flour Cookies with the same “kitchen sink” add-ins from this recipe.
- Cornstarch – This helps the cookies be extra soft and chewy. Tapioca starch or arrowroot will work as substitutes, or you can leave it out if needed.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vegan chocolate – Chop a dark chocolate bar into chunks or use vegan chocolate chips instead.
- Vegan caramels – I used Cocomel vegan caramels and chopped them into small pieces. Homemade vegan toffee bits also work. You could probably swirl some vegan caramel sauce in, but I haven’t tried it.
- Salted pretzels – Any kind of vegan-friendly salted pretzels will work.
- Flaky or coarse sea salt – Just a sprinkle on the baked cookies will enhance the flavors and make them pop!
How to make kitchen sink cookies
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Add the vegan butter and brown sugar together to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to cream the two together until you have a creamy and smooth mixture.
Next, mix in the soy milk and vanilla.
Turn off the mixer and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix them in slowly until the dough just comes together.
Finish the cookie dough by folding in the chocolate, caramel pieces, and pretzels.
Cover the bowl with a layer of plastic and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Just before baking, form the cookie dough into small, evenly-sized balls. Place them on a lined baking sheet, then bake.
You’ll know the cookies are baked through when they’re golden around the edges. They may look soft and underdone when you take them out, but they’ll firm up as they cool.
Sprinkle flake salt on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Then, let them cool completely on a wire rack to help them taste even chewier and more delicious. Enjoy!
More mix-in ideas
Don’t worry about using every single mix-in from this recipe – mix and match as you like! All of these sweet and salty mix-ins will pair well:
- Potato chips
- Crushed nuts or seeds
- Rice cereal
- Candy-coated chocolate
- Chopped vegan white chocolate
- Vegan marshmallows
- Dried fruit, like cranberries or raisins
- Sprinkles
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it’s best to chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. The cold temperatures will solidify the warm butter in the dough and prevent the cookies from spreading in the oven.
If you want to speed up this process, place the dough in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes instead.
No! These cookies are nut free. If you want to add nuts, fold your favorite chopped nuts into the dough with the other add-ins.
My copycat kitchen sink cookies are similar to the real Panera cookies and made with the same mix-ins, like pretzels, chocolate, caramel, and flake salt. The only difference is that my version uses vegan ingredients!
Storing and freezing
Keep the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 or 3 days. Or store them in the fridge to help them last a few days longer.
If you want to freeze the raw cookie dough for later, roll the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer the balls to a freezer-friendly container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
They can be baked right from frozen but may need a few extra minutes in the oven. No need to defrost the dough.
The baked cookies also freeze well for about 1 or 2 months. The frozen caramel will be too hard to eat, so it helps to let them rest on the counter before eating.
Want more chewy vegan cookies?
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Vegan Ginger Cookies
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup soy milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup vegan caramels, chopped small I used Cocomel
- 1/2 cup crushed or chopped salted pretzels
- flaky or coarse sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar together until creamy and smooth.
- Add the soy milk and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Stop the mixer and add the flour, then sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda and salt on top of the flour. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate, caramel pieces and pretzel pieces.
- Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet a few inches apart.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time in the center rack for 9-12 minutes, until golden on the edges. They will still appear quite soft but firm up as they cool so do not over bake.
- Sprinkle the cookies with coarse salt. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Wait 20 minutes or so to eat if you can, as they will become chewier and delicious. Enjoy!
I subbed peanut butter chips for the caramel because they weren’t at my local grocery store, but they turned out amazing!! One of the best desserts I’ve made
I’m so thrilled you loved the cookies! Thanks for sharing your fabulous review and comments!
The best (worst) cookies around. They’re so good that they’re incredibly dangerous to keep in the house. I made the mistake of double batching because YUM but I will tell you that if you eat nothing but cookies all day, you won’t feel well. Next time I make these I’ll be sure to have somewhere to take them far away from me. Off I go to eat a salad…
(Thanks for the delicious recipe)
Wow!!!These are absolutely delicious. Couldn’t wait for them to cool. Thanks for another great recipe.
You bet, Tiffany! Thank you sharing your wonderful review!
These cookies were a hit for my housemates and I! I didn’t have the caramels so I used Trader Joe’s marshmellows and they turned out amazing! Love!!!
They sound delicious with marshmallows! I appreciate your fantastic review and feedback! Thank you!
I was very skeptical of this recipe because it has no binding agent! However, Nora never lets me down with awesome & easy vegan recipes (+ the reviews were great)
Sure enough, these cookies turned out incredible!! They look and taste delicious, plus I love that you can add whatever you please.
One note is that the caramel does melt a lot which I think adds to the spreadage of the cookies – so just beware! Still delish and will DEFINITELY make again 🙂 thanks Nora!!
You bet, Jill! I’m glad you tried them…and loved them! Thanks for your stellar feedback and review! Happy baking!
These are DANGEROUS. Currently making my third batch , so delicious. I’m adding m&m’s and chopped walnuts 🤪
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and feedback!
Mine spread too especially the caramel – next time I’ll beat the butter (I used Earth Balance) and brown sugar longer. Mine weren’t the prettiest but they’re absolutely DELICIOUS!! 🤤
Hi! Could you add rolled oats to these? If so, how much do you recommend?
Thanks!
Very delicious! For my add ins I used the cocomel caramels as you suggested, half dark chocolate chips and half white chocolate chips, a little shredded coconut, and some dandies marshmallows. They were excellent. I trusted your instructions to take them out even though they looked undercooked and they turned out great.
Hi Laura. I’m so glad your cookies turned out excellent! Your add ins sound so good! Thanks for your great feedback!
Ahh! These are absolutely delicious!! I made them for a party where I think I was the only vegan and received many, many compliments. People went out of their way to tell me how good they were. I couldn’t find the regular caramels at my store so I pulsed the Cocomel chocolate covered caramel balls a few times in the food processor and it worked fine.
Yay! I’m so happy the cookies were a hit at the party! Thank you for sharing this great experience, and wonderful feedback! Great tip about the Cocomel chocolate covered caramel balls!
I made these this weekend & they are delicious! They did come out very flat for me though, any idea what I did wrong?
So glad you enjoyed them! It’s possible the butter was too warm, or the butter and sugar weren’t beaten together for long enough. Both can cause the cookies to spread.
The cocomels I have are a little tough. They take a lot of work to chew even though they’re considered “soft”. I’m worried they won’t stay soft in a cookie. Do they harden back up when the cookies cool?
If they are a bit tough they might be that way after the cookies cool as well. Mine are quite soft, until they get a bit old.
Where can I find vegan chocolate chips? Everyone I check says may contain milk. I cannot use these.
Hi there! It can be tricky, but I can almost always find vegan friendly chocolate chips. Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy free, as well as Trader Joe’s brand and some other store brands. If you need to, you can buy Enjoy Life brand on Amazon, but that’s a pricier option I try to avoid if possible.
These cookies were delish! We added chopped pecans and it was oh so chewy! Another stunning recipe! We can always count on you Nora!
Thank you, Meera, for your glowing feedback and review! I’m really glad you loved the cookies!
When do you add the flaky salt?
Sprinkle flake salt on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven!
Can you please explain the benefits of adding cornstarch to the recipe? Is it possible to omit or is there a substitute? Thanks!
It makes them a little extra chewy and keeps them soft. You can omit if it you’d like though, the recipe will still work. Thanks!