Kitchen Sink Cookies

Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies LOADED with all the good stuff–pecans, almonds, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips!

Last month, I FINALLY made it up to Seattle. Considering I live just 3 hours away, it’s pretty pathetic that it took me over 28 years to drive up to one of the most major cities in the US. Oh well…better late than never, right?

Anyway, being that this was my very first trip to Seattle, Pike’s Place was an absolute must. After all, it truly is a food lover’s (and blogger’s) paradise. So many tasty and unique eateries, cheese shops, fruit and veggie stands, dessert stands, and bakeries! In fact, today’s recipe was inspired by one of the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had that came from a tiny bakery stand in Pike’s Place.

I can’t remember the name of the cookie or even the bakery (sorry!), but it was D-E-licious–soft, perfectly chewy, moist, hearty, and filled so many different textures and flavors! There were oats, almonds, peanuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and probably several other ingredients that totally slipped my memory as I engulfed the entire cookie within seconds. And the fact that it was an oatmeal cookie with everything BUT raisins pretty much won me over.

From that moment on, I made it my mission to come up with a recipe just as heavenly and full of deliciousness. So here it is…

They’re basically oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on steroids.

Unlike some oatmeal cookies which tend to be dried-out, flat, or overly crispy, these cookies are soft, thick, perfectly chewy, and ultra flavorful. To get that perfect chewy to softness ratio, I did two things. First, I used twice the amount of brown sugar as white sugar. Not only does brown sugar add more of that maple-y molasses flavor which is key to the perfect oatmeal cookie, but it also provides more moisture. Second, I added dry vanilla pudding mix to the dough. In addition to boosting the sweetness factor, the cornstarch in the pudding mix assures that these cookies remain soft and chewy.

Not only are these cookies brimming with loads of chewy oats, crunchy almonds, and chopped pecans, but they also contain a trio–I mean, quartet of chips. Hey, I was NOT joking around when I said these cookies were STUFFED.

This is when my lack of decision-making skills worked out for the best. Since I couldn’t decide on just one, or two, or even three different kinds of chips, I added four different kinds–semi-sweet, white chocolate, butterscotch, and peanut butter chips! 

Of course, if you’re the type who actually likes raisins in their oatmeal cookies, feel free to throw in a handful of raisins in place of some of the chocolate chips. But why would anyone choose dried-up, wrinkly fruit over chocolate?? 

Crazy kids.

These cookies do require some chilling before baking. I know, the last thing you want to do is wait even LONGER to dive into these glory-filled cookies, but it’s definitely worth the wait. The dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours if you want those wonderfully thick and chewy cookies instead of flat, crunchy discs. 

Also, try not to over-bake the cookies. What I mean is, don’t wait until they look done. This might sound counterintuitive, but the key to long-lasting softness and chewiness in cookies is removing them from the oven when the edges are set, yet the centers still look glossy and a little under-done. Trust me, the cookies will continue to bake and firm up as they cool on the baking sheets. It’s a little something called residual heat. 

I have to say, I’m very pleased with how these cookies turned out. They taste just as heavenly as the one I had in Seattle.

If not, better…

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies LOADED with all the good stuff--pecans, almonds, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 11 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 41 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 3 Dozen

Ingredients

  

• 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup quick cook oats
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup white chocolate chips
• ½ cup butterscotch chips
• ½ cup peanut butter chips
• ½ cup pecans coarsely chopped
• ½ cup almonds coarsely chopped

Instructions

 

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, use a fork or whisk to stir flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition, followed by the vanilla. Add the pudding mix and continue beating until combined. Stir in the flour mixture, then add the oats, mixing on low until combined. Remove bowl from stand mixer and use a wooden spoon to stir in the chips and nuts. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Scoop chilled cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. Slightly flatten the tops by gently pressing on each cookie to allow them to bake more evenly in the oven.
• Bake at for 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and still appearing soft in the centers--they will continue to bake as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
• Cookies will remain fresh and soft when stored in an airtight container for up to one week.