Spooky Kitchen Sink Cookies

These Spooky Kitchen Sink Cookies are soft, fudgy chocolate cookies absolutely loaded with Halloween Oreos, chocolate chips, salty pretzels, candy corn and all kinds of spooky Halloween candy. Basically, if there was ever a time to throw everything into a cookie, it’s Halloween.

I used the same chocolate cookie base as my viral Chocolate Cookies & Cream Dipped Cookies. It’s rich, chewy and almost brownie like, with slightly crisp edges and a super fudgy center. Then I loaded them up with a mix of salty, sweet, crunchy and chocolatey toppings.

The best part is that no two cookies have to look exactly the same. Use the toppings I used, swap in your favorite Halloween candy or just use whatever you have sitting in the pantry.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

There is a LOT going on with these cookies, but underneath all of that Halloween candy is a really good chocolate cookie.

The dough is easy to make and only needs to chill for 30 minutes before baking. Chilling is important with this chocolate cookie base because it keeps the cookies thicker and prevents them from spreading too much in the oven. 

Then you get to the fun part.

Halloween Oreos add that bright orange creme and a little crunch, pretzels give you some salt, semisweet chocolate chips add even more chocolate, and the candy corn, candy eyes and spooky candies make them look completely over the top in the best way.

What Goes Into a Spooky Kitchen Sink Cookie?

Kitchen sink cookies are exactly what they sound like. A little bit of everything.

For mine, I used a combination of Halloween Oreos, semisweet chocolate chips, Halloween M&Ms, sprinkles and mini pretzels in the cookie dough. Then I saved more of everything to press into the tops after baking along with candy corn, candy eyeballs and assorted Halloween candies and decorations.

I especially love the Halloween Oreos because that orange creme looks so good against the dark chocolate cookies.

You also want a good mix of textures, salty and sweet. The cookies themselves are soft and fudgy, so the crunchy Oreos, pretzels and candy give you something different in every bite.

Don’t Love All of These Toppings? Get Creative!

The best part about kitchen sink cookies is that there really aren’t any rules. I love the combination I used, but you definitely don’t need to use every single thing I did. Use what you love, skip what you don’t and raid the Halloween candy aisle for anything that sounds good!

Here are a few ideas you could use instead:

Reese’s Pieces or chopped Reese’s Cups add peanut butter and chocolate.

Chopped Snickers, Twix or Kit Kats would be perfect if you want these to feel even more like a Halloween candy cookie.

Peanut butter chips are another easy way to bring in peanut butter without adding actual candy.

White chocolate chips or chunks look really pretty against the dark chocolate cookies.

Butterscotch chips would add a little something different.

Potato chips are perfect if you love that salty sweet combination.

Mini marshmallows would add a gooey element.

Halloween sprinkles are probably the easiest way to change up the colors.

And if you can’t find Halloween Oreos, regular Oreos work perfectly too.

My only recommendation is not to add every option at once. Pick a few favorites and keep the overall amount of mix ins relatively similar so there’s still enough cookie dough to hold everything together. And always save some of your best looking pieces for the tops!

Save Some Toppings for After Baking

This makes SUCH a difference in how the finished cookies look. You want plenty of goodies throughout the actual cookie, but don’t dump everything into the dough.

Reserve some of your Oreo pieces, pretzels and chocolate chips. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press those extra pieces into the tops while the cookies are still warm. This is also when I add the candy corn, candy eyes and decorative Halloween candies. You get those big, recognizable pieces on top instead of having everything disappear into the cookie while it bakes.

Don’t Bake the Candy Corn

I definitely recommend saving the candy corn for after baking (if you plan on using it). As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently press the candy corn into the warm tops. The cookies are still soft enough that it will stick as they cool.

I do the same thing with the candy eyes and any decorative candies that I don’t want melting or changing shape in the oven.

Keep Your Mix Ins Chunky

Don’t crush your Oreos or pretzels too finely. You want recognizable pieces throughout the cookies, especially on top. I roughly break the Oreos and pretzels so there’s a mixture of larger and smaller pieces.

Those irregular pieces are also what give kitchen sink cookies their completely loaded look.

How to Make Your Cookies Perfectly Round

If you’ve made one of my cookie recipes before, you probably already know this trick! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, grab a round cookie cutter or glass that’s slightly larger than the cookie. Place it around the warm cookie and gently move it in a circular motion. This pushes any uneven edges back toward the center and gives you a perfectly round cookie. You have to do it while the cookies are still hot and soft, so don’t wait.

For these cookies, I like to reshape them before pressing all of my extra Halloween toppings into the tops.

Recipe Tips

Chill the dough. Give the scooped cookie dough at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking. Cold dough helps control spreading and gives you thicker cookies. I keep the remaining cookie dough refrigerated while each batch bakes so every pan starts with cold dough. 

Use a cookie scoop. Evenly sized cookies bake evenly. I use my large cookie scoop (the largest in this set) and portion about 2½ to 3 tablespoons of dough for each cookie.  

Don’t overbake them. These bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, just until the edges are set. The centers can still look a little soft when you take them out. They’ll continue to set as they cool, which is what keeps the centers soft and fudgy.

Save your prettiest toppings. Don’t mix every Oreo, pretzel and chocolate chip into the dough. Keep some of the best pieces aside for decorating the tops.

Add delicate candy after baking. Candy corn, candy eyes and decorative Halloween candies should go onto the warm cookies after they come out of the oven.

Use a cookie sheet without sides. This is what I use for basically all of my cookie recipes. A regular jelly roll pan works too, but I find the cookies bake a little differently and the edges can brown faster. 

Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can scoop the cookie dough, cover it and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to bake.

You can also freeze the individual cookie dough balls. Freeze them until firm and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. When you’re ready to bake, you can bake them straight from frozen and add another minute or two to the baking time as needed.

I would still save the candy corn, candy eyes and decorative candies for after baking.

How to Store Spooky Kitchen Sink Cookies

Store the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.  You can also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving. If you’re specifically making them ahead to freeze, I would leave off some of the more decorative candies and add those later so they look their best.

These Spooky Kitchen Sink Cookies are basically Halloween in cookie form. They’re rich and fudgy, loaded with chocolate and Oreos, have just enough salty crunch from the pretzels and are covered in all of the fun Halloween candy you can fit on top. Use exactly what I did or make them your own with whatever candy you love. Either way, the messier and more loaded they look, the better!