Couch Potato Cookies

Couch Potato Cookies

chocolate chip cookies with potato chip crumbs and pretzel nuggets

When I saw Deb’s Potato Chip Cookies on Smitten Kitchen, I knew it was time to share something I’ve been keeping to myself: Couch Potato Cookies. Take the best homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world and up the ante with salty kettle chip crumbs and crunchy chunks of Dutch pretzel. I know, right?

I’m sorry. It was wrong of me not to share this sooner.

I started experimenting back in December, when I was trying to decide what to make for last year’s holiday gift. From the very first batch, it was clearly a winner—and when I posted that picture on Facebook, seeking the perfect name for them, Emily of Nomnivorous struck quippy gold: Couch Potato Cookies.

It took several attempts to find the ideal balance of toffee-ish dough, pleasantly gritty shards of thick-cut chips, and hunks of kosher-salted pretzels. (Cue violins: Poor me, forced to eat amazing-but-not-perfect chocolate chip cookies by the dozen.) In addition to the right proportion of add-ins, the key is in not refrigerating overnight. You don’t want those dry chips and pretzels sucking the moisture from the dough.

Friends, the recipe below is it. The dough retains the chewiness of the original cookie, with the finely crushed chips lending heft and the pretzel nuggets acting as buried treasure. Salty, crunchy treasure.

If you’re intrigued by the notion of mixing all your junk food options into one extravagant bite, check out these recipes:

Pretzel Toffee from Sara Bakes Cakes
Caramel, Chocolate, and Pretzel Pie from Good.Food.Stories
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel & Cranberry Popcorn Balls from Savoring the Thyme
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with a Salty Pretzel Crust from Simply Scratch
Potato Chip Brownie Sundaes from My Kids Eat Squid

Got one of your own? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Couch Potato Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

The easiest way to crush those chips & pretzels? Stick first one, then the other, in a gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, seal it, and smash away with a rolling pin or heavy skillet.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
6 to 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks (one generous cup)
1 cup finely crushed kettle chips (most of a 6-ounce bag)
1/2 cup crushed Dutch pretzels, with some chunks remaining (about 3 large pretzels)

  1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on low speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
  3. Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
  4. On low speed, add the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chunks, crushed potato chips, and crushed pretzels, and mix until they are just incorporated. If using a hand mixer, use a wooden spoon to stir them in. Refrigerate dough for about an hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Adjust racks to lower and upper thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Spoon the dough, using a large cookie scooper or a tablespoon, 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
  6. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still soft, almost underdone-looking, in the center. To ensure even baking, turn the sheets front to back and switch racks halfway through.
  7. Remove the sheets from the oven and carefully slide the parchment or silicone mats directly onto a work surface. When cookies are set, remove them to a cooling rack. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving or 20 minutes before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
  8. By the hammer of Thor! These are good.

MAKE BABY FOOD: They’re all for you, my dears.