Easter Trash Cookies (Printable Version)

Playful cookies loaded with colorful candies, pretzels, and sprinkles for a sweet-salty Easter dessert.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - ½ cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

09 - 1¼ cups pastel-colored candy-coated chocolates
10 - 1 cup mini pretzels, roughly broken
11 - ¾ cup crispy rice cereal
12 - ½ cup white chocolate chips
13 - ½ cup mini marshmallows
14 - ⅓ cup sprinkles
15 - ½ cup roasted salted peanuts or chopped pecans (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually mix in dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Gently fold in candy-coated chocolates, pretzel pieces, rice cereal, white chocolate chips, marshmallows, sprinkles, and nuts if using.
07 - Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Centers should appear slightly underbaked for optimal texture.
09 - Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Perfect way to use up those half-empty bags of Easter candy and random pantry staples
  • Every bite is different salty pretzels, sweet marshmallows, crunchy cereal, and chocolate all folded into one chewy cookie
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough makes tough cookies, fold gently and stop as soon as the flour streaks disappear
  • Underbaking by one minute creates that perfect soft center, these continue cooking on the hot baking sheet
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients incorporate better, pull eggs and butter out 30 minutes before starting
  • Weighing flour is more accurate than cup measurements, 280 grams is your target

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