If you’re on the hunt for a cookie that’s both crunchy and chewy with a surprising salty twist, let me introduce you to my favorite **Potato Chip Cookies Recipe**. This one’s a fan-freaking-tastic treat that combines buttery sweetness with the addictive crunch of salted potato chips — trust me, once you try these, standard cookies will feel a little one-dimensional. I absolutely love how these cookies come together with simple ingredients but deliver a complex flavor and texture that everyone goes crazy for. Let’s dive in!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Balance of Sweet & Salty: The salted potato chips add an unexpected pop of savory crunch that elevates these cookies beyond your usual sweet treat.
- Easy to Make: With just a handful of pantry staples, this recipe comes together quickly and is beginner-friendly.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Whether it’s for a casual snack or a holiday party, these cookies always disappear fast.
- Deliciously Unique Texture: You get the soft, buttery cookie base combined with crispy, ruffled potato chip morsels that make every bite delightful.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Before you get rolling, let’s talk about your ingredients. The magic here comes from the salted ruffled potato chips—they’re essential for that crunch and salty lift. Also, I recommend using real unsalted butter for the best buttery flavor and control over salt.
- Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature for easy creaming with sugars and a rich, creamy texture.
- Ruffled salted potato chips: Those ruffles hold onto just the right amount of salt and provide a crunchy texture—regular or flat chips won’t give quite the same effect.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that complements the salty chips.
- Granulated sugar: Helps with structure and a slight crisp edge.
- Large egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness.
- Vanilla extract: Essential for depth and warm aroma.
- Kosher salt: Just a touch to balance the sweetness (don’t overdo it since chips already have salt).
- All-purpose flour: Choose a good quality flour for tender cookies.
Variations
I love that this Potato Chip Cookies Recipe is super flexible, so have fun tweaking it! I’ve tried adding chocolate chips or swapping out vanilla extract for almond, and both are seriously delicious twists.
- Chocolate Chip Twist: Adding a half cup of mini chocolate chips really elevates the cookie, creating a salty-sweet-chocolate combo that my family adores.
- Spicy Kick: For something unexpected, sprinkle in a pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika to the dough for a subtle heat that contrasts beautifully with the salty chips.
- Gluten-Free Option: Substitute all-purpose flour with a trusted gluten-free blend and bake a bit longer—just watch the edges so they don’t over-brown.
- Double Chip: Mix in crushed pretzels along with potato chips for extra texture and a fun flavor punch.
How to Make Potato Chip Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Soften Butter and Prep Potato Chips
Start by letting your two sticks of unsalted butter sit out at room temperature—this makes creaming it with sugars so much easier and results in smoother dough. While you wait, grab your ruffled salted potato chips and place about 3 1/2 ounces in a large zip-top bag. Press out the air and gently crush them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a small pan. The chips should break into pieces about half an inch big—too fine and they’ll disappear in the dough; too large and it’ll be hard to scoop the cookies evenly.
Step 2: Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets
Preheat your oven to 375ºF, and position two racks to divide the oven into thirds—this helps cookies bake evenly if you’re doing multiple sheets at once. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; parchment tends to brown the cookie bottoms more, which I personally prefer for that crunchy edge.
Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugars
Using your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the softened butter with ½ cup packed light brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture lightens in color and looks fluffy—this takes about 3 to 4 minutes. This step is key to incorporating air, so don’t rush it.
Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients and Salt
Beat in one large egg, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Continue mixing on medium speed for 30 seconds to a minute until everything is fully combined. Remember to scrape down the sides once or twice to make sure nothing is left behind.
Step 5: Incorporate Flour and Potato Chips
Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and stir it in on the lowest speed just until you see it almost combined—about 30 seconds. Then gently fold in those crushed potato chips by hand with a spatula, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Your dough will be thick and sticky, which is totally normal.
Step 6: Drop and Bake
Using a spoon, drop level tablespoons of dough onto your lined baking sheets, spacing each cookie at least 2 inches apart to give them room to spread. You don’t need to roll these into balls—loosely dropped dough works perfectly. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate your baking sheets front to back and switch racks. Bake for another 4 to 5 minutes more until the edges and bottoms turn a beautiful light golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This cool-down time lets them set without losing that soft center. If you have leftover dough, reuse your parchment or mats for the next batch to make life easier.
Pro Tips for Making Potato Chip Cookies Recipe
- Use Ruffled Potato Chips: Their texture grips the dough better and gives that satisfying crunch you want.
- Don’t Overmix the Flour: Mix just until combined to avoid tough cookies—some streaks of flour are okay.
- Watch the Baking Time Closely: Every oven is different; start checking at 11 minutes total to avoid overbaking and keep them soft inside.
- Cool on Baking Sheet First: Letting cookies rest ensures they don’t fall apart when you transfer them to a rack.
How to Serve Potato Chip Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I like to keep these cookies simple, but if I’m feeling fancy, a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before baking makes them look extra special and amps up the salty-sweet appeal. For a little crunch on top, you could also gently press a few whole chips onto each cookie before baking.
Side Dishes
These Potato Chip Cookies go wonderfully with a cold glass of milk (classic for a reason!) or a cup of bold black coffee. I’ve even paired them with a smooth scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent dessert.
Creative Ways to Present
For gatherings, I like to arrange these cookies on a rustic wooden board garnished with fresh mint leaves and small bowls of caramel sauce or chocolate ganache for dipping—it’s a fun way to impress guests and make your snack table pop.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and honestly, they stay fresh and soft for up to 4 days. If your kitchen’s warm, pop an oxygen absorber sachet in the container to help maintain that perfect texture.
Freezing
You can freeze these cookies either as baked or as raw dough. When freezing the dough, I scoop out the cookies on the tray and freeze them uncovered for about an hour, then transfer to a sealed bag—this way you can pop them in the oven directly from frozen and bake a few at a time.
Reheating
If you want to reheat cookies, I recommend warming them in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes on a baking sheet — this refreshes the texture and melts some of the butter inside for that freshly-baked feel.
FAQs
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Can I use regular salted potato chips instead of ruffled ones?
While you can, I highly recommend using ruffled potato chips because their ridges hold onto the dough better and provide a crunchier texture. Regular flat chips break down more easily and won’t add as much texture contrast.
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What’s the best way to crush the potato chips?
Place chips in a zip-top bag, seal it, then gently bash with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan until pieces are about ½ inch. Avoid crushing too finely into crumbs or too roughly into huge chunks.
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Can I substitute the butter with margarine or oil?
For best flavor and texture, use unsalted butter. Margarine or oils might change the cookie’s consistency and taste, producing a less buttery or greasy result.
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Do these cookies keep well?
Yes! When stored properly in an airtight container, they stay fresh and soft for several days. For longer storage, freezing is a great option.
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Can I add other mix-ins like nuts or chocolate chips?
Absolutely! Feel free to fold in your favorites—chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or sea salt flakes all work wonderfully and add extra dimension.
Final Thoughts
This Potato Chip Cookies Recipe has become my little secret weapon when I want to wow friends or just nibble on something uniquely satisfying at home. The mix of salty chips and sweet dough hits that perfect spot that keeps me coming back for more. I hope you’ll give it a try soon—you might just find it becoming a staple in your cookie rotation (like it did for me!). Happy baking, and don’t forget to share with those you love!
PrintPotato Chip Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 45 (2-inch) cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delightfully soft sugar cookies enhanced with the salty crunch of ruffled potato chips for a unique and irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 1/2 ounces ruffled salted potato chips (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl for hand mixing. Meanwhile, place the salted ruffled potato chips into a large zip-top bag, press out excess air, and seal. Gently crush the chips using a rolling pin or the bottom of a small pan into pieces no larger than 1/2-inch; this should yield about 1 1/2 cups of crushed chips.
- Preheat Oven: Arrange two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 375ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and promote even browning on the bottoms.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the butter. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the large egg, vanilla extract, and kosher salt into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle attachment with a spatula to ensure even mixing.
- Add Flour: Add the all-purpose flour to the mixture and beat on the lowest speed for about 30 seconds until the dough is nearly combined.
- Fold in Potato Chips: Fold the crushed potato chips into the dough by hand with a flexible spatula until no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Portion Dough: Drop level tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Aim for about 15 cookies per sheet. No need to roll the dough into balls.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 8 minutes. Then rotate the baking sheets between racks and front to back. Continue baking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until bottoms and edges turn light golden brown.
- Cool and Repeat: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Bake any remaining dough on the cooled baking sheets; parchment or mats can be reused.
Notes
- Soft sugar cookies complemented by the salty crunch of ruffled potato chips create a unique and addictive texture contrast.
- Lightly crushed potato chips ensure each bite has a delightful crunchy surprise without overwhelming the cookie.
- Using parchment paper helps cookies brown evenly on the bottom and prevents sticking during baking.
- Cookies are best enjoyed once completely cooled to allow flavors and texture to set properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 13.1 g
- Sodium: 133 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.7 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg