Easter Trash Cookies (Print Version)

Sweet and salty cookies packed with pastel candies, pretzels, marshmallows, and sprinkles for festive Easter baking.

# What You'll 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 Steps:

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, beat softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually mix in dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
06 - Gently fold in candy-coated chocolates, pretzel pieces, rice cereal, white chocolate chips, marshmallows, sprinkles, and nuts if using, until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Centers should appear slightly underbaked for a chewy texture.
09 - Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sweet and salty combo hits every craving at once
  • Perfect for using up those half empty bags from the pantry
  • Looks festive on any Easter dessert table
  • Kids go absolutely wild for the colors
02 -
  • Overmixing once you add the dry ingredients makes tough cookies
  • These spread more than typical cookies so give them room on the pan
  • Underbaking slightly keeps them chewy for days instead of turning rock hard
03 -
  • Break pretzels into different sizes so every bite has varied texture
  • Press the dough down slightly before baking if you want thinner cookies
  • Room temperature ingredients prevent the dough from separating while mixing

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