Sweet and Salty Potato Chip Cookies

These potato chip cookies are wonderfully textured, with crisp edges, soft and chewy centers, and a salty crunch from crushed potato chips in every bite. If you enjoy sweet and salty desserts, this easy cookie recipe is a fun one to bake. There is no chilling time required, and you do not need an electric mixer.

Adding potato chips to cookie dough may sound unusual at first, but it makes perfect sense once you taste the finished cookies. The chips bring a savory crunch that balances the sweetness of the dough and chocolate, creating a cookie that feels familiar and surprising at the same time.

This potato chip cookie recipe is especially good for anyone who loves desserts with contrast. The edges bake up crisp, the centers stay tender, and the chips add little pockets of salty texture throughout. It is a simple recipe, but the flavor is memorable.

If potato chips are one of your favorite snacks, this is a great way to turn them into a homemade dessert. The recipe is easy enough for a weeknight and interesting enough to share with guests.

This version uses browned butter for a rich, nutty flavor, along with brown sugar and granulated sugar for a balanced texture. Chocolate chips are included because their smooth sweetness works beautifully with the salty crunch of the potato chips.

If you prefer, you can leave out the chocolate chips. Replace them with more crushed potato chips for a stronger salty crunch, or simply omit them for a slightly flatter cookie. However, the chocolate adds a lovely richness that makes the cookie feel more complete.

Step by Step Overview:

Start by preparing the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and sea salt until evenly combined:

Only a small amount of salt is needed because the potato chips already add saltiness to the dough. This recipe also does not use baking powder or baking soda, which helps create the intended texture.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine room-temperature brown butter with equal amounts of granulated sugar and brown sugar:

Brown butter gives these potato chip cookies a deeper flavor and a warm, toasty aroma. If you do not want to use brown butter, regular melted butter may be used instead. Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar both work well, so use whichever you have on hand.

Whisk the butter and sugars together until combined, then add one large egg and vanilla extract:

Whisk the wet ingredients for 30 to 60 seconds, until the mixture looks thick, glossy, and smooth:

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients:

Mix until the dough begins to come together. For the best texture, stop just before the flour is fully absorbed:

Add the crushed potato chips and chocolate chips:

Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the potato chips and chocolate chips. This should finish incorporating the remaining flour without overmixing the dough.

Semisweet chocolate chips are a great choice, but milk chocolate, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips can also be used if you prefer a different flavor.

Use a large cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Six cookies per pan is ideal because the cookies need room to spread.

Roll each scoop into a smooth ball, then gently flatten it with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass:

Bake on the center rack of a 350 F oven for about 12 minutes. Watch carefully near the end of baking. The cookies are ready when the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven before the cookies look fully set. They will continue to cook slightly from the residual heat after they come out of the oven.

Let the potato chip cookies cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. They are especially delicious while still warm, when the chocolate is soft and the centers are chewy.

If you enjoy simple cookie recipes, these sweet and salty potato chip cookies are a great addition to your baking list.

Recipe FAQ and Tips

Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below to share how it turned out.

Potato Chip Cookies

Servings: 16 cookies

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Total Time: 22 mins

These potato chip cookies have crisp edges, chewy centers, and a salty crunch from crushed kettle-cooked potato chips.

Ingredients

• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour (8.75 oz by weight)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup brown butter (unsalted)
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup crushed kettle-cooked potato chips (1.3 oz by weight)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (semisweet recommended)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sea salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is thick, glossy, and well combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until the flour is almost fully incorporated.
• Fold in the crushed potato chips and chocolate chips with a spatula until evenly distributed.
• Scoop the dough onto the prepared pan using a large cookie scoop. Roll each portion into a smooth ball, then flatten gently with a glass or measuring cup. Bake no more than 6 cookies per half sheet pan for best spacing.
• Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked.
• Cool the cookies on a wire rack for a few minutes, then enjoy warm.

Notes

Brown butter is made by cooking butter until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. If preferred, use regular melted butter instead.

This batch makes about 16 cookies. Baking in batches helps the cookies brown evenly. If baking two trays at once, rotate as needed and watch carefully.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is intended as a general guideline.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Fifteen Spatulas