Easter Trash Cookies (Printable)

Playful mix of candy, pretzels, and marshmallows in soft cookies

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking soda
03 - ½ tsp 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 tsp 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 Make:

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 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 blend dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Gently fold 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 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 rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're basically an excuse to eat candy for breakfast without anyone judging you
  • The sweet and salty combo hits every single craving at once
  • Perfect for using up all those half-empty bags of Easter treats
02 -
  • The centers will look underdone when you pull them out, but that's exactly how they should be
  • Overbaking even by a minute will make them lose that signature chewy texture
  • Room temperature ingredients make a huge difference in how the dough comes together
03 -
  • Press a few extra candies into the tops before baking for that picture-perfect look
  • Rotating the baking sheets halfway through ensures even browning

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