Easter Trash Cookies (Print Version)

Playful Easter cookies mixing pretzels, pastel candies, white chocolate, and sprinkles for a sweet-salty festive treat.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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)

# Directions:

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.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
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 them 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 9–11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Centers will look slightly underbaked.
09 - Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of salty pretzels and sweet candy creates that addictive flavor balance everyone reaches for first
  • These cookies look like a party on a plate but come together in under 30 minutes with zero fancy techniques
02 -
  • Underbaking slightly is essential because these continue cooking on the hot baking sheet and stay chewier longer
  • The mix-ins can make the dough heavy so work quickly once everything is combined to prevent the marshmallows from melting
03 -
  • Chill the dough for 15 minutes if it feels too sticky this also helps prevent spreading too thin
  • Press a few extra candies on top of each cookie before baking for that picture-perfect finish

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