Potato Chip Cookies

Ever had that moment when you can’t decide between salty and sweet? These Potato Chip Cookies are the delicious answer to your snacking dilemma! Buttery, crisp, and with that perfect hint of salt from crushed potato chips, these cookies are what happens when your favorite snacks join forces.

The magic of these cookies lies in their irresistible texture contrast. The outside develops a gentle crispness while the interior stays tender and chewy. Each bite delivers that surprising crunch from potato chip pieces folded into rich cookie dough. Trust me, once you’ve tried cookies with potato chips inside, regular chocolate chip cookies might seem a little… ordinary.

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3½ ounces ruffled salted potato chips (about 4 cups whole chips)
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Steps

1. Place 2 sticks unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Let sit until completely softened to room temperature—about 30-45 minutes. The butter should yield easily when pressed with your finger but still hold its shape. Meanwhile, place 3½ ounces ruffled salted potato chips in a large zip-top bag, press out all excess air, and seal the bag. Gently crush with a rolling pin or bottom of a small pan into pieces no larger than ½-inch (about 1½ cups crushed). Avoid pulverizing into dust—you want recognizable chip pieces for texture.
2. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Note: cookies will brown more quickly on parchment than on silicone mats, so watch your baking time accordingly.
3. Add ½ cup packed light brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar to the bowl of softened butter. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t rush this step—proper creaming incorporates air into the dough for better texture. Add 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Beat on medium speed until combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the attachment with a flexible spatula to ensure even mixing.
4. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and beat on the lowest speed until almost combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture should still have some visible flour streaks. Add the crushed potato chips and fold by hand with the spatula until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing which can make cookies tough. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
5. Drop level tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets (no need to roll them into balls), spacing them at least 2 inches apart, 15 cookies per sheet. The cookies will spread during baking, so proper spacing prevents them from merging together.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets from front to back and between racks for even browning. Continue baking until the bottoms and edges of the cookies are light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Look for slight browning at the edges—overbaking will make them too crisp rather than tender. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up (they’ll be too soft to move immediately), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake the remaining dough on cooled baking sheets (you can reuse the parchment or mats).

Smart Swaps

• Try using kettle-cooked chips instead of regular ruffled chips for extra crunch and a more pronounced potato flavor
• Add ½ cup chopped dark chocolate for a sweet-salty-bitter combination that’s irresistible
• Substitute ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour with ¼ cup almond flour for a subtle nutty flavor

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Replace both sugars with ½ cup almond flour and ⅓ cup monk fruit sweetener blend (reduces carbs by approximately 8g per serving)
• Use a higher percentage of crushed potato chips (up to 4 ounces) and reduce flour to 1¾ cups to lower the overall glycemic impact
• Make smaller cookies (1½ teaspoon portions) for better portion control, yielding about 60 cookies at 6g carbs each
• Pair with a small protein source like a tablespoon of nut butter to slow glucose absorption

Pro Tips

• For perfectly uniform cookies, use a small cookie scoop (1-tablespoon size) instead of dropping dough by spoon
• These cookies freeze beautifully! Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months
• For a more pronounced salty-sweet contrast, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on top of each cookie right after baking