Trader Joe’s has a reputation for creating products that cater to cravings you didn’t even know you had, and the “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” Cookie Mix is no exception. With its eclectic mix of ingredients, this cookie mix is a mashup of pantry staples and unexpected twists—chocolate, oats, and walnuts meet coconut flakes, caramel bits, and even pretzels. This isn’t your typical cookie; it’s more like a dessert sampler packed into a single bite. Trader Joe’s seems to be banking on the appeal of complex flavors and textures for snackers who like a little adventure. But as always, the big question is: does it actually work? Let’s find out if this cookie mix delivers on Trader Joe’s promise of unique, indulgent flavors or if it just ends up being a bit too much.
I’m sure you are like my family, we love a good cookie. I am not the usual cookie baker in the house because my wife usually handles those duties and she is a baking whiz when it comes to cookies. We are gearing up for our annual cookie baking festival here at Club Trader Joe’s HQ for the holidays. There is always a batch of chocolate chip cookies in the offing. So, I was curious to see if these would hold up to hand made chocolate chip cookies, but obviously with a twist. At $4.49 a box, this is a great deal compared to buying cookies at the store. Sure, it’s not as cheap as homemade, but not much more expensive. The stick of butter is like $1 and the egg is about $.40 so all told, it’s about $6 for the whole batch.
Making the Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies
On the box, the preparation is simple. Soften a stick of butter and add one egg. Mix those together with a whisk and then fold in the dry mix. Scoop out some balls of dough and bake for about 25 minutes. It couldn’t be simpler and it really was simple. It is kind of a sloppy mess and seemed a little wet compared to some chocolate chip cookie recipes but not too bad. I used an ice cream scoop to put it on the baking sheet.
The only difference for me was that there is no way I could scoop 18 scoops without having tiny cookies so I did 12 scoops and had larger cookies and I am very happy with the results. The only minor downside of course, was that I had to bake an extra couple of minutes to make sure the tops of the cookies just started to turn golden brown.
There is a second recipe for cookie bars, which I didn’t try, but it isn’t much different except you put the dough in a greased 8×8 baking dish, press it into the bottom, and bake it for a couple of minutes less than the cookie recipe. One or the other, I don’t think the taste will change.
Taste Test
While baking the cookies the kitchen smelled absolutely heavenly. I am a sucker for warm cookies and these proved to be no exception. I took them off the baking sheet and let them cool for about 10 minutes and then cut into one for the glory shot.
Visually, they don’t look much different from regular chocolate chip cookies, but you can definitely see the different ingredients in there. Little bits of oat and pretzels and walnuts sticking out here at there.
The texture is almost absolutely perfect. Not cruchy except around the edges and chewy and moist in the middle. There are chunks of dark chocolate in there along with the pretzels and walnuts for texture. You can definitely taste the coconut but it is not overpowering. The one element that I had a hard time finding was the caramel bits. I think they just melted into the cookie dough.
When you take a bite, you’ll get a mix of salty, chocolatey, sweet, and crunch. The salt comes through when you hit a piece of pretzel. None of the elements overwhelms the other and is a great combination.
BTW, this mix is certified Kosher.
Final Thoughts
We love to make a lot of cookies during the holiday so it is no wonder that Trader Joe’s has released this cookie mix right now. In the end, Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” Cookie Mix won us over with its sheer ease and flavor-packed appeal. These cookies were quick to whip up—just butter and eggs, and you’re practically there! The variety of ingredients worked in harmony, from the satisfying crunch of pretzels and walnuts to the smooth richness of chocolate chunks. We especially loved the soft, chewy interior, which balanced the textures perfectly. And the coconut? It added a delightful, subtle layer that really brought everything together. If you’re after a cookie with layers of flavor and texture, this mix is well worth a spot in your pantry. I am giving them a ten out of ten. They really knocked it out of the park!
