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With a shortbread-like texture and salty notes, these potato chip cookies are simply irresistible! Dip or drizzle them in chocolate and add a sprinkling of sea salt for a gourmet touch that will impress your whole family.
You ever end up with random mostly eaten bags of chips in your pantry? You know, the end of the bag where everyone seems to lose interest or forget the chips are there. And then you’re just left with a partial bag of potato chips no one wants to eat.
These potato chip cookies totally solve that problem.
This recipe is perfect for people who love salty-sweet desserts such as raspberry pretzel salad, saltine toffee, and monster cookie bars. Plus, you get to use up any nearly forgotten bags of chips you’ve got hanging around.
Delicious cookies that are also resourceful? Sounds like a win to me!
What are potato chip cookies?
If you’re a big fan of sweet and salty treats, this is the recipe for you.
These potato chip cookies totally remind me of Pecan Sandies. Except even better because there’s potato chips in there too.
They have a crumbly, shortbread-like texture and salty undertone that makes them irresistible. You can eat them as-is, or you can drizzle the finished cookies with melted chocolate and add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a gourmet finish.
These cookies are pretty easy to make, but they’re the type of cookie that seems really impressive. I can guarantee that your friends and family will be totally wowed by these and will be begging you for the recipe!
How to make these potato chip cookies
Don’t let the chocolate drizzle or complex flavor of these cookies fool you. They’re actually quite easy to make!
Ingredients you’ll need
This potato chip cookie recipe has a really simple ingredient list. You won’t even need any eggs!
To make these cookies, you will need:
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup crushed potato chips (ridged or regular)
- 1/2 cup ground pecans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Make sure the butter is softened before you start baking. If you forget to set it out ahead of time, check out my tips for softening butter quickly.
You also need to make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. Getting this simple step right will help your potato chip cookies come out perfect every time.
This recipe is perfect for using up random potato chips you have sitting around. As long as they are plain (not flavored) potato chips, you can use them here.
You’ll need a little bit of confectioners’ sugar (aka powdered sugar) for pressing the cookies down after portioning them onto the pan. If you’re out, learn how to make powdered sugar and save a trip to the store.
You can finish the cookies with some melted chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if you’d like. That’s totally optional, though!
Making these cookies
Start by creaming the butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. This will take at least 3 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low and add the potato chips and the ground pecans. Mix on low until fully combined, then add in the vanilla.
Stir in the flour, mixing until just combined.
Now use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough onto line baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass in the powdered sugar and use this to slightly flatten each dough ball.
Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Adding chocolate to these cookies
At this point, you can enjoy the cookies as-is or you can dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Use your favorite chocolate. I recommend milk or dark chocolate. If you haven’t used melted chocolate much before, learn how to melt chocolate chips.
Storage tips
Store potato chip cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to a month.
Potato Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup crushed potato chips ridged or regular
- ½ cup ground pecans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
For finishing (optional):
- Melted chocolate
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. With your mixer on low speed, add in potato chips and pecans and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in flour and mix until the flour is just combined; do not over-mix.1 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup crushed potato chips, 1/2 cup ground pecans, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) scoop dough into 1 inch balls. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Slightly flatten each dough ball with a glass dipped in confectioners’ sugar.1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- If desired, garnish cooled cookies with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.Melted chocolate, Flaky sea salt
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love these cookies too…part of what I love is the element of surprise factor; I always hear ‘Potato Chip Cookies?’ and I think the expectation is something totally different from the end resulting shortbread with that subtle salt finish. They are in a the first cookbook I purchased when I moved to Colorado, a Junior League cookbook and it seems someone was way ahead of their time with that matching of sweet, salt and chocolate that is so popular today! If I don’t dip them in chocolate I do roll them in powdered sugar for a holiday cookie…I love that too.
I love Potato Chip cookies! It is one of my favorite cookie recipes from my late great-grandma. BUT nobody ever thought to dip them in chocolate. Brilliant!
I’ve heard that cookies with potato chips taste really good, but please, never ever bake anything with Doritos. That was the biggest mistake in all my time baking :)
Crunchy and yummy cookies… Loved half chocolate dipped part…
Maybe you should start buying the lunch size bags so he can eat them in one sitting!
I will have to try these cookies, salty sweet is my favorite combination.
I’m pretty sure my husband’s life was just forever changed (he is a SUPER chip guy, but not so much on the sweets)…I can’t wait to try these for his birthday in a few weeks!
See, in my land, chips and cookies are always combined. With chocolate. You are obviously a mayor over there or something.
Good to see Im not the only one that does this with chips.
How are we feeling about these as a breakfast option? Cus I could really go for one right now. So what if I worked out this morning?
…I’m one of ‘those’ *raises hand*. Yes, after I open a bag of chips and enjoy the newness and freshness of a just opened bag I kinda have a hard time going back to ’em again. I know, I know, it’s a ‘thing’, I can’t explain it but I’m working on making amends on that fault of mine and these cookies will be just the thing! Thank you! :o)
…And cheers to those of us that have “snack cupboards”! *raises coffee cup* ;o)
…Blessings all…