If you love a great pecan cookie, one with a hint of salt, you’re going to flip over this Potato Chip Cookie recipe. These are the perfect blend of crunchy and soft, salty and sweet.
Can I Add Potato Chips to Cookies?
You can. . .and you should!
The mergence of chips and pecans gives you a cookie reminiscent of a Pecan Sandie but with the added texture and flavor of the salty chips. The overall experience is delightful, especially with the hint of powdered sugar on top.
The History of Potato Chip Cookies
I’m not sure who first looked at a bag of chips and said, “Hey, I think I’d like to crush those up and toss them into my cookies,” but I’m glad they did!
Potato chip cookies date back a couple of generations. Picture your grandmother in the kitchen with an inexpensive bag of chips. (They’re not as cheap today, are they?)
I had never heard of potato chip cookies until my sister-in-law told me about them. Our family was going through a particularly difficult season as we worked together to care for my mom in her final weeks.
I needed a pick-me-up, so my sister-in-law showed up one day with this recipe in hand. I will always cherish that day because she saw straight into my heart and knew that I needed a bonding experience with someone who cared.
If a cookie could mend a broken heart, this would be the one to do it. And best of all, this is one of the easiest cookie recipes around.
Potato Chip Cookie Ingredients
The ingredients for this cookie are simple! You’ve probably got most of them on hand.
I had everything I needed. . .mostly. I used regular Lays chips instead of Ruffles because that’s what I had in the pantry. No doubt the Ruffles would’ve added a bit more crunch, but I didn’t notice any difference.
You’ll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s what you’re going to need:
- room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
- granulated sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)
- crushed Ruffles potato chips (regular, not flavored)
- chopped pecans
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
Notice anything missing from this recipe? There are no eggs (gasp!) and no leavening agent (baking soda or powder). I was surprised when I saw these things missing from the list, but I double-checked, just to make sure and realized I wasn’t mistaken.
There’s no need for them!
These cookies are a bit like Mexican Wedding Cookies or a pie crust pastry in that regard. Neither of those require leavening, either. (Though I did notice that several online versions of Potato Chip Cookies called for baking soda or baking powder.)
How Do I Make Potato Chip Cookies?
You’re going to love how easy it is to whip up these potato chip cookies.
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place parchment paper on a couple of cookie sheets.
It’s time to start mixing! Put your butter in a large bowl and cream it at low speed until it’s light and fluffy. You could choose to use a stand mixer with paddle attachment but I opted for an electric mixer.
Next, add your sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until light and fluffy.
(This is the point where I started questioning the lack of eggs in the recipe, to be honest!)
Add your flour mixture (flour and salt, if applicable) and beat until incorporated but don’t over mix. You don’t want to over-activate the gluten strands and end up with tough cookies.
Add your pecans and potato chips. I folded mine in with a silicone spatula because I didn’t want to turn the chips to mush. You’ll probably want to do the same.
Let me pause to say that I nibbled the dough at this point. I know you’re not supposed to eat raw dough (ahem) but this one contained no eggs, so I felt it lessened the risk. (Warning: raw flour isn’t good for you, either.) I knew when I tasted the dough these cookies were going to be good!
Using a cookie scoop, put balls of dough on your prepared baking sheets. (Mine were slightly larger than 1-inch balls.)
I use Nordic Ware pans, along with the perfect parchment sheets that are pre-cut to fit the half-sheet perfectly!
Place in preheated (325 degree) oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
I noticed that some online recipes suggested 350 degrees for 13 minutes but I wanted to follow my sister-in-law’s recipe exactly. (Next time I might try the higher temperature, just for fun.)
They need to be golden brown on bottom. Mine were a little light but tasted fine!
For best results, remove baked cookies from the oven and immediately place on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm.
Store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. These cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days. I do not recommend refrigerating or freezing them, due to the potato chips.
(I usually keep cookie dough balls in my freezer, but I opted not to freeze this dough.)
What to Expect from These Cookies
This is one of those addictive treats you’re going to make again and again, no matter the time of year. If you like pecan sandies you’ll enjoy these.
These came together so easily! Truly, this is one of the simplest recipes out there.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, these are the perfect combination of salty and sweet with lovely texture. Since this is an original recipe (different from others on the web) I was especially happy to try it.
I’ve always been a fan of pecan cookies. Check out my Brown Butter Pecan Cookies for proof. What set these apart was the “chew” from the chips. I’m not sure if I should say that they were crunchy or sticky, but they had an added texture that set them apart from a traditional Pecan Sandie and it was lovely.
Hint: These would be great on a festive holiday cookie tray!
I think you’re going to enjoy making these with the kids. They’ll get a kick out of smashing up the chips and tossing them in. Speaking of tossing things in, let’s look at some other options.
Variations on this Recipe
These potato chip shortbread cookies are the perfect treat to whip up in a hurry and they’re great just like they are. That said, I’ve been thinking of all sorts of ideas to further enhance this yummy recipe. Here are a few I came up with:
Caramel chips. If you have tasted my Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies, you know that I love the addition of caramel. I think you could add the chips to this recipe or simply drizzle melted caramel on top of them.
Chocolate chips. I would probably use the mini chips, since the cookies already have two other items with a “bite” (the pecans and the chips). Chocolate and salt just go together. (Ever had chocolate coated potato chips? They’re yummy!)
Peanut Butter Chips. Need I say more? These would be great with the fun addition of peanut butter!
Butterscotch Chips. Add a cup of butterscotch chips. This sounds delicious, doesn’t it?
Coconut. This might be my best idea yet. The addition of coconut would send these potato chip cookies over the top.
Rice Krispies. If you’ve tasted my Peanut Butter Ranger Cookies, you know I love to add Rice Krispies. Or. . .
Quick Oats. Throw in half a cup for additional texture. Yum.
Brown Sugar: You might consider substituting brown sugar for some of the granulated to make a cookie that has more of a molasses flavor.
Other Cookie Recipes from Out of the Box Baking
If you’re in the mood for cookies but potato chips aren’t your thing, don’t worry! There are a host of other great recipes on this site. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have no words to describe how good these are. They’re my new favorite!
- Copycat Lofthouse Cookies: Yep, just like the ones you get in the store, but a lot less expensive!
- Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter: This is my go-to chocolate chip recipe. The addition of brown butter sends them over the top!
- S’Mores Kiss Cookies: I was so surprised by this fun recipe! It’s perfect for the kid in all of us!
Follow this link for a comprehensive post listing more of my fall cookies and bars, perfect for autumn!
Out of butter? No problem! Check out these 27 Amazing Cookie recipes from Back to my Southern Roots. They don’t require butter!
Follow this link for a comprehensive post listing more of my fall cookies and bars, perfect for autumn!
That’s it for this post. I hope you enjoy these Easy Potato Chip Cookies. They’re going to delight you! Let me leave you with something else to delight you, one of my favorite verses:
He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Psalm 18:19 ESV
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Easy Potato Chip Cookies (with Pecans)
If you love a great pecan cookie, one with a hint of salt, you're going to flip over these Potato Chip Cookies. They are the perfect combination of crunchy and soft, salty and sweet.
Ingredients
- 2 cups room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Ruffles potato chips (regular, not flavored)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place parchment paper on a couple of cookie sheets.
- It's time to start mixing! Put your your butter in a large bowl and cream it until it's light and fluffy. You could choose to use a stand mixer with paddle attachment but I opted for an electric hand mixer.
- Next, add your sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- Add your flour and salt and mix until incorporated but don't over mix. You don't want to over-activate the gluten strands and end up with tough cookies.
- Add your pecans and potato chips. I folded mine in with a silicone spatula because I didn't want to turn the chips to mush. You'll probably want to do the same.
- Using a cookie scoop, put balls of dough on your baking sheet and place in preheated (325 degree) oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Remove baked cookies from the oven and place on wire rack to cool.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Transfer them directly to the rack when they're cool enough to lift with a spatula.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
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Tammy
Thursday 4th of August 2022
There's something about adding potato chips to cookies that's just works so well. I love the bit of salty sweetness...these look terrific!
Janet McHenry
Friday 22nd of July 2022
These sound so good, Janice! I wrote the recipe down and will try them. Hubby loves Pecan Sandies.