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Potato Chip Cookies

by:
November 11, 2015
4
8 Ratings
Photo by Linda Xiao
  • Makes roughly 24 cookies
Author Notes

Before my grandmother passed away, she made each of her two children a typed recipe book with painstakingly-added cut-outs from magazines. It's one of my favorite possessions—and among all of the wonderful recipes in it, this one is without a doubt my favorite. (My mom gifted me a standing mixer which is pretty much just a Potato Chip Cookie-Making Machine.) Also, I used to hand-crush the potato chips as my grandmother did, and while this makes perfectly uneven potato bits, I've found that a food processor makes things about 10,000 times easier. —Leslie Stephens

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup crushed classic Lay's potato chips
  • Confectioners' sugar, to top
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Using an electric beater, beat the butter until light and fluffy—a long time—for at least 10 minutes (this is where the made with love comes in). Then add sugar and beat well. Add vanilla, then gradually add in the flour. Add the crushed potato chips last and mix until just combined.
  2. Drop by the scant teaspoon onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until slightly brown. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm (I find that using a sieve helps to do this evenly). Keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days (in fact, they taste better on the 2nd or 3rd day!).
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This Recipe is Featured In:

My Grandma's Potato Chip Cookies, Made With An Entire Bag of Potato Chips

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26 Reviews

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Bonnie December 11, 2024
I’ve made these dozens of times — they are elite! Recommendations from my kitchen (ymmv):
- Salted butter helps hold a firmer shape and less spread (and adds the tiniest bit more saltiness, which I like)
- Using a tsp scoop, heaping, yields about 30 cookies. Using a level T scoop gets closer to 24 cookies. Both sizes are equally yummy; the larger size makes up for some spread (if you use unsalted butter)
- I’ve tried using castor (superfine) sugar but I think it affected the spread (too much), so I stick with regular granulated sugar
- My dusted powdered sugar melts into the warm cookies so I wait till they’re cool

I adore these cookies. Thank you, Leslie! Grandma’s recipes are the best.
JustKatB December 21, 2023
It's been a minute since I made these cookies. They taste great and keep super well. I used a small cookie scoop (1 tbl.) and baked 11 minutes without flattening. I also used Challenge unsalted butter. If you're on the fence about making these I say give them a try. They're super easy and quick to make.
K May 27, 2019
Was very surprised at how much I loved this recipe! So simple and so damn good. Why beat the butter for 10 minutes? I did do it but just wondering what the purpose is. Anyway, I took the cookies to work and I’m not kidding- they were all gone in 10 minutes. I crushed the chips in a shallow bowl with the bottom of a heavy glass....worked welled and I didn’t have to clean the food processor. I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. Thank you!
Shawn December 19, 2017
I'm almost positive the measurements in this recipe are off. The amount of flour binds the butter not allowing a complete melt to be flat and the taste of the cookie to have a more flour taste than sweet and salty taste. My opinion, reduce the flour by 1/2 cup. This will allow the "scant" to melt flat instead of staying in the same position when putting on the baking sheet.
VioletFlame April 25, 2023
Did you try this? I know Paula Deen has this exact same recipe as listed above and Cook's Illustrated does as well, except the butter is reduced a 1/4 cup in CI's version (and frosting added).
Laura November 6, 2016
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Marie July 11, 2016
Can these be frozen?
Irene May 21, 2016
Just wondering how small to "crush" the potato chips?
Mariana December 27, 2015
Amazing cookies with a buttery taste! Mine also came out smaller than pictures using a teaspoon (and I preflattened them a bit based on other reviews, which was good because mine did not spread out) 11-12 minutes baking time was perfect for me. Will definitely bake again!
Cath H. December 21, 2015
Re-sending since I don't know what happened to my previous comments!

1. Oven baking time for me, 10/11 minutes.
2. Used Cape Cod potato chips.
3. Yielded 3 dozen cookies, mine were a bit smaller than the photo although I followed instructions to drop a "scant teaspoon".
4. Because I'm a nut freak, I added chopped pecans after the first dozen. They added an additional crunch to the light buttery flavor that did remind me of Danish butter cookies as someone else mentioned.
5. Loved it! Thanks Leslie and the others for your comments.
roxane B. December 20, 2015
Leslie what a beautiful story you've shared with us. Thank you. I was intrigued by the potato chip ingredient but inspired by the story and your efforts to replicate the cookies for your dad and grandmother. I'll be making them for my children and grandchildren this Christmas, and I'll be sure to write down the instructions for their future enjoyment. Thank God for hand mixers.
isabel H. December 19, 2015
Since a 'small bag" of potato chips could be anywhere from 3/4 oz to 6 oz or so, I found that 2.7 oz of chips yielded 3/4 cup crumbs. As for how long to bake these cookies, the timing of every baked good depends somewhat on your oven and location but that doesn't preclude giving a suggested cooking time, with 'or until lightly browned" added. Twelve minutes was the right amount at my place, and the cookies are delicious!
Leslie S. December 19, 2015
Didn't have a bag on me when I answered—thank you for giving the sizes! :) And so glad you enjoyed them!
Melissa M. December 19, 2015
Thanks, Leslie. Yes, I assumed, because of butter that they would spread/flatten. Normally I use unsalted butter for baking but this time I used lightly salted. Also baked on parchment. Maybe that had something to do with it. Neverthelss, fans said they didn't mind bumpy mounded goodness. This is for sure a 'keeper' recipe for me.
Leslie S. December 19, 2015
That might be it! But now I'm remembering we baked them on parchment in the test kitchen so I guess it's a mystery! So glad you still found them tasty though! :)
Melissa M. December 18, 2015
These were the new fave at our office holiday party and everyone enjoyed trying to guess the 'secret ingredient'. Recipe didn't call out to flatten before baking. I assumed they would in the oven but the didn't. No one minded the rustic look 'cause it was all about the rich buttery, sweet'n'salty goodness. Thanks for sharing! Btw my oven bake time was 11-12 min.
Leslie S. December 19, 2015
So glad to hear that!! And that's strange—I don't push mine down but they still spread like you can see in the photo above because of all the butter. I wonder why yours didn't! Maybe something to do with the butter used? Did you bake them directly on the sheet or over parchment/Silpat? But so glad you enjoyed them!
Joy H. December 14, 2015
Can you give an estimate of how big a bag of Lay's chips are needed to get 3/4 cup of crushed chips?
Leslie S. December 14, 2015
One small one will yield just enough!! But I sometimes buy the next size up just to be sure I'll have enough!
Nicole C. December 13, 2015
I see one persons response that it took her cookies about 20 minutes.. Leslie.. How long do you cook yours?
Leslie S. December 13, 2015
It depends on your oven and where you live, but it takes mine no longer than 12 minutes- you just want the edges to be browned and the center still white! I start checking them after 8.
Meredith B. December 11, 2015
Bake until slightly brown...approximately how long?
stacieicats December 12, 2015
It took mine 20 minutes.
Leslie S. December 13, 2015
It takes mine no longer than 12 minutes- you just want the edges to be browned and the center still white! I start checking them after 8.
Rebekah G. December 11, 2015
Can you tell me a little bit about the flavor/texture of this cookie? I'm intrigued but would love to know what the chips add that is so good. :)
Leslie S. December 11, 2015
Of course! The chips add fat and salt which make the cookies melt in your mouth (which is my favorite part!) and balance them between salty and sweet. I hope that helps! All I can say is that they're my favorite cookie of all time and I like a lot of cookies :)