Trash Can Cookies From TikTok Are Wonderfully Weird

There's nothing better than making your go-to cookie recipe on a lazy day. From the ooey-gooey goodness to the sweet flavors, cookies are the king of dessert treats, in my opinion. So when an adventurous recipe comes to light, you know professionals and home cooks alike will jump on it. If you haven't heard, trash can cookies are all the rage.

Because TikTok is the place to display new and old trends, this type of cookie has come around again and gained popularity for its unique ingredients. Items like chocolate chips, graham crackers, rolled oats, pretzels, and your favorite plain potato chips are among the many ingredients used to make this tasty cookie. You probably already have many of these items in your kitchen, and getting a little weird with what you mix in is part of the fun!

James Beard award-winning pastry chef Christina Tosi introduced the world to this style of cookies in 2008 when she opened Milk Bar in New York City. The iconic dessert shop is known for putting together nostalgic, fun, and decadently craveable combinations. Tosi was inspired by the assortment of leftover sweet and salty snacks in her mother's kitchen. She used what she could find and mixed together small quantities of different ingredients to get enough for a full batch. Compost cookies — also known as garbage, kitchen sink, or trash can cookies — were born. 

Now that you know trash can cookies aren't made out of actual trash, let's get to the taste. I've purchased Milk Bar's version several times, and they're always sweet, salty, and decadent in the best way. Christina Tosi's take contains oats, a bit of coffee grounds, potato chips, pretzels, chunks of graham cracker crust, and miniature chocolate and butterscotch chips. 

However, know that you can mix and match what you have on hand; that's the beauty of it! Put all that extra Halloween candy to good use, and throw in M&M's, candy corn, Milk Duds, and more. If you're hoping for a more savory taste, go heavy handed on the pretzels or your favorite salty snack. Try crumbled store-bought cookies, chunks of your favorite candy bar, roasted nuts, colorful sprinkles, buttery crackers, or crumbled brownie bites. 

Because the ingredients can vary so much, so can the taste. But really, there's no going wrong as long as the savory and sugary flavor profile is fairly balanced. Overall, your taste buds will be delighted with the cookie dough's salty-sweet taste and rich flavor. No matter what you decide to put in your batch of trash can cookies, the creativity and randomness of it all is the best part.