This is an old post, if you can't tell by the reference to Regis and Kelly. It's from back before Christina Tosi was famous, and everyone was trying to figure out her Compost Cookie recipe. Well, things have changed! She's given the recipe out multiple times (along with many others). I haven't made these in a while, but lately I've been in the mood to put potato chips and coffee grounds in cookies, so I will update soon.
If you'd rather just order the cookies, here's a link to Milk Bar -- the place where it all began.
Here's another post with pictures of Milk Bar cookies I purchased at their store.
Making Compost Cookies
Years after I first posted a copycat recipe given out on The Regis & Kelly Show, The Milk Bar Bakery cookbook came out. It's a good one! I recommend it to bakers, but I also recommend it to people who just like reading cookbooks. You learn a lot about Christina Tosi and the creativity that that goes into Milk Bar's recipe. The Compost Cookies are are just one of many, many great desserts.
Anyhow, one of many things I learned from the book was that most cookies have a special "crumb" baked into them. One crumb is the graham cracker crumb, which is a mixture of graham cracker crumbs, dried milk, sugar, cream and butter. The Compost Cookie recipe calls for about 85 grams of graham cracker crumb, so I've included how to make 85 grams of crumb.
Graham Cracker Crumb Recipe
½ cup crumbled graham cracker crust. Make this first. Mix 6 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (42 grams) with 1 tablespoon dry milk powder (5 grams), ½ tablespoon sugar and a little less than ¼ teaspoon salt. In another bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon cream. Add to the graham mixture and stir. Make sure it holds together when you squeeze it. If not, add a drop more melted butter. You want it to hold together in small clusters. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer until it's time to add to the cookie dough.
Compost Cookie Copycat
2 sticks/ 8 oz cold unsalted butter, chopped up (225 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
⅔ light brown sugar, packed (150 grams)
2 tablespoon corn syrup (Momofuku uses glucose) (50 grams)
½ tsp vanilla
1 large egg (52 grams)
1 ⅓ cups King Arthur bread flour (225 grams)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon Morton brand Kosher salt or regular salt or use 1 teaspoon coarse Diamond brand
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup mini butterscotch chips (or regular size) -- caramel chips work too!
85 grams of the graham cracker crumb you made earlier (all of it)
⅓ cup oats, old fashioned type but quick works too (not instant)
2 ½ teaspoons ground coffee (5 grams) -- you can leave it out if you want
2 cups potato chips (50 grams), leave whole
1 cup mini pretzels (50 grams) or large thin pretzels (leave whole)
Instructions
In a stand mixer with the paddle attached, cream the cold butter, both sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Add egg and vanilla and stir to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and run mixer for 10 full minutes (I usually stop at 6). During this time the sugar granules will dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and mixture will double in size.
Meanwhile, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, stir in the flour mixture – don’t beat it in or the cookies won’t be as tender. Stir in everything else (graham crumble, etc.). When you stir in the graham crumble, make sure it's actually cold and in crumble. Leave the chips and pretzels whole and kind of break them a little as you stir or let the paddle break them up.
Divide into about 15 to 20 portions and put on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.
Arrange on parchment lined baking sheets spacing 4 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, 1 sheet at a time, for about 18 minutes. They should be quite brown around the edges and still a little yellow in the middle. Let cool completely on baking sheet before transferring to a plate or an air tight container.
Anna says
Thanks Ed! The bakery uses glucose syrup, but that's not so easy to find. My version was kind of a work-around.
ed anderson says
anna,
thanks for working on this adaptation of the compost cookie. i plan to try it soon. i was recently in nyc so here’s the ingredient list off the back of a compost cookie wrapper from momofuku:
butter,
unbleached wheat flour,
sugar,
brown sugar,
chocolate chips,
butterscotch chips,
graham crumbs,
pretzels,
potato chips,
glucose syrup,
eggs,
whole oats,
cream milk powder,
coffee grounds,
salt,
baking powder,
baking soda.
hope that is useful to anyone working on making a batch of their own.
Anna says
Mimi, thanks for the review and for taking the time to follow read all my ramblings and follow the directions. Milk Bar's cookies are really good and I do think this version comes close. I
Mimi Wan says
Hi Anna
Thank you so much for posting and testing this recipe. I started the recipe on Easter Sunday for a bake sale at my daughter's school on Wednesday. I read all your entries and followed your instructions. I had to make a second batch because I forgot there is no peanuts allowed at the school. In any case, the first batch are fantastic! The taste is different--carmel-y and not too sweet. I used potato chips and pretzels with corn chips, goobers, mini chocolate chips and cocoa puffs. I am just refrigerating the second batch for baking off tomorrow night. I would have never imagined putting all that stuff in since I am a very conservative baker (I try to follow recipes exactly until I have enough confidence). Thanks for being such a wonderful resource!
Laura says
Wish I'd read comments first--I always assume a fluff, spoon and sweep method for flour, esp when done by a professional and weights are not posted. So of source the weight of my flour was way off and the cookies spread all over. They tasted terrific so I am baking the remainder of the dough in an 8X8 pan (maybe I'll have great news on how they taste as a bar cookie lol). Am determined to try again based on everything I've read. I used chocolate chips, potato chips, and Valrhona chocolate covered rice krispies.
Carol says
These cookies are fantastic! My kids went crazy for them. I had watched the show, made them with what ever was left overand then lost the resipe. I remember they spread out and took longer to cook but they were good. Will try them again and see how it goes.
jami says
What was the tip from Joe at Culinary in the Country?
Mine are pretty flat, and I made them before I read your tips. I always weigh my flour, and I use 4.25 ounces = 1 cup (per King Arthur Flour), so that was what my measurements were based off. They taste pretty good, though!
Kathy says
Helen on April 3rd said she thinks she has perfected the compost cookie. Please share!! I made them using the recipe from Regis and Kelly and I was disappointed, Flat and greasy. They tasted okay, but I would like to have a better recipe.
Yhanks!
Natalie says
Brenda- it's 3/4 C total of salty and 3/4 C total sweet. I did all my salty stuff with turtle chex mix- mmmmmm!!! I scoop mine out in the balls and put in fridge- the longer the better. Happy composting! We have contests at work and place samples in each others mail boxes so we can sample different ingredients. So much fun!
Brenda says
I'm a little late in making the compost cookies and I still don't understand if it is 3/4c of each ing. or 3/4 total of crispie and 3/4 c. total snack food. Going to try Annas' way.
Helen says
I think I have perfected the Compost Cookie....email from my niece:
Compost cookies....OMG...THESE ROCK MY FREAKIN' WORLD! I'm literally eating one as type this. These are AMAZING! You could sell these w/ your professional packaging and everything. Each bite is like a differently little special surprise. I LOVE when I get a bite of chocolate and salt in one. That's one of the best combos EVER...and I'm not even PMS'ing. 😉 Ohhh...just had a heath bar bit. YUM! Hey, are there nuts in these too? Taste and looks like there are, but it's not listed on the paper you included w/ the ingredients. These are absolutely incredible! I see what all the fuss is about now. Thanks so much for sharing them w/ us! I pulled 2 out of the freezer this morning and by the time the coffee was done brewing, they were begging to be eaten...Megan had a bite and I ate them BOTH!
terry says
I made these cookies following the recipe from the "live with" website. They are not worth the effort. I followed the instructions to the letter but when they cooked they ran all over...flat and crunchy. I used rolo's but cut then in half, when the rolo's cooked they ran out of the cookie onto the sheet. I have been disappointed.
Rachel says
I tired this recipe after carefully reading everyone's posts. I followed Anna's revised recipe and it is deliscious and perfect. I had a couple of cookies that were too big so they didn't cook so well, so try to keep them a uniform size. I put the cookie batter in the freezer for 20 minutes then transferred to the fridge for an hour before cooking. I have had a couple of salty bites (from the savory snacks) so I omitted the salt in the second batch. I can't wait to serve these yummy treats!
Helen says
So tired of trying to master the compost cookie.....I gave up.
Still followed the "batter" ingredients and method...but I changed the snack ingredients....I put in pretzels, Quaker old fashioned oatmeal, heath toffee bars (crushed up), mini chocolate chips, and coffee grounds. THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!!
We ordered the compost cookies from Momofuku and really felt mine were better.
I make the batter on Saturday....scoop batter in balls, refrigerate and bake them on Sunday.
Monday morning they are GONE!!
Dee says
Had a blast making them. They turned out wonderful. crunchy on edges and gooey in the centre with choc and toffee. The trick is really cold dough in a hot oven. I threw everything in but the kitchen sink. My kitchen aide did the work of braking the chips and pretzils up. I will have to try it with coffee grounds next, for the adults of course.
Judith says
Oh Geez! I just put together a batch before reading all the wonderful helpful hints. I only used what I had in the house for the salty (tortilla chips, cheetos, dry roasted peanuts) and the sweet (1/2 a big bar of trader joe's dark chocolate, raisins and oops I forgot to add the partial bag of white chocolate chips). A funny thing was I had just thrown out my coffee grounds so I went into my kitchen counter compost (hey they were just sitting there on top of the banana peel) and grabbed a couple of spoonfuls. Takes "compost" cookie to a whole other level...anyway. they are in the fridge and I'm going to just cook a couple to see how they come out. I might throw them all in the bowl and add the oatmeal and white chocolate. Nothing more out of the compost. I promise. teehee.
LuAnn says
I made these from the recipe on Regis and the amount of baking powder was wrong also.
Not only were they terrible, we suffered from intestinal distress for 2 days after!
Judy says
I tried making these yesterday and I thought I was going nuts. I followed the recipe and they came out terrible. One thing I did was to chop all the "fancy" ingredients up and I know that isn't right. I will try Anna's recipe. I have heard of chefs leaving out a key ingredient, I hope that didn't happen here because that is a waste of money.
Anna says
Jean, it's loading slowly for some people but the link it correct. Here's my adapted version.
Adapted Version of Regis & Kelly Compost Cookie
4 oz cold unsalted butter, chopped up
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
4.5 weight oz flour (If you don’t have a scale, fluff up the flour and scoop up 1 heaping cup. Sweep top flat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Morton brand Kosher salt or regular salt or use 1 teaspoon coarse Diamond brand
3/4 cups semi-sweet or good chocolate chips – wouldn’t recommend regular chopped chocolate because it might cause more spreading. Best to stick with chocolate morsels/chips.
3/4 cup (more or less) broken peanut butter filled pretzels, Zapps potato chips, regular pretzels and pecans. The ¾ cup is approximate – use what seems good to you, but the peanut butter filled pretzels were awesome!
In a stand mixer with the paddle attached, cream the cold butter, both sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Add eggs and vanilla and stir to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and run mixer for 10 full minutes. During this time the sugar granules will dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and mixture will double in size.
Meanwhile, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, stir in the flour mixture – don’t beat it in or the cookies won’t be as tender. Stir in candies and salty things.
Using about a heaping 1/3 cup measure or a stingy 4 oz measure, scoop up dough and form rounds. My scooped rounds weighed a little less than 4 oz each. Put the shaped rounds on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or until ready to bake.
DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.
Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven). Arrange chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or non-stick foil lined cookie sheet – mine was insulated. If your cookie sheets are thin, you might want to stack two and bake the cookies on the stacked cookies sheets.
Bake 9-11 min (I baked mine for 12-13. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.
According to the original recipe, at 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. At 9 minutes, Mine were pale and doughy looking. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if needed (it will be needed) and bake a total of about 12 to 14 minutes. All ovens are different so you’ll need to watch the cookies, specifically the edges.
Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage (I cooled mine on the sheet for only about 5 minutes, but mine were a tad bit overcooked so they were fine).
Not sure of the true yield because I’ve only baked two.
Jean Dotlich says
I can't get the recipe to download. I go to the LIVE site and go to the recipes, type in compost cookies, and nothing. Any way somebody could send the recipe on to me, please?
Shirley says
After an hour ,trying to find the website!!!, I made the cookies.I was guessing on a lot of it ,as I had written it as Kelley was making them (and it left a lot to my imagination) but after reading the other women's comments, I threw in a handfull of old-fashioned oats. They had to bake a while longer to cook the middle, but actually, they weren't bad!! However, unless I can find the original recipe, I probably won't crowd my luck!!
Anna says
Hi Minnie,
That's great! Interesting about the tub butter. I don't use margarine anymore, but back when I did I noticed it made cookies thicker and softer. Butter makes them spread more. I wonder how European style butter would work here.
minnie says
I made them and they turned out great. I used the magarine tub rather than real butter. I have noticed whenever I use real butter in cookies they spread and are greasy. I also added an extra tablespoon of flour.
Helen says
Just found out they are Quaker- old fashioned rolled oats.
Debbie says
These cookies are easy to make. Follow the directions except for the kosher salt. I would only use (1) tsp. I used all of the ingredients that Kelly used, cut my Rollos into (4) and threw the chocolate in at the end and did not mix too much, (just stirred them in). The chocolate covered raisins and Rollos are a must or the cookies will be a little salty. I chilled mine overnight, they still flattened, but were great. Everyone loved them!! Don't tell anyone what's in them until they try them and tell you how good they are, then surprise them. I'm getting ready to make a batch right now.
Anna says
The recipe on the website is wonderful if you use the correct amount of flour, chill the dough and use the right add-ins. If you didn't weigh your flour or used a not-scooped-heavily enough 1 3/4 cup (because volume measurements like the one in the recipe aren't always accurate), then you would have gotten flat cookies. Also, adding a rich, high in cocoa butter chocolate rather than pre-formed chips would cause spreading.
Butterscotch chips are the butterscotch flavored chocolate chips/morsels -- not butterscotch candy.
Maybe someone in New York can clue us in on whether compost cookies have oats or not. I took a picture of mine when I bought it and it looked like it had oats, but it didn't taste like an oatmeal cookie. At the time, I was under the impression that it did NOT contain oats. So it's possible they left them out of the Regis & Kathy Lee recipe or they just started adding oats to the cookies at the store. All I know is that if you use my revised version of the recipe and weigh your flour and don't skip the 10 full minutes of mixing and thorough chilling, you should have really good cookies.
Helen says
Well after watching Regis & Kelly....I too tried to make these cookies. SOMETHING WAS MISSING....NOT GOOD AT ALL. My friend knew how disappointed I was and had compost cookies delivered to me. THEY ARE WONDERFUL!!!!
On their website....the cookies are listed as having PRETZELS, POTATO CHIPS, COFFEE, OATS, BUTTERSCOTCH AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS. what kind of oats do you think they mean....and what kind of butterscotch....HARD CANDY?
WISH I HAD THE REAL INGREDIENTS!!!
Anna says
Hi Mary,
You must have missed my other two posts about these cookies. A lot of people got terrible results and the reason is most likely the flour. Measuring flour by volume is inaccurate. Some people scoop flour and others sweet, so a cup of flour can be anywhere from 4 oz to 5.8 or so. Also, volume measuring cups aren't always accurate. I made the recipe using a scale and weighing out the flour and the cookies were great!
mary mary says
I just made a big batch of these cookies and they taste good but look awful. They were flat and greasy.............according to the recipe on the website, I used 1 cup of butter........I have to wonder if it was supposed to be 1 stick instead of
Anna says
Believe it or not, mine turned out great! I'm going to post the recipe (re-written) in a second. These were terrific.
Natalie says
Thanks, Anna!! The cookies definately spread- my first batch was a little greasy, but my other batches so far are a tad greasy. I have only been baking 2-3 balls per cookie sheet and that has helped- I over cooked my first batch as they were still doughy and barely browned after 11 mins. Subsequent batches I have cooked 12-13 mins on a light baking sheet and they have turned out better- slightly doughy but browned in the middle. I tried baking a batch that was in the fridge for a little less than an hour and they spread much more than the other batches.
I was half watching the Regis and Kelly so I'm not even sure how her's turned out or how they looked/supposed to look!? Having an oz or gram weights would be very handy to have!
Anna says
Natalie, thanks! I've tried OCG's version and it was good, but it was an oatmeal version. The one I had from Milk didn't seem to have oatmeal in it. Also, you are right -- it's 1 1/2 cups snack food and 1 1/2 cups chips. I don't think that would have much of an impact on how much the cookies spread, which is the main complaint I'm getting.
I have a batch of dough in the refrigerator right now and am hoping the cookies won't be dreadful. I did make sure to use a heavy hand with the flour because that might be the key. Maybe they are using 5 to 5.1 oz per cup and other bakers are using 4.5 oz per cup? Too bad there aren't any gram or oz weights next to the ingredient list. Too bad.
Anna says
Wow, these are getting a lot of bad reviews. I'm going to have to take a crack at the recipe and see what's going on. I think maybe there's a mistake in the amount of flour.
Sharon says
I was sooooo disappointed in these cookies. The recipe was not complete, the cookies ran all over, they were greasy and the baking time was not correct. I was so excited about making these. I hate when cookies don't want to share a whole recipe. If you can't share all of the instructions than keep it to yourself. If she has a book coming out because of this experience I won't be running out to get it. I will find another more complete option.
A Baker's Place says
I saw the show and totally thought this would be an awesome cookie to make. Well, my cookies turned out horrible. I'm an avid baker and love to goof with any recipe. I made these, chilled the hour, baked at 400 - the cookies spread horribly, very greasy and all around did not turn out. I'm on the web right now to see if there's another knock off of this recipe. I used rolos, coco crispies and pretzels in the first batch. The 2nd batch is still in the fridge. Maybe on overnight chill will help these to bake up better. Darn!
Robin : ) says
I too, want to try to them . I am going to make them 4 Sunday Valentine's Day can't weight.I really love the show. Bye Bye for now.
kim says
I watched the show with the compost cookies, and as a cookie lover/baker I am for sure going to try them! Sounds like anything goes!
I caught the comment on the show that adding a little corn syrup makes for a chewy, soft texture. YUM!
Anna says
Therese, thanks for watching the show and taking careful notes. I am going to make these next week. Can't do it today, though.
Cheryl K. says
I tried making these compost cookies today. The recipe was not very clear as to when you should as the fritos, crackers, etc. My cookies did not come out to well they were greasy, but did taste good and kind of flat. I will have to look for another recipe.
Gigi says
What does the glucose/corn syrup add to the overall recipe? Does it keep the cookies soft? I'd love to try these, but would like to skip that ingredient...
Hilary Purcell says
I am definitely going to try these cookies! Thanks, Anna, for having the link to Live with Regis & Kelly so I could get the recipe!
Therese B. says
I watched Regis and Kelly....they have the recipe on their website.
I watched her make them...you toss in whatever...salty~fritos, Cocoa Krispies,
mini~chocolate chips.
She took an ice cream scopper for dough..on parchment at a high temp. 400 for
10 minutes.
I am definetely going to try these. You just throw in what you have. Chips,
goldfish crackers...I think ANYTHING works.
Sort of reminds me a little of your FRITO candy that you make Anna.
C L says
I think I'm going to use the ingredients you suggested in your recipe and will DEFINITELY add the coffee grounds. My instinct tells me that is a vital flavor component. 😉 If I were to add peanut butter, how much should be thrown in? Would that overpower the other ingredients?I have a few tablespoons of freshly made PB languishing in the pantry.
Jen says
I saw the show. the fritos, gold fish, rolos, etc... were all whole when they were incorporated into the mix. the mixer seemed to take care of it all! Hope that helps 🙂
Annika says
This is a very interesting recipe! Chips or goldfish in cookies? Might have to try it 🙂
Sue says
Oh.......!! I'm so tempted to make these. Do you think it would be worth trying to sub glucose syrup for the corn syrup? And, what is that mixing for 10 minutes on med-high about? Really?? I've never mixed any component of cookie dough that long. Would you really do that, or did that get mistyped?
Are you going to give these another go?
tia says
love it!!!
Jan Harris says
The recipe is not very clear, if you ask me. Do you crush the fritos, goldfish, or whatever before you add them. Also, the recipe does not mention adding the chips or this stuff. I assume it's with the dry ingredients. What do you think?
T. martin says
In one of the local NY blogs I read that she is working on a cookbook at present which should be out soon... Can't wait!
Louise says
I think they skipped the glucose and coffee grounds because it's a family show. 😉