10 Cookie Add-Ins To Try Beyond Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chips are so iconic in cookies that it can be easy to forget that alternative add-ins exist. While these delightful specks lend chocolate chip cookies their craveable bite and rich, complex flavor, it's possible to get bored of them (yes, really!). Plus, cookies are the perfect treat to experiment with; you never know when you'll find something better than the standard. There are also would-be cookie eaters with an aversion to chocolate, be it a simple dislike or an outright allergy. That's why it's never a bad idea to have a handful of other cookie add-ins available beyond the classic chocolate chip.

Most of these mix-ins are sweet and will yield a more traditional flavor profile to your sweet treat. Others are on the savory, salty side — crushed potato chips, for instance — and will inspire exclamations of delighted surprise when the sweet-and-savory flavors hit your tongue. Take notes, because out of these 10 cookie add-ins, at least one stands a chance at becoming your new favorite over chocolate chips (or even your new favorite pairing with them).

Herbs like rosemary, basil, or turmeric lend their unique flavor profiles to cookies. Keep them sweet; there's no need to go savory here. Try lemon with rosemary, lime with basil, and turmeric in a basic sugar cookie.

Cookies belong on the list of ways to use up leftover bacon, but fresh works just as well. Pair the bacon with something sweet, like peanut butter, maple syrup, sea salt caramel, or, yes, even chocolate chips, if you must.

Try caramel popcorn in a traditional, super-sweet recipe, or incorporate aged cheddar as well for a compulsively eatable sweet-and-salty combo.

Crushed potato chips add a slightly savory, salty note to a basic sugar or peanut butter cookie recipe — a subtle upgrade that won't overwhelm the flavor profile. And if (or when) you start missing chocolate chips again, you'll find the crunchy snack pairs great with them in cookies, too.

Break up chocolate-covered pretzels into chunks for a sweet, salty cookie that offers a delightful crunch. Salted caramel and plain pretzels have similar appeal (and are another perfect pairing if you ever want to bring chocolate chips back in).

The sweet heat of candied ginger yields the perfect holiday-style cookie for any time of year — especially with ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and other warming spices in the mix.

Many breakfast cereals make awesome cookie add-ins. Cheerios add an extra-oaty crunch to cookies, while crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch upgrades cinnamon treats with additional flavor and texture. Golden Grahams fans: try it in plain oatmeal cookies for toothsome, brown-sugary results.

One old-fashioned technique turns leftover citrus peels into a flavor booster for cookies and glazes. Try candied citrus peel (lemon, orange, etc.) to add bright, tangy flavor to your sweet treats.

Crushed candy canes bring minty goodness to sugar cookies, while Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers, or a soothing ginger hard candy recipe melt into gorgeous "stained glass windows" when fitted into a holiday-shaped cut-out before baking.

With nuts, seeds, and dried fruit galore, trail mix cookies have all the texture and flavor you could dream of: crunchy, chewy, sweet, and salty. Grab a bag of your favorite and incorporate it into your sweet treats in place of chocolate chips — or in addition to them if you must.