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If you are a sprinkle lover like me, then you’ll love these Sprinkle Cookies! Soft and chewy sugar cookies filled with crunchy rainbow sprinkles – these are such a classic. Buttery and perfectly sweet, you can make them with any color sprinkles for any occasion.
Best Sprinkle Cookies Recipe Ever
Other than my chocolate chip cookies or classic sugar cookies, sprinkle cookies are probably my favorite cookie recipe ever. You’re going to love these because they have that classic sugar cookie flavor with a soft and crunchy texture, no chill time, done in under 30 minutes and these cookies are easy to customize based on season, holiday, and occasion with your favorite color sprinkles. It’s the perfect cookie recipe!
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter: If you are making this recipe dairy-free then use butter flavored Crisco vegetable shortening instead of butter.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is the only sugar you need for this recipe!
- Eggs: I always use large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: Using natural extracts always yield the best results when it comes to flavor!
- Baking Soda: Helps them spread a little bit but not too much (do not use baking powder)
- Cream of Tartar: This keeps them fluffy and soft.
- Salt: Needed when using unsalted butter!
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour and be sure to measure it correctly.
- Sprinkles: You can use an color you’d like! These are a versatile cookie so you can use them for any holiday and use some fun themed sprinkles.
How to Make Sprinkle Cookies
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt) in a medium bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer).
- Mix in eggs and vanilla then mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Add jimmies sprinkles (the best kind for baking) in any color.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mats. No chilling needed – you can bake these immediately.
Variations & Substitutions
- You can substitute Vegan Butter Sticks (not tub butter) for the unsalted butter.
- Use any color sprinkles – Christmas sprinkles make a perfect Christmas cookie.
- Add other extract flavors (about 1/2 tsp), like almond extract or use cake batter extract to make them taste like birthday cake cookies.
Expert Tip
- Use Jimmies sprinkles opposed to other types like nonpareils. Jimmies stay in tact better when baking in the oven (nonpareils tend to melt).
- Sprinkle cookies are done baking when they just lose their glossy sheen and are light golden around the edges.
Storage & Freezing
Store baked cookies in an airtight container – they’ll keep for several days. Place the container in the freezer to freeze cookies for several months.
To make the cookies ahead of time, you can freeze the cookie dough balls (thaw before baking) or store the cookie dough balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking, but bake at room temp.
FAQs
You will know the cookies are done baking when the bottom edges are ever so slightly brown. And the top still looks semi-soft. If the top starts to get brown then they are becoming over-done.
Sprinkle Cookies Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter (or butter flavored Crisco or vegan butter sticks)
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup sprinkles (any color for any holiday or use rainbow)
- 8 ounces (226g) baking chocolate white or semi-sweet, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you may use a hand mixer). Once the mixture is creamed and fluffy (about 2-3 min), mix in the egg and vanilla and almond extracts until smooth, then mix in the dry ingredients until smooth, then stir in the sprinkles.
- Scoop balls of cookie dough (2 Tablespoons each), and place them 2-inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the bottoms just start to turn golden brown. (These taste better if you err on the side of under rather than over done). Cool at least 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute Vegan Butter Sticks or Butter Flavored Crisco for the unsalted butter. If you are using shortening: add 1 1/2 tablespoons of water with the flour.
- Use any color sprinkles for any occasion.
Baked a triple batch for my granddaughters birthday at school. Used the butter crisco & only vanilla (nut allergies). They are wonderful sugar cookies! Put 2 each in 36 monster face cookie bags. They look absolutely adorable! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe just in time for her birthday!!!
Made your Celebration Cookies and your red velvet cookie cake for the Super Bowl, using black red and white M&Ms and sprinkles. Big hit!!! Wish I could say the same for the game!? I live in Atlanta and we are all sad today! Now I want to try some more pudding cookies! Thank you for the great recipes!!
I bet!! I was so rooting for them. Maybe next year…
What is the texture and taste difference using shortening vs butter? Going to bake these for my granddaughters birthday!
They’re pretty much identical!
Hey girl-these look so yummy! By the way… I turn 40 this year to, on June 8! And my sister’s husband’s name is Mel! SO cool!
Small world!
So much yes! I love sprinkles in any shape or form.
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