Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Soft, chewy sugar cookies packed with festive sprinkles and a hint of almond — perfect for the holidays or any time you’re craving a colorful, buttery cookie.
About This Recipe
These Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are everything a holiday cookie should be: soft, buttery, chewy, and loaded with festive sprinkles. The almond extract adds a subtle bakery-style flavor, and the dough comes together quickly with no chilling required. Swap the sprinkles to match any season or celebration.
Why You’ll Love This
Chewy bakery-style texture with crisp edges and soft centers
Festive and customizable — change the sprinkles for any holiday
No-chill dough so the cookies are ready fast
Uses pantry staples you likely already have
Perfect for gifting, cookie exchanges, or parties
Ingredients You’ll Need
Butter
Granulated sugar
Light brown sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
All-purpose flour
Baking soda & baking powder
Salt
Sprinkles of your choice
How to Make It
Mix the softened butter with both sugars until fluffy, then blend in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients and gently add them to the wet mixture until just combined. Fold in sprinkles, scoop the dough, and lightly press the tops. Bake at 350°F until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still soft. Cool on the sheet briefly before transferring to a rack.
Tips for Success
Measure flour correctly by spooning and leveling to avoid dense cookies.
Don’t overmix once the flour goes in — it keeps the cookies soft.
Pull them early: they should look slightly underbaked in the center.
Use jimmies (long sprinkles) to prevent color bleeding.
Salted vs unsalted butter: If using unsalted, add ½ tsp extra salt (optional depending on taste).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I chill the dough?
Yes — chilling for 30–60 minutes gives even thicker cookies, but it’s not required.
Can I freeze the dough?
Absolutely. Scoop the dough into balls and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Why did my sprinkles melt?
Nonpareils (tiny round sprinkles) can bleed in dough. Jimmies hold their shape best.
Can I double the almond extract?
If you love almond flavor, you can increase it to 1½ teaspoons.
Can I make these smaller?
Yes — use a smaller scoop and reduce bake time to 8–10 minutes.
What to Serve With These Cookies
Hot chocolate
Eggnog
Peppermint mocha
Vanilla ice cream
Holiday snack boards
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Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients:
Makes about 36-48 cookies depending on the size you portion out
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (I prefer salted, if you use unsalted- add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt or don’t if you don’t like extra salt)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sprinkles
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Fold in the sprinkles.
Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a cookie scoop to scoop up the cookie dough and form the dough into balls and place on the cookie sheet. Gently press down the dough- I don’t spread the dough out too much, I just lightly pressed down the edges so that the center was a little taller than the edges.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
