These soft Christmas sprinkle cookies are a drop-style sugar cookie that is perfect for the holiday season! The cookie dough balls are rolled in red and green Christmas sprinkles before baking, making them ideal for your holiday cookie exchange.
These sprinkle sugar cookies are super easy to make and require just basic ingredients. They are soft baked cookies that don't require a rolling pin or cookie cutters either.
Not only are these soft and chewy cookies, but they're pillowy soft in texture and bursting with that perfect buttery sugar cookie flavor.
Looking for more holiday desserts? Then check out these: gingerbread muffins, candy cane brownies, and peppermint chocolate chip cookies.
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
- They're no chill and can be baked right away.
- Before baking, they're rolled in festive holiday sprinkles.
- Each bite is soft and fluffy.
- They take less than 30 minutes to make.
- They will become your new favorite cookies!
Get in the holiday spirit by using your favorite festive sprinkles to make these holiday cookies.
Unlike other sugar cookie recipes where you have to roll out, cut the dough, and chill, these are drop cookies that can be baked right away!
Ingredients
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Corn Starch: With the addition of corn starch, the cookies will be thicker and softer.
- Baking Powder: The main leavening agent to help the cookies puff up when baking and to spread slightly.
- Butter: Unsalted room temperature butter is what we need.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is the main sweetener for the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract: Use high quality vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla.
- Sprinkles: Any red, white, and green sprinkles would be perfect.
If you want to add even more flavor to these soft sugar cookies, add a ¼ teaspoon of almond extract.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make these festive Christmas sugar cookies.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients: In a large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Then add the egg and vanilla extract on medium speed and mix until combined.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a silicone spatula to gently fold together any remaining loose ingredients.
Step 4: Scoop the dough. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop out the dough. Roll it into a ball and then roll it in the sprinkles.
Place onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.
Step 5: Bake. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them over to a cooling rack.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.
Expert Baking Tips
- Baking Sheet: I recommend this specific cookie sheet. Line each pan with parchment paper.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Cookie Scoop: For this recipe I scooped out 2 tablespoons worth of cookie dough to make slightly larger cookies.
- Christmas Sprinkles: You will want to roll each cookie dough ball in sprinkles before baking. I used a combination of different Christmas sprinkles, such as these Betty Crocker ones and these Wilton nonpareil ones.
- Bake Time: If you choose to make 2 tablespoon cookie dough balls they will need to bake for 11-13 minutes. If you choose 1.5 tablespoon balls, then they will need to bake 8-10 minutes.
- Perfectly Shaped Cookies: The trick to getting more circular cookies is to use a round cookie cutter to essentially “rotate or spin” around each cookie immediately when they come out of the oven. Since they’re really hot, the cookies will easily mold to that circular shape as you move around them.
Recipe FAQs
Yes they can. Freeze the cookies on a baking sheet for about an hour and then transfer them to a freezer bag. You can keep them frozen for up to 2 months.
Before baking, roll each cookie dough ball into the sprinkles. They should stick quite easily.
Use any red and green Christmas sprinkles you'd like. I used non pareil and jimmies.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
📖 Recipe
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1.5 sticks)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Christmas sprinkles
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract on med-low speed and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a silicone spatula to gently fold together any remaining loose ingredients.
- Pour the sprinkles into a small bowl and scoop the cookie dough into your hands using a medium-sized cookie scoop. Roll the cookie dough into a ball and then roll it in the sprinkles. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes, or just until the outside of the cookies start to brown a bit (the cookies will look really soft). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.
Notes:
-
- Baking Sheet: Line each pan with parchment paper.
-
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
-
- Cookie Scoop: For this recipe I scooped out 2 tablespoons worth of cookie dough to make slightly larger cookies.
-
- Christmas Sprinkles: You will want to roll each cookie dough ball in sprinkles before baking. I used a combination of different Christmas sprinkles, such as these Betty Crocker ones and these Wilton nonpareil ones.
-
- Bake Time: If you choose to make 2 tablespoon cookie dough balls they will need to bake for 11-13 minutes. If you choose 1.5 tablespoon balls, then they will need to bake 8-10 minutes.
-
- Perfectly Shaped Cookies: The trick to getting more circular cookies is to use a round cookie cutter to essentially “rotate or spin” around each cookie immediately when they come out of the oven. Since they’re really hot, the cookies will easily mold to that circular shape as you move around them.
Having an easy sugar cookie to make during the holiday season is a must in my house. I love that the cookies can be baked right away without needing to chill in the refrigerator.