Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This recipe is great to make on a regular day or for a birthday party or celebration! Kids and adults both love these fun sprinkle cookies.
• These sprinkle sugar cookies are super soft and have an amazing chewy texture!
• These sugar cookies are made with vanilla extract to elevate the flavor.
• Sprinkles are mixed into the cookie dough and extra sprinkles are added to the tops of the cookies before baking for a colorful finishing touch.
• This is a no-chill cookie dough recipe so you don’t have to chill the dough before baking. 
• These cookies are easy to make and bake in under 12 minutes.
• This cookie recipe calls for pantry staple ingredients so you should already have everything you need!

Ingredients

This recipe calls for mostly pantry staples. All you'll need to pick up that is specifically for this recipe are some colorful sprinkles!

• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Sprinkles

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions

Need to make a substitution or missing an ingredient? Here are some ways you can alter this recipe to fit your unique dietary needs.

• Gluten-free? I have not tested this recipe with other flour. I recommend trying a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if you try to make this recipe gluten-free. Leave a comment and let me know how this goes!
• Don’t have sprinkles? These sugar cookies can be made without sprinkles if you don’t have any on hand. You can enjoy them plain or add a fun glaze or frosting on top if you have some powdered sugar.

Variations

Here are a few ideas for customizing this recipe and making different flavor variations:

• Use different kinds of sprinkles! There are many different types of sprinkles to choose from. For example, you can use chocolate sprinkles instead of rainbow sprinkles!
• Make a chocolate sugar cookie. This recipe would be amazing as a chocolate cookie with chocolate sprinkles. I would recommend using 1 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make a chocolate sugar cookie with sprinkles. 
• Leave out the sprinkles! You may also call these “jimmies.” You can make this recipe without any sprinkles. 
• Add a glaze or frosting. These fluffy sugar cookies would pair nicely with a citrus glaze or a sweet buttercream frosting!

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

How To Make Drop Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

Here's how to make these cookies in an easy step-by-step tutorial. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post to see the exact measurements and full instructions.

Step 1: Cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy and lighter in color. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined, don't overmix.

Step 3: Fold the sprinkles into the cookie dough until well combined.

Step 4: Gently place the tops of the cookie dough balls into a small dish of sprinkles so they stick.

Step 5: Carefully place each decorated cookie dough ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet so the sprinkles don't fall off. Place cookies a few inches apart and bake according to directions.

Step 6: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet and store them covered at room temperature for up to a week.

Expert Baking Tips

• Use a small to medium-sized cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough. Roll the sugar cookie dough ball in between your palms to help shape it into a round ball.
• Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie dough ball on your baking sheet. I find baking 6 cookies on a standard-sized baking sheet is a great fit. 
• Fill a small bowl or dish with extra sprinkles. Gently press the top of each cookie dough ball into the sprinkles. Carefully place the cookie dough ball back on the prepared baking sheet so the sprinkles don’t fall off.
• Let your cookies cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
• Save some sugar cookies for later by freezing a few cookie dough balls. Get more tips for freezing, thawing and baking cookie dough from frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about this recipe? Here are some additional tips and commonly asked questions:

Equipment

You’ll only need to pull out the essentials to make this recipe which includes a baking sheet, parchment paper, a mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a rubber spatula, and either a cookie scoop or spoon.

Storage

Room Temperature

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Sugar cookies are best enjoyed in the first couple of days.

Freezing Instructions

Store cooled sugar cookies in a freezer-safe container or storage bag and freeze for up to two months. Once you're ready to enjoy them, let them thaw at room temperature.

For unbaked cookie dough balls, add them to a freezer bag with enough space in between each ball to prevent sticking. Lay the bag flat in the freezer. When you're ready to bake, remove the dough balls and let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or two or overnight in the fridge. If you're short on time, decrease your oven temperature by 25°F and bake for 2 to 3 extra minutes.

Cookies made with frozen dough may differ in appearance and texture from those baked with fresh cookie dough.

More Recipes You'll Love

Looking for something else to make? Give these Baked Abundance recipes a try:

Recipe

Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

These sprinkle sugar cookies are soft, chewy and delicious! Colorful sprinkles are mixed into the cookie dough and each cookie is topped with extra sprinkles on top for decoration. These sugar cookies with sprinkles have a sweet, vanilla flavor and are perfect to make for a birthday or celebration! 

• Author: Marley Braunlich
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 12
• Total Time: 25
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Cookies, Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

½ cup salted butter, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

½ teaspoon baking soda

⅓ cup sprinkles, plus more for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, and lighter in color. This may take several minutes.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and beat until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a smooth cookie dough forms.
6. Fold in the sprinkles and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
7. Scoop the cookie dough with a small to medium-sized cookie scoop and roll it into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
8. Gently press the top of each dough ball into a small bowl filled with extra sprinkles for decoration.
9. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. This recipe makes 12 cookies.
10. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• See the blog post for more baking tips and details on how to customize this recipe.