Classic Christmas Butter Cookies with Sprinkles

Classic Christmas Butter Cookies

These Christmas butter cookies are thick, slightly flattened rounds with red, green, and white sprinkles pressed into their tops. They bake up tender and buttery, with pale, set tops and bottoms that are only lightly golden—not the deep color of a crisp cookie.

Shape and decorate the dough before chilling it. Firm, cool rounds hold their shape better in the oven, while an early check helps prevent overbaking. Cookie size, thickness, pan color, and oven temperature can all shift the bake time.

Ingredients for Classic Christmas Butter Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but not melted (225g)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (135g)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (280g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup red, green, and white holiday sprinkles, or as needed (55g)

If using salted butter, omit the added salt. Small round sprinkles, jimmies, or a mix of both will work.

How to Make Christmas Butter Cookies

1. Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven fully to 350°F (175°C). Line a light-colored rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dough: Beat the butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth and creamy. The butter should yield to a light press but should not look greasy or melted. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Add the flour: Mix in the flour and salt on low just until no dry flour remains. Stop once the dough comes together; extra mixing can make the cookies tough.
4. Shape and decorate: Divide the dough into about 24 equal portions. Roll each into a ball and gently flatten to a thick round about 1/2 inch high. Press the sprinkles into the tops, then place the rounds about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
5. Chill: Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 20 to 30 minutes, until cool and firm. Keep any rounds waiting for a later batch chilled.
6. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 to 12 minutes, starting to check at 9 minutes. The tops should look set but remain pale, the edges should be set, and the bottoms should be just turning light golden. If the oven bakes unevenly, rotate the sheet once near the middle of baking.
7. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. They will be delicate while hot. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before storing.

How to Keep the Cookies Thick and Round

Flatten the portions gently rather than pressing them into thin discs, and press the sprinkles into the dough before chilling so they stay attached. If the dough is sticky while shaping, chill it briefly until manageable. Lightly flour your hands if needed, but avoid working much extra flour into the dough.

Bake the rounds while they are still cool and firm. If using the same baking sheet for another batch, let it cool first; a warm sheet can soften the dough before it reaches the oven. Softened rather than melted butter also helps limit spreading.

How to Tell When Butter Cookies Are Done

Use the 10-to-12-minute range as a guide, not a fixed endpoint. Smaller or thinner rounds may finish sooner, and a dark pan may brown the bottoms faster. Remove the cookies when the tops are set and the bottoms are only lightly golden. They firm as they cool, so waiting for deep browning can leave them dry or hard.

Serving Christmas Butter Cookies

Arrange the cooled cookies on a holiday tray or pack them in a tin. For a different holiday-cookie style, try Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies.

How to Store and Freeze Butter Cookies

Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 to 5 days, away from heat and moisture. Packing them while warm can trap moisture and soften them.

Freeze cooled baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, placing parchment between layers if needed. Thaw at room temperature. For make-ahead dough, keep the shaped rounds covered in the refrigerator and bake them while cool and firm.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 24 cookies: 145 calories, 2g protein, 8g fat, and 17g carbohydrates. Per 100g: about 480 calories, 5g protein, 27g fat, and 56g carbohydrates. Values vary with the sprinkles and final cookie size.