Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
These thick, round drop cookies have softly craggy tops, tender centers, and red, green, and white jimmies throughout. A small cluster of extra sprinkles on each dough ball keeps the colors visible after baking. There’s no rolling or cutting: scoop, shape, and bake.
Take the cookies out when the edges are set but the centers still look soft. They’ll firm up on the baking sheet, so waiting for the centers to look dry can leave them too crisp.
Ingredients for Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks; 225g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (105g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup red, green, and white rod-shaped jimmies, for the dough (120g)
- About 1/4 cup additional red, green, and white jimmies, for the tops (40g)
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
How to Make Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- Prepare the oven and pans: Fully preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment; use a cool sheet for each batch.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugars: Beat the softened butter with both sugars until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the almond extract now, if using.
- Finish the dough: Mix in the dry ingredients just until no flour remains. Gently fold in the 3/4 cup of jimmies. The dough should be thick and scoopable.
- Portion and decorate: Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and shape into rounded balls without flattening them. Place 2 to 3 inches apart on a prepared sheet, then press a small cluster of extra jimmies onto each top.
- Chill if needed: If the dough feels very soft or you want to limit spreading, refrigerate the portioned cookies for about 30 minutes. Otherwise, bake without chilling.
- Bake one sheet at a time: Bake uncovered for about 10 to 12 minutes, beginning to check at 10 minutes. The edges should look set and may be lightly golden; the centers should still look soft. Smaller portions may finish sooner, while chilled dough may need a little longer.
- Cool before moving: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so they firm enough to lift. Transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Keep the Cookies Thick and Soft
Even, roughly 3-tablespoon portions bake at a similar rate. Use a cool baking sheet for each batch: a warm sheet or very soft dough can encourage spreading. A 30-minute chill can help when the dough feels too soft, but it isn’t required for every batch.
Mix only until the flour disappears, and use the set edges—not a dry-looking center—as the signal to take the cookies out. They continue to firm on the hot sheet.
Which Sprinkles Work Best?
Rod-shaped jimmies are a good choice for mixing into the dough. Some nonpareils may bleed color, while jimmies help keep the red, green, and white more distinct. Press the extra jimmies on top before baking so they remain visible.
Serving Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Arrange fully cooled cookies on a holiday platter or pack them in a tin. For a separate rolled-cookie option, try Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies.
How to Store and Freeze the Cookies
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 to 5 days. To freeze, seal the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature.
You can also portion the dough ahead and keep it refrigerated until ready to bake. Begin checking near the stated bake time, but rely on the set-edge cue since chilled dough may take a little longer.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 16 cookies: 285 calories, 3g protein, 12g fat, and 41g carbohydrates. Per 100g: approximately 470 calories, 4g protein, 21g fat, and 68g carbohydrates. Values vary with portion size and finished cookie weight.
Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Whisk
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop
- Wire rack
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks; 225 g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (105 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup red, green, and white rod-shaped jimmies (120 g)
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For the Topping
- About 1/4 cup red, green, and white jimmies (40 g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment, and use a cool sheet for each batch.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat the butter and both sugars until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add the almond extract if using.
- Mix in the dry ingredients just until no flour remains, then gently fold in 3/4 cup of jimmies.
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and shape into rounded balls without flattening. Place 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- Press a small cluster of extra jimmies onto each dough ball. If the dough feels very soft, chill the portioned cookies for about 30 minutes.
- Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 to 12 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. Remove when the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips
- Use a cool baking sheet for each batch to help prevent spreading.
- Chill portioned dough for about 30 minutes if it feels very soft or you want to limit spreading.
- Mix the dough only until the flour disappears.
- Use rod-shaped jimmies; some nonpareils may bleed color.
- Take the cookies out when the edges are set, even if the centers still look soft.
Variations
- Almond Sprinkle Sugar Cookies: Add the optional 1/4 teaspoon almond extract along with the vanilla.