Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Soft, drop sprinkle sugar cookies make a colorful treat. This recipe makes a soft and slightly chewy cookie, with tons of sprinkles.

stacked sugar cookies.

These drop sugar cookies are thick cookies flavored with vanilla and some almond extract. The rainbow sprinkles dotted on top and throughout the cookies make these sugar cookies so much fun.

The dough is quick and easy to make and it needs no chill time.

Drop style sugar cookies

Classic sugar cookies are usually formed in two different ways. This recipe makes drop cookies that use a soft dough that is rolled into balls, or scooped and dropped onto a baking tray.

The other way is a cut-out sugar cookie. In those recipes, the dough is rolled out with a rolling pin, and cookie cutters are used to make the shapes.

bitten sprinkle cookie.

The best sprinkles for cookies

The kind of sprinkles you use in these soft sugar cookies does make a difference. The best type of sprinkles are jimmies or confetti sprinkles (or use a mixture of both!) Avoid using the little ball sprinkles (nonpareils) as they bleed their color quickly in the cookie dough.

The great thing about colorful sprinkles is that you can change them up depending on the cookie occasion. You can use green and red sprinkles to make Christmas cookies, pink for valentine’s day, orange for Halloween sprinkles, and so on.

sprinkle cookies in the background, havled cookie in the forefront.

Ingredients

You can find the full ingredient amounts for these soft sprinkle sugar cookies in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

  • Butter. Salted butter or unsalted butter. Soften the butter to room temperature before using it. This means soft enough so that a finger pressed into the butter leaves an indentation, but not so soft that the butter is greasy.
  • Granulated sugar – gives the cookie slightly crisp edges
  • A large egg
  • Vanilla extract or vanilla paste – Use good quality vanilla, not imitation vanilla extract.
  • Almond extract – Optional, but so delicious.
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Sprinkles – Use your favorite sprinkle mix, but avoid nonpareils sprinkles. You’ll need sprinkles for the dough and additional sprinkles to decorate the tops.

Equipment

Electric mixer – A handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment is helpful for beating butter and sugar.

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the flour mixture aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the room temperature butter and the sugar. Use an electric beater or the stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy.

Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on medium speed until combined.

egg and vanilla in butter.
beaten eggs and butter.

Tip in the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until nearly combined. There should still be flour streaks remaining. Add in the sprinkles and continue mixing until combined.

flour in a bowl.
sprinkles in a bowl.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon, to scoop around 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie ball. Lightly roll the dough into a ball and dip the tops of the cookies into some extra sprinkles. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. If it’s too sticky to roll, it can be refrigerated for 15 minutes to slightly stiffen.

Space the cookie dough balls around 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.

a cookie scoop with dough.
unbaked cookie ball.

Bake the cookies for around 9 minutes until baked around the edges but the middles are still soft. The exact baking time will depend on your own oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5-10 minutes to firm up before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.

Cookie tips

  • Slightly underbake the cookies. This will keep them chewy. The cookies will continue to cook a bit on the hot pan as they come from the oven.
side view of cookies.

Storing

Store the sprinkle sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The unbaked dough balls can also be frozen for up to three months. Bake them without thawing, though they may need an extra minute.

More cookie recipes

stacked sugar cookies.

Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Yield: 16-18
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 9 minutes

Soft, drop sprinkle sugar cookies make a colorful treat.

Ingredients

  • 188g (1 1/2 cups*) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 135g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup sprinkles, plus more for topping

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the flour mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the room temperature butter and the sugar. Beat butter and sugar for around 2 minutes until light and creamy.
  4. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until combined.
  5. Tip in the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until nearly combined. There should still be flour streaks remaining.
  6. Add in the sprinkles and continue mixing until combined.
  7. Use a cookie scoop or spoon, to scoop around 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie ball. Lightly roll the dough into a ball and dip the tops of the cookies into some extra sprinkles. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. If it's too sticky to roll, it can be refrigerated for 15 minutes to slightly stiffen.
  8. Space the cookie dough balls around 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
  9. Bake the cookies for around 9 minutes until baked around the edges but the middles are still soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes to firm up before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.

Notes

*The cup sizes given are for US cups. Note that these are smaller than metric cup sizes. For best results, use grams.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist

FAQ

Can this cookie dough be used for cut-out cookies?

This dough is not suitable for cut-out sugar cookies.

Why is my cookie dough crumbly?

Too much flour will make the dough crumbly. To avoid over-measuring your flour, it’s best to weigh your ingredients with a scale.

Can sugar cookies be frozen?

The baked cookies can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. Thaw on the bench.

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