Soft Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles are a cookie lovers dream! These light cookies are filled with sprinkles and are perfect Christmas sugar cookies to leave for Santa but really great for any holiday. Load them up with festive sprinkles and then watch them disappear!
Easy Sprinkle Cookies
There is something about cookies with sprinkles that make people happy. They are bright, cheery and perfect to celebrate a holiday with. I remember being a little girl and going to the bakery with my grandmother. Of course, I always chose the cookie with lots of colored sprinkles. While it's nice to pick up pretty cookies at a bakery, these are easy enough to make at home. No cookie cutters, rolling pin or special equipment required to make this sugar cookie recipe!
These are one of my family's favorite festive Christmas sugar cookies and I love adding them to my holiday cookie tray so they are sitting next to Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread and my Peppermint Sandwich Cookie Brownies . But the fact is that they are a perfect festive cookie for any occasion. I made some and added fall sprinkles. Why not have cookies on your Thanksgiving table too? Of course I want these at birthday parties with fun multi colored sprinkles. And at Easter time, some pretty pastel sprinkles are great to load these cookies with.
The best part is that there are sprinkles in the dough then the soft sugar cookies get topped with more sprinkles before baking. You really cannot have too many sprinkles on Christmas sugar cookies or really any cookies for a festive occasion!
Ingredients Needed
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- sour cream
- lots of sprinkles
Soft Sugar Cookie Baking Tips
The texture of these cookies are soft, light and a bit on the chewy side. Here are the best baking tips to make them super delicious.
- The sugar cookie dough is easiest to make using an electric stand or hand mixer. They can be done by hand but be sure to use a sturdy wooden spoon and be prepared to use some strength.
- Sprinkles get added at the end and make sure to gently mix them in. Also be careful not to overmix the dough.
- For perfect cookie formation, roll the dough balls then use a glass to flatten them into a nice cookie shape.
- These cookies are best when they are slightly under baked so they stay soft and chewy. They will get removed from the oven but will still continue to cook as they cool on the pan.
- Line your pan with parchment paper. This makes the cookies soft and it is easy clean up.
- I use 3 pans to fit all the cookies as this recipe makes 3 dozen. If you have less pans and need to make the cookies in batches, the baking pans must be cooled down before making a new batch of cookies.
- For a firmer, thicker cookie, the dough can be refrigerated for 2 hours before shaping and baking.
Sugar Cookie FAQs
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and they will keep for a week.
I do not recommend freezing the fully baked cookies as the sprinkles will get discolored. But the dough (with sprinkles inside) can be made into balls and frozen. Freeze individually on a baking sheet then place in an air tight plastic bag in the freezer. To bake, let them slightly defrost, dip the tops in sprinkles then bake as directed adding a minute or so to baking time.
I usually get 3 dozen cookies. But it can vary a bit if you make the cookies slightly bigger or smaller.
If an equal amount of baking soda is swapped for baking powder in this cookie recipe, the cookies won't have any lift to them, and they will spread and flatten. If you are ok with flatter cookies then it will work but I really do prefer the baking powder because I like a thicker, fluffy cookie. .
I love all sprinkles (pearls, nonpareils, confetti and jimmies) and the more colorful the better. I do want to note that the round pearl type of sprinkles might bleed some color into the cookies. I like to use the jimmie type sprinkles inside and the rounder sprinkles on the outside of the cookie.
More Sugar Cookie Recipes
- Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Chocolate Sugar Kisses by An Affair from the Heart
- Drop Sugar Cookies
- Sugar Cookies with Monk Fruit in the Raw
If you like this Soft Sugar Cookie recipe, please rate it 5 stars below.
Soft Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup sprinkles, plus more for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter with a mixer (or by hand) until smooth. Mix in the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and egg. Mix until well combined, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix. Add ⅓ cup of sprinkles and gently stir in by hand until just combined.
- Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets. Press the top of the dough with a glass to flatten. Dip each disc into more sprinkles on one side.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies should be completely set, but the centers will look slightly under cooked. Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes as the cookies will continue to slightly cook . Remove cookies with a spatula.
- Repeat with remaining dough to make the rest of the cookies.
Kelly D
I like to bake gingerbread cookies.
Melissa C
love making sugar cookies with the kids they're so easy to decorate with sprinkles, frosting, perils and more!
Lisa Kerhin
I love the sprinkles and the cookies. A soft sugar cookie is a must for me
Hezzi-D
It's just not the holidays without sugar cookies!
Karen @Karen's Kitchen Stories
Sprinkles are so festive and make everything better!
Rebekah Hills
Look at all of those gorgeous colorful sprinkles packed onto those cookies!
Rebecca
Sprinkle Cookies are so fun and easy to make. Can't wait to make with my kids.
Wendy Klik
Sugar Cookies with sprinkles are the epitome of Christmas. These are perfect.
Jessica To
I like to make 7 layer cookies but my son would prefer a chocolate chip cookie.
Steph
I lioe sugar cookies I am boring
Gwynn Galvin
These cookies are so festive and happy!
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
Crunchy sprinkle heaven! The perfect way to celebrate the season!
Leela
I love making big, soft sugar cookies.
Cindy
Sugar cookies are a must bake on my Christmas list. This soft version sounds so good!
Jolene
You definitely can never have too many sprinkles!
Inger @ Art of Natural Liivng
So cute! Sprinkles make everything better!
Jennifer Stewart
I love the festive sprinkles! A soft sugar cookie sounds like a perfect holiday treat.
Christie
What fun cookies! Those sprinkles are so festive.
Ellen
Such a festive cookie! They would never last 7 days in my house!