These Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles are super easy to make (no rolling out and cutting into shapes needed), extra soft, and chewy. Just roll the cookie dough into balls and bake. The extra Christmas sprinkles makes these cookies super fun and festive.
I can't get enough of festive treats around the holidays! I love to pair these Christmas Sugar cookies with other cookies like Brown Butter Sugar Cookies, Christmas Pretzel Hugs, and even a big pot of Christmas Hot Chocolate. For a fun presentation, include them on a dessert charcuterie board with Rolo Pretzel Turtles and Christmas Pretzels.
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⭐Why I Love Them:
- Loaded with Sprinkles - I add sprinkles both to the dough and roll the cookie dough balls in more sprinkles! I also love making these easy chocolate truffles and rolling them in sprinkles too.
- Easy to Make - I love that these Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles are drop style and don't require rolling and cutting out in to shapes. Rolling into balls is so easy!
- Make Ahead Friendly - You can store the cookie dough balls in the fridge (or even freezer) and bake when ready.
🥘Ingredients Needed:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Unsalted Butter - you can use salted, just use halve the kosher salt.
- White Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract - So important to add flavor! I also love doing half vanilla extract and half almond extract.
- Sprinkles - lots of them!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔪Step by Step instructions:
Making drop style sugar cookies with sprinkles is so simple!
Photo 1 - Start by creaming the butter and sugar then add the wet ingredients. Finally add the dry ingredients.
Photo 2 - Roll the cookie dough into equal sized balls and roll into sprinkles.
Photo 3 - Chill the dough balls in the fridge for about 2 hours then bake until they are lightly browned on the sides, just set, but still soft in the center.
🍽Leftovers and Storage
Storage: They will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Make Ahead: I recommend making the dough, rolling into balls, and chilling the dough balls in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.
Freezing: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen dough balls, without thawing, for an extra minute or two.
💭Recipe Tips
- Room Temperature Butter and Eggs - Room temp butter is ESSENTIAL for creaming with the sugar. But you don’t want your butter too soft either. If you press the butter with your finger, it should make an indent but doesn’t sink easily into the butter. The butter is still cool to the touch but not hard and cold like butter straight from the fridge. Room temperature eggs are also important as they also incorporate easier and provide more volume.
- Chill the Dough - Chilling the cookie dough is key to prevent the cookies from spreading. I recommend chilling the dough after rolling into balls. Chilled dough can be too difficult to successfully roll.
- Better to Under Bake than Over Bake - The cookies are done when the edges are slightly golden but the centers still look soft. Once removing from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. They will continue to set up in this time.
- Prep the Dough in Advance - Yes! When chilling, store the cookie dough balls in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill or for up to 3 days. These are a perfect make-ahead Christmas cookie option.
- Freezer Friendly - Make the cookie dough, roll into balls and freeze for up to 3 months. Frozen dough balls can be baked from frozen without thawing, but they will need an extra minute or two of bake time.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs
You can add sprinkles before baking sugar cookies. I like to both mix them into the dough and add them on top of the cookie dough balls.
Yes! As written, this is a smaller batch of cookies (a little less than 2 dozen). But it very easily doubles with no changes to the instructions.
Use your favorite! I like to use 'jimmies', or the long rainbow sprinkles. Avoid using nonpareils as they will bleed their color into the cookie dough. If you prefer, you could omit the sprinkles all together for plain drop-style sugar cookies.
When you roll the cookie dough balls in sprinkles, you'll kind of press the sprinkles into the dough so they stick.
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PrintRecipe
Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
These Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles are super easy to make (no rolling out and cutting into shapes needed), extra soft, and chewy. Just roll the cookie dough into balls and bake. The extra Christmas sprinkles makes these cookies super fun and festive.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg,room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓-1 cup sprinkles, depending if you want to roll the cookies in sprinkles
Instructions
- Whisk Dry Ingredients - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients - Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer with a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high. About 1 minute until creamed. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix on high speed until combined - about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom as needed.
- Add Dry Ingredients - Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter. Mix on low until combined. Slowly beat in the sprinkles, if you'd like (I like to use ⅓-1/2 cup). The cookie dough will be sticky and thick.
- Roll into Balls - Scoop and roll the dough into balls (about 1.5 tablespoons). If desired, roll the dough balls in more sprinkles. Place on a plate and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to 3 days).
- Preheat - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Bake - Place the chilled dough balls on the baking sheets, about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look soft.
- Cool - Allow to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Freezing: Make the cookie dough, roll into balls and freeze for up to 3 months. Frozen dough balls can be baked from frozen without thawing, but they will need an extra minute or two of bake time.
Sprinkles: Use your favorite! But avoid using nonpareils as they will bleed their color into the cookie dough. If you prefer, you could omit the sprinkles all together for plain drop sugar cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 112
- Sugar: 9.2 g
- Sodium: 20.7 mg
- Fat: 5.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.3 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 21.5 mg
Katie says
I love that these were easy to make and no need to use cookie cutters.