Sprinkle Cookies That Are Soft, Buttery & Chewy

If you need sprinkle cookies that simple enough to make with the kids but still tastes seriously good, this easy sprinkle sugar cookie recipe is it.

They’re soft, buttery and a little chewy, with a simple vanilla sugar cookie base covered in colourful sprinkles. Think birthday cake in cookie form—without making an actual birthday cake. Even better, the whole recipe is ready in about 30 minutes.

I first made these with my little girl when she was two, and that’s still one of my favourite things about this easy sugar cookie recipe. There are no complicated techniques or fancy decorating. Make the cookie dough, roll the dough balls in sprinkles, bake and watch the kids lose their minds.

These sprinkle sugar cookies are easy, fun and exactly the kind of baking project I want on a rainy afternoon.

At a Glance

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Bake Time: 9 minutes
• Yield: 10 cookies
• Texture: Soft and buttery with a slightly chewy centre
• Difficulty: Easy
• Best For: Baking with kids, birthdays and holidays
• Equipment: Two bowls, baking sheet and parchment paper
• Tip: Use softened butter—not melted—and give the cookies 10 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack.

How to Nail These Sprinkle Cookies

1. Start with Room Temperature Butter

Measure your ingredients before you begin. Trust me, it makes everything easier.

The butter should be softened at room temperature, but not melted. Soft butter mixes easily with the sugar and helps give these cookies their soft, slightly chewy texture.

2. Measure the Flour Carefully

The recipe uses all-purpose flour. When you’re using a measuring cup, don’t pack the flour down. Spoon it into the cup and level the top so you don’t accidentally add too much.

The dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt—get whisked together in their own bowl before being added to the butter mixture.

3. Don’t Overmix the Dough

Once the wet ingredients—butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract—are combined, add the flour mixture in two additions.

Mix only until everything comes together. Whether you’re using a wooden spoon, hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, there’s no need to beat the life out of it, folks.

4. Don’t Be Shy with the Sprinkles

Roll each portion of dough into a ball and coat it in sprinkles. If a few extra sprinkles or sparkles find their way onto the cookies, I’m certainly not going to stop you.

5. Flatten Gently

Put a small square of parchment paper between the cookie and the bottom of a glass before pressing.

Apply steady pressure and flatten each cookie about halfway. Don’t squish it flat.

6. Give Them Room

These cookies spread, so leave about 2 inches between the dough balls on your baking sheet.

7. Don’t Overbake Them

The bake time is only about 9 minutes in a 350°F oven, and the cookies will look slightly underbaked when they come out.

That’s what you want.

Leave them on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They’ll continue to set as they cool while keeping that soft centre.

Christmas Sprinkle Cookies

This easy sugar cookie recipe is made for holidays because changing the sprinkles instantly changes the whole look.

For Christmas, grab red, green and white sprinkles and you’ve got a cookie that would look right at home on Santa’splate. Different sprinkle colors also make these easy to customize for birthdays, Halloween, Valentine’s Day or pretty much any celebration you can throw at them.

The original recipe gets its flavor from vanilla. If you want to experiment with extra flavor in a future batch, almond extract is common in sugar cookies, but keep in mind that it isn’t part of this original recipe.

And no, you don’t need brown sugar or a coating of extra sugar here. The granulated sugar and sprinkles already bring plenty of sweetness.

A Great Kids Recipe!

I made these sprinkle cookies for the first time with my two-year-old daughter, and that’s a big reason this recipe has stuck with me.

There are very few steps, and what kid doesn’t want to roll cookie dough through a bowl of sprinkles?

Let them pick the sprinkle colors, help roll the dough balls or take charge of coating them. These are great for a birthday party, an in-service day or one of those rainy weekends when everyone needs something to do.

And the payoff is a tray of warm chewy sugar cookies.

That’s a pretty good afternoon in my books.

How to Store Sprinkle Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container. They’ll stay soft much longer if they’re well sealed.

If you’re planning ahead, you can also store the cookie dough in the refrigerator before baking. Chilled dough will be firmer, so give it a few minutes at room temperature if it’s too hard to portion.

For longer storage, baked cookies can also go into the freezer. Cool them completely first, pack them well and thaw at room temperature when the cookie craving hits.

If sprinkles aren’t calling your name and you’re craving something a little more classic, Smitten Kitchen’s Classic Shortbread is another great baking project.

Sprinkle Cookies FAQ

What kind of sprinkles work best for sprinkle cookies?

Jimmies are a great choice because they’re easy to roll the dough in and give the cookies plenty of colour. You can use different sprinkle colors to match birthdays, Christmas or other holidays.

Why did my sprinkle cookies spread?

Butter that’s too warm can cause cookies to spread more than intended. Start with softened room-temperature butter rather than melted butter, and make sure your flour is measured correctly.

How do you get sprinkles to stick to sugar cookies?

Roll the freshly shaped dough balls directly in the sprinkles before flattening them. The soft cookie dough should be tacky enough for the sprinkles to stick without anything extra.

Should sugar cookie dough be chilled before baking?

Not for this easy sugar cookie recipe. These cookies are designed to go straight into the oven after shaping and flattening, which is one reason they’re so quick to make.

Can I make sprinkle cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes. You can prepare the dough ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Let it soften slightly at room temperature if it’s too firm to scoop and roll.

How do you keep sugar cookies soft?

Avoid overbaking them. These cookies should still look slightly underdone when they come out of the oven. Let them finish setting on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.

Can I freeze sprinkle cookies?

Yes. Let the baked cookies cool completely, then store them well wrapped in an airtight freezer-safe container.

One More Cookie

There is a lot to love about these sprinkle cookies. They’re buttery, soft, a little chewy and covered in enough sprinkles to make any regular afternoon feel like a celebration.

But what I love most is how easy they are to make with the kids. A bowl of cookie dough, a ridiculous amount of sprinkles and about 30 minutes—that’s my kind of baking project.

Make a batch and watch how quickly they disappear.

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