These soft chewy sprinkle sugar cookies are one of my favorite sugar cookie recipes and the perfect cookies to make at the holidays or anytime you need a little pick me up from rainbow sprinkles. This chewy sprinkle sugar cookie is a copycat Publix sugar cookie recipe and so easy to make. Make these little sprinkle cookies for the holidays, Birthdays or anytime the craving strikes.
About these cookies with sprinkles
Imagine a classic old fashioned sugar cookie that is chewy yet firm, buttery and has just the right amount of sweetness. This sugar cookie is just that, except we added some festive rainbow sprinkles to make them more festive and fun for gatherings.
These sugar cookies are a classic from my childhood and the recipe is adapted from the Publix supermarket sugar cookie recipe. If you grew up in Florida, then you grew up eating these delicious cookies!
These cookies are also so easy to make because they are drop sugar cookies with sprinkles, meaning there is no rolling needed. Definitely our kind of sugar cookie recipe.
Trust me, once you try this these sprinkle sugar cookies, you will want to make these all the time 🙂
Ingredients Needed
- Sprinkles. This one is obvious 🙂 You can use any color sprinkles you prefer but the classic sprinkle sugar cookies will have rainbow colors. At the holidays, I like to use red and green sprinkles to make Christmas cookies with sprinkles. It is all up to you!
- Unsalted butter.
- All purpose flour. Make sure when you measure the flour that you fluff it up first, then scoop it and level it off with a knife.
- Sugar. I use a regular granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Egg. Large eggs.
- Kosher salt. Salt opens up the tastebuds so it will help bring out the sweet flavor of the cookies when you eat them.
- Baking powder. This gives lift to the cookies.
- Vanilla extract. The vanilla compliments the sugar and butter for the most delicious sugar cookie flavor.
The best thing about these sprinkle sugar cookies is you probably already have most of these items in your pantry and fridge. That makes these cookies the perfect cookie to make anytime of year.
If love making these sprinkle cookies at the holidays to add to my holiday cookie boxes along with homemade marshmallows, cardamom cookies, snowflake cookies, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies , fruit and nut cookies and citrus snowball cookies.
How to make the sugar cookie dough
First thing you want to do is make your sugar cookie dough. To do this you are going to combine dry ingredients into one bowl and then cream your butter and sugar.
Second, you want to now combine your egg and vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar. Once you have done that, you are ready to add the dry ingredients to the wet until you end up with a very shaggy dough.
After that you are going to place the dough on top of plastic wrap and tightly wrap the dough so that it comes together. You will need to refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
Now that you have made the sugar cookie dough, you are ready to shape the cookie dough add the sprinkles.
When I say shape I mean you are merely taking a slice out of the rolled log that you made, shaping it a little and pressing down just a bit to slightly flatten the cookie before baking.
Adding the Sprinkles
Grab a plate and pour the sprinkles on to it. Then you want to grab the chilled dough cut it into slices then roll it into a ball.
Once you have the sugar cookie ball, place the sugar cookie into the sprinkles and press the dough down like you are making a small patty. The sprinkles will stick to the dough.
Place the sprinkle cookies on to a sheet pan and bake. These sprinkle cookies do not spread during baking so you can place them somewhat close together on the sheet pan, just make sure they are not touching.
Tips to make the best sprinkle cookies
- Make sure to chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours.
- Apply pressure to the dough when wrapping it for chilling as this is what helps bring the cookie dough together.
- Make sure to press the cookie dough balls into the sprinkles evenly and check if they are coated nicely. If they need a little more sprinkles on top of the cookie then go ahead and press it back into the sprinkles. Sprinkles need to be added to cookie dough before baking so make sure it looks pretty before you bake.
How to make a small batch of these sprinkle cookies:
If you would prefer to not make the entire recipe, just freeze half of the dough in the freezer. This sugar cookie dough will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, just remove the cookie dough from the freezer and let thaw gently in the refrigerator for 24 hours. I love doing this so I have an easy batch of cookie dough always waiting for me.
Variations
This sugar cookie dough is delicious all on its own so sometimes I prefer to bake them up without the sprinkles. When I do this I will press the cookie dough into granulated sugar and it is so good!
Having two methods to use to bake up the same cookie dough really comes in handy when you want a little variety when you are gifting cookies or entertaining. I do this with my snowball cookies, citrus sugar cookies and eggnog cookies. They all come form the same dough!
Faqs
Sprinkles are pressed into the raw cookie dough before baking so they stick to the dough and then they bake up with the cookie. The sprinkles will not melt in the baking process.
To get the sprinkles to stick to cookies, you press the cookie dough into the sprinkles before baking. The sprinkles will stick to the raw cookie dough.
Most sprinkles are just sugar and coloring and only have a sweet sugar flavor and a crunchy texture. There are some sprinkles that are flavored with cinnamon, fruit, etc. but they will be labeled accordingly.
More Delicious Dessert Ideas
- Italian Pizzelle Recipe
- Classic Carrot Cake
- Brioche French Toast (French Toast for dessert is delicious!). Add a little bread pudding sauce for the ultimate treat.
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Buttery Oatmeal Cookies
- Creamy Lemon Bars
- Key Lime Tart
- Vanilla Almond Cake
- Italian Berry Cake
- Basil Olive Oil Cake
- Pizzelle Cannoli
- Moist Chocolate Cake
- Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup Sprinkles Any color
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Making the sugar cookie dough
- In one bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder and mix well.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In another bowl, cream butter and sugar on high speed until well combined, about 1 minute.1 cup sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Now add egg and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough starts to look shaggy. The dough will not fully come together at this point and that is normal.
- Tear 2 pieces of plastic wrap about 16 inches long and place on the counter.
- Pour ½ of the dough mixture on to each of the pieces of plastic wrap.
- Fold the plastic wrap over the dough and twist the ends tightly and press the dough together until it forms a log shape and the dough holds together.
- Place the wrapped dough in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.
Making the sprinkle cookies
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the dough from the fridge.
- Slice the dough log into 1 inch pieces.
- Grab a piece of dough and roll into a ball.
- Continue doing this until all the slices have been rolled into a ball.
- Pour sprinkles on to a plate.1 cup Sprinkles
- Take a dough ball and place it on the sprinkles and press down to make a patty shape. They will be about ¼ thick.
- Repeat this until all the day balls are made into cookie shapes and have sprinkles.
- Place cookies on to a baking sheet, sprinkle side up.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges just slightly turn golden.
- Let cool for 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Liz says
They came out great. I pressed the cookies in sprinkles and some in regular sugar. Both were tasty and easy!
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Ann says
delicious!
Karyn says
So addictive!! These cookies are like the perfect combination of lofthouse and classic sugar. Would recommend!
Dakotah says
The whole family loved them, they’re just like the ones I remember as a kid ☺️