Easy and Chewy Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
When it comes to making a colorful treat that’s simple and fun, these Easy and Chewy Sprinkle Sugar Cookies are the perfect cookie recipe. They’re soft, chewy, and loaded with sprinkles for a funfetti-inspired look that’s sure to brighten any occasion.
Servings: cookies
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- 2 cookie sheets
- 2 parchment paper sheets
- 1 3 tablespoon cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour using the scoop and level method
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup jimmies plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar at medium-high speed for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then beat in the whole egg and egg yolk until smooth.1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1 large yolk
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 1/2 cup (187.5 g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing at low speed until combined. Avoid overmixing for soft sugar cookies. Fold in the sprinkles gently to keep them from breaking.1/2 cup (80 g) jimmies
- Use a cookie scoop to form cookie dough balls, about 3 tablespoons each. If the dough is very soft and sticky, chill it for 15 minutes. If desired, roll in a bowl of your choice of sprinkles or simply sprinkle with a few on top. I used jimmies mixed in the dough, and a mix of jimmies and nonpareils to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2.5 inches apart. Bake cookies in the lower thirds of the oven for 10-15 minutes. The edges should be set, but the centers will remain slightly soft. Let the baked cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Add-ons & Substitutions for this Sprinkle Cookies
- White Chocolate Chips: Go from simple sugar cookies to white chocolate chip sugar cookies
- Chocolate Topping: Use melted chocolate chips or melted chocolate to drizzle on top or dunk the edges of the cookies in for a chocolatey addition
- Extract Flavoring: Swap vanilla extract with almond extract for a different flavor profile.
- Sprinkles: Use seasonal sprinkles like Halloween sprinkles or Valentine’s Day sprinkles for a themed batch.
Expert Tips
- Using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method to measure your flour is a good rule of thumb to avoid overly dry cookies.
- Use jimmies for mixing into the batter—they hold up well and won’t bleed. Nonpareils should only be used to decorate the tops of the cookies.
- For perfectly shaped cookies, when they’re fresh out of the oven and still warm, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to gently nudge the edges into a perfect circle. Work quickly, as the cookies will set as they cool.
- Chill time is optional but helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Always bake a second batch on a cooled cookie sheet to avoid uneven baking.
