Sprinkle Cookies
Soft, buttery, bakery-style vanilla sprinkle cookies with chewy centers, colorful sprinkles, and a crackly top. Easy to make, kid-friendly, and perfect for parties, holidays, or an everyday treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks / 226 g, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 250 g
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 3/4-1 cup sprinkles plus more for rolling; use rainbow jimmies or confetti sprinkles
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream optional, if dough feels too dry
- coarse sugar optional, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to help the cookies bake evenly and prevent over-browning.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light, creamy, and slightly fluffy. The mixture should look pale.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix again. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2–3 additions, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be thick. If it looks crumbly and does not come together when pressed with your fingers, add 1 tablespoon of milk or cream and mix briefly, adding up to 1 more tablespoon if needed.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- Using a spatula or your mixer on the lowest speed, gently fold in 3/4–1 cup sprinkles until just distributed. Avoid overmixing so the sprinkles don’t break and bleed color.3/4-1 cup sprinkles
- Scoop the dough into balls about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Roll each between your palms to smooth, then gently roll in extra sprinkles and coarse sugar, if using, to coat the outside. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.3/4-1 cup sprinkles, coarse sugar
- Place the baking sheets with the shaped dough balls into the refrigerator and chill for 20–30 minutes. This helps the cookies stay thicker and chewier instead of spreading too much.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges look just set and very lightly golden while the centers still look soft and slightly puffy. The cookies will continue to cook on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Yield: about 24–26 cookies using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoops. Dough balls can be chilled longer or frozen for later baking. For bakery-style large cookies, use about 3 tablespoons of dough and add 1–3 minutes to the bake time. Use jimmies or confetti sprinkles rather than nonpareils to avoid color bleeding. Do not overbake; cookies should look slightly underdone in the centers when removed from the oven.
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