Rainbow sprinkle cookies are the most fun cookies you’ll ever make and these are so much better than any bakery cookies. These fun cookies are soft, buttery chewy, and covered in sprinkles (or jimmies), will melt in your mouth!
Do check out other colorful sprinkle loaded recipes Birthday Cake Pancake (funfetti pancakes), Chocolate Covered Pretzels, White Chocolate Fudge, Santa Munch Christmas Popcorn.
Why You Should Try This Sprinkle Cookie Recipe?
- Homemade sprinkle cookies are so much better than any bakery cookies.
- SPRINKLES make everything so much fun and better! Life is better with colorful sprinkles.
- They are so much easier than you thought. All you need is 10 basic pantry ingredients and 30 minutes to get these cookies ready.
- The recipe is ready to bake immediately with NO NEED to chill the dough in refrigerator.
- No rolling pin or cookie cutter required. Make cookie dough, roll into balls, cover in sprinkles and bake instantly.
- These are not ordinary sugar cookies that are overly sweet (cream cheese does the trick). They are buttery, sweet but not overly sweet and covered in fun sprinkles. It doesn’t get better than this.
- Cookies are slightly firm on the outside, and moist and chewy on the inside. TOTALLY ADDICTING!
- Adding cream cheese results in soft and chewy cookies. These cookies stay soft (when stored correctly) for many days.
- Perfect celebration cookies for ANY OCCASION. Be it Valentine’s Day, Christmas cookie exchange, Halloween or Easter.
- The possibility of decorating these cookies is endless. You can swap with your favorite sprinkles or jimmies as per mood or to coordinate with recent holiday baking. You can also make it a bit fancier by frosting the cookies first and then adding sprinkles the ones that will remind you off Italian cookies or Italian wedding cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (4 ounces) cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ teaspoon almond extract (optional) – if you have nut allergies skip almond extract and increase vanilla extract to 1 ⅓ teaspoon
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles or both
Substitutions & Variations
Gluten-Free Options – substitute all-purpose flour with gluten free flour. You may consider chilling dough for 10 minutes in refrigerator if using gluten free flour. It will help roll the cookie dough into ball effortlessly.
Skip Almond Extract (Nut Allergies) – if you or your family member or friends you are gifting these cookies are allergic to any nuts, please DO NOT use almond extract. Instead increase amount of vanilla extract from 1 teaspoon to 1 ⅓ teaspoon.
Nonpareils Sprinkles – use any nonpareils sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles or “jimmies” you like. Nonpariel sprinkle will result in crunchy outer layer of the cookies and jimmies will result in softer outer.
How To Make Sprinkle Cookies?
One of the easiest and most addictive cookie are these rainbow sprinkle cookies. The recipe is straight forward. With no chill time for cookie dough it comes together pretty fast. You’ll only need 30 minutes or less to make these cookies.
Here’s a step-by-step instructions on sprinkle cookie recipe –
Step 1: Pre heat oven at 350°F (or 175°C). In a medium bowl whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Step 2: Keep aside until use.
Step 3: In a stand mixer or if using hand mixer use a large bowl beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar.
Step 4: Beat until the mix turns creamy,
Step 5: Add cream cheese, one whole egg to the butter sugar mix.
Step 6: Continue to beat until well combined.
Step 7: Now add dry flour mix in parts 1 cup at a time. Add the flour mix to wet mix, beat until dry and wet mix comes together. Add a cup of flour again and beat. Continue the process until all dry ingredients have been added to the wet mix.
Step 8: Beat until dry and wet ingredients are combined together.
Step 9: The dough should be soft but slightly firm (i.e you should be able to roll the dough into ball without the dough sticking to your palm). If your dough is still sticky, try adding 1 or 2 tablespoon of flour at a time and beat. Depending on the quality of flour, humidity in your kitchen and many more factors the dough consistency may vary. Adjust the consistency of dough until it’s non sticky but should remain soft.
Step 10: Using a ice cream scoop or a tablespoon scoop out portion of dough. Roll into round shape.
Step 11: Place the cookie ball in the sprinkle bowl. Cover it with sprinkles. Some people prefer to roll sprinkles all over leaving the bottom side of the dough naked, but I don’t bother about it. I rolled cookie balls in generous amount of sprinkles all over. Use any colored sprinkles of your choice. Swap it with sprinkles fit for the current holiday for which you are baking. Using red-green-white sprinkles if making these cookies for Christmas cookie exchange. Use red-pink-white sprinkles for Valentines Day, orange-black sprinkles for Halloween or use any other colored sprinkles depending on the occasion.
Jo’s Tip: here’s a tip to make sprinkles stick to the cookie dough. After rolling dough in sprinkles, lightly roll with your hands. The warmth of your palm will make the dough loosen a bit and turn very mildly wet and thus sprinkles will stick to the dough.
Step 12: Arrange sprinkle coated cookie balls 2 inches apart on baking tray lined with parchment paper or silicon mat.
Step 13: use any cup with flat bottom to flatten the cookie balls. You can flatten it as thin or keep it as thick you want. Note: these sprinkle cookies do not spread while baking. You can choose the thickness of the cookies. If you like cakey soft cookies flatten to keep them atleast ½ to ¾ inch thick. I prefer to flatten it to ¼ inch thick cookies.
Step 14: Bake flatten sprinkle covered cookies in pre heated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. Depending on the size and thickness of cookies baking time will vary.
Pro-Tip: to check for doneness of cookies, check the bottom of cookie. If they begin to turn golden brown, cookies are done. Don’t worry if the top of the cookies are still soft or moist or wet. The cookies will continue to harden and cook as they cool down.
Important Note: if you like your cookies gooey slightly under bake the cookies. They will be soft and gooey in the center.
Step 15: remove cookies from oven. Jo’s Tip: chances are that some of all of the cookies have puffed up during baking. As soon as you remove cookie tray from the oven, flatten the cookies immediately before it cools so it keep flat.
Remove cookies from baking tray after 5 minutes and transfer to cooling wire rack.
Once cookies are completely cooled transfer to air tight container.
What Type Of Sprinkles Is Best To Use on Sprinkle Cookies?
Nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles or jimmies all can be used depending on which is your favorite.
Do keep in mind the outer texture of the cookie will be slightly different depending on what you use to coat your cookies.
Nonpareil will result in crunchy outer
Rainbow sprinkle or jimmies will result in soft outer sprinkle cookies.
Can I Skip Sprinkles?
If you want to make plain sugar cookies, you can skip sprinkles.
SPRINKLES ARE FUN! So I wouldn’t recommend you to skip it. But for any reason you don’t have sprinkles or don’t like sprinkles (say what!?) feel free to skip rolling cookie dough balls in sprinkles and make plain sugar cookies.
Why Isn’t Sprinkles Sticking To The Cookie?
Here’s a tip to make sprinkles stick to the cookie dough. After rolling dough in sprinkles, lightly roll with your hands. The warmth of your palm will make the dough loosen a bit and turn very mildly wet and thus sprinkles will stick to the dough.
When To Put Sprinkles On The Cookies Before Or After I Bake Them?
This recipe calls for adding sprinkles before baking. You will roll cookie dough in sprinkle first and then bake.
Note: If you plan to decorate cookies with frosting and sprinkles, here’s a suggestions. Mix some sprinkles in the dough before making. Bake cookie. Once baked cookie is cooled down completely apply frosting on top of cookies and add sprinkles on top.
Technically sprinkles are added both before and after baking in these kind of cookies which are usually called Italian cookies or Italian wedding cookies.
Can I Substitute Cream Cheese With Butter? Can I Skip Cream Cheese?
Cream cheese is added in the sprinkle cookie recipe for a reason. It results in cookies that are soft & buttery and a little bit dense, and they melt in mouth with every bite. Thanks to cream cheese these cookies aren’t overly sweet. It’s well balanced.
Substituting cream cheese with butter will result in very rich tasting cookies.
Why Did My Cookies Turn Hard?
You probably over baked it. Depending on the size and thickness of the cookies baking time will vary anywhere between 10 to 12 minutes. If you bake it too long, cookies will turn hard.
To keep cookies soft, bake until cookies just begin to turn brown.
Tip: to check for doneness of cookies, check the bottom of cookie. If they begin to turn golden brown, cookies are done. Don’t worry if the top of the cookies are still soft or moist or wet. The cookies will continue to harden and cook as they cool down.
If stored correctly these sprinkle cookies remain soft for weeks.
Love Gooey Soft Cookies?
If you love gooey cookies, here are couple of tips to follow.
- Do not flatten cookie dough balls thin. Keep them ½ to ¾ inch thick.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies so it results in gooey center cookies.
Can I Freeze Cookies With Cream Cheese?
You can freeze both baked and unbaked cream cheese cookies –
- To freeze unbaked cookie – roll into balls and place them on lined baking tray. Freeze until cookie balls are very firm to touch. Transfer to zip lock bags and freeze cookie balls for upto 3 months. You don’t have to thaw frozen cookies balls to bake. Simply remove from freezer and bake on lined baking tray. You will have to add a few minutes extra to the baking time. Also note, you don’t have to flatten frozen cookie balls (they will be very firm and tough to flatten). Bake them directly as it is. Cookies will flatten slightly but won’t have flat top.
- To freeze baked cookies – allow cookies to cool completely. Transfer into freezer zip lock bags and freeze. It can be stored for 3 months frozen.
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Better-Than-Bakery Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ teaspoon almond extract optional – if you have nut allergies skip almond extract and increase vanilla extract to 1 ⅓ teaspoon
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup non-pareils or rainbow sprinkles or both
Instructions
- Pre heat oven at 350°F (or 175°C). In a medium bowl whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Keep aside until use.
- In a stand mixer or if using hand mixer use a large bowl beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Beat until the mix turns creamy,
- Add cream cheese, one whole egg to the butter sugar mix. Continue to beat until well combined.
- Now add dry flour mix in parts 1 cup at a time. Add the flour mix to wet mix, beat until dry and wet mix comes together. Add a cup of flour again and beat. Continue the process until all dry ingredients have been added to the wet mix.
- Beat until dry and wet ingredients are combined together.
- The dough should be soft but slightly firm (i.e you should be able to roll the dough into ball without the dough sticking to your palm). If your dough is still sticky, try adding 1 or 2 tablespoon of flour at a time and beat. Depending on the quality of flour, humidity in your kitchen and many more factors the dough consistency may vary. Adjust the consistency of dough until it’s non sticky but should remain soft.
- Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon scoop out portion of dough. Roll into round shape.
- Place the cookie ball in the sprinkle bowl. Cover it with sprinkles. Some people prefer to roll sprinkles all over leaving the bottom side of the dough naked, but I don’t bother about it. I rolled cookie balls in generous amount of sprinkles all over. Use any colored sprinkles of your choice. Swap it with sprinkles fit for the current holiday for which you are baking. Using red-green-white sprinkles if making these cookies for Christmas cookie exchange. Use red-pink-white sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, orange-black sprinkles for Halloween or use any other colored sprinkles depending on the occasion.Jo’s Tip: here’s a tip to make sprinkles stick to the cookie dough. After rolling dough in sprinkles, lightly roll with your hands. The warmth of your palm will make the dough loosen a bit and turn very mildly wet and thus sprinkles will stick to the dough.
- Arrange sprinkle coated cookie balls 2 inches apart on baking tray lined with parchment paper or silicon mat.
- Use any cup with flat bottom to flatten the cookie balls. You can flatten it as thin or keep it as thick you want. Note: these sprinkle cookies do not spread while baking. You can choose the thickness of the cookies. If you like cakey soft cookies flatten to keep them atleast ½ to ¾ inch thick. I prefer to flatten it to ¼ inch thick cookies.
- Bake flatten sprinkle covered cookies in pre heated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. Depending on the size and thickness of cookies baking time will vary.Pro-Tip: to check for doneness of cookies, check the bottom of cookie. If they begin to turn golden brown, cookies are done. Don’t worry if the top of the cookies are still soft or moist or wet. The cookies will continue to harden and cook as they cool down.Important Note: if you like your cookies gooey slightly under bake the cookies. They will be soft and gooey in the center.
- Remove cookies from oven. Jo’s Tip: chances are that some of all of the cookies have puffed up during baking. As soon as you remove cookie tray from the oven, flatten the cookies immediately before it cools so it keep flat.
- Remove cookies from baking tray after 5 minutes and transfer to cooling wire rack. O
- Once cookies are completely cooled transfer to air tight container.
Gloria Duggan
Sprinkles make everything so pretty. These are great for the holiday tray. I would also use them as birthday cookies. Party perfect all around.
Jen
I am super lazy so I love anything this easy. Basically pre decorating the cookies with sprinkles means no frosting and so much less work and no mess. And they were just as delicious! The cream cheese was a good addition.
Amy Liu Dong
This is so delicious and looks so easy to make, I will definitely make this for my kids. Thank you!
Neha
I absolutely love how soft these cookies are on the inside by adding cream cheese and that outside looks so cute with all these sprinkles. So yum and pretty!
Jenny
I made these with my kids. It was so much fun, yes, we made a mess in the kitchen- sprinkles everywhere! Dd not really care as long as they have fun! And the final result came out delicious, we all loved them. Thanks so much for such a treat. We will make them again. They all can’t have enough of them now!
Farrukh Aziz
Colorful sprinkles makes these cookies look so beautiful and it is indeed fun to make them for kids during holidays. I love how buttery and chewy these cookies look. My kid’s all time fav. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe! 🙂
Jacqueline Debono
These sprinkle cookies look so fun and festive. I think they’d be perfect for a party!
Adriana
These cookies remind me of my childhood. I love those colors too bright and so much fun. These cookies are a yearlong thing not only for the holidays gotta make them soon and remember the old days.
Andrea Howe
These are so bright and colorful and remind me of the ones we get at our local Jewish bakery, which are DELICIOUS! I will definitely be trying these; my kiddos will love them!