Looking for an easy treat that’s perfect for Santa and simple enough to whip up during the busy holiday season? These Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies check all the boxes! Filled with fun sprinkles, they have that classic vanilla sugar cookie flavor, but with a soft, chewy texture.
If you find yourself scrambling to bake something last-minute or need to fill your holiday cookie tins, these drop-style cookies are here to save the day. No fussy rolling out or decorating required. Just scoop, sprinkle, and bake!
These cookies aren’t just pretty – but tasty, too. They remind me of the cookies from a local homestyle bakery. Rita’s Bakery – which sadly, after three decades of business, has closed permanently. Rita’s had the best chewy sugar cookies ever (thumbprint cookies, too). These cookies have the same gorgeous buttery-vanilla scent, with the same soft-baked texture.
If you’re heading to a cookie swap or potluck? These Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies are perfect for that! With nearly 3 dozen in a batch, you’ll have plenty to go around. Plus, they’re pretty enough to stand out on a cookie platter. Those colorful sprinkles make them feel extra festive!
Begin with Butter
Cream together 1 cup of softened butter, light brown, and granulated sugar. I did this with my hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer then use that instead. Because at the end, the dough is thick! Mix in eggs, vanilla extract, and a flour mixture that includes leavens and salt. The dough will be thick.
Christmassy Sprinkles
Once dry ingredients are incorporated, mix in the holiday sprinkles. I used this “Mistletoe Magic” blend of jimmies that has red, white, light green, and dark green sprinkles.
Mix in the sprinkles. The dough is a little stiff, but the stir setting on a stand mixer will gently incorporate the sprinkles. I folded them in by hand, and it worked out just fine, but the stand mixer will speed the process.
A Sprinkle More
Portion the dough, well spaced, onto lined cookie sheets. Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies. Lightly flatten the tops of the dough balls with your fingertips and add more sprinkles on top. I used more of the Mistletoe Magic sprinkles, along with some gold dragees and gold star sprinkles.
These are baked until just set, so don’t worry if they seem a little underdone when you first pull them out of the oven. That pale color is totally normal. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, and they’ll firm up just enough to transfer while keeping their soft, chewy center.
These cookies are sure to spread Christmas spirit and good cheer, without adding stress to your already full holiday to-do list! They are super kid-friendly, and you can even let little ones help top the cookies with sprinkles.
Related recipe: 10 Cup Cookies
Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies (Soft Baked)
These soft-baked Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are loaded with festive red, white, and green sprinkles. With a vanilla sugar cookie flavor and a chewy texture, they’re quick and easy to make—no rolling or decorating required! Perfect for holiday cookie swaps or gifting, these cookies are baked until just set, so don’t worry if they look pale out of the oven. Let them cool on the pan to firm up.
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or other fine salt
- 1 cup Christmas sprinkles plus more for topping cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two or more baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream together until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
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Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix again until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl. Mix again briefly.
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Pour in the flour; add the baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt. Mix again until just combined. Add the sprinkles and mix on low speed until they are well distributed through the cookie dough. Alternatively, you can fold the sprinkles in with a rubber spatula, but the mixer will make an easier job of it.
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Scoop dough by the slightly heaping tablespoonful, or with a standard size cookie scoop, (4 teaspoon capacity, such as Wilton brand) and drop onto the prepared cookie sheets, spaced at least 3” apart. Lightly flatten each dough ball with your fingertips. Press additional sprinkles into the tops of each cookie.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies look set. The centers may look slightly underdone – this is ideal for a soft-baked texture.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the pans until they are firm enough to move. Then, transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
It’s also really easy to switch up the theme for these cookies with other sprinkles, such as a Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day, or Halloween sprinkle mix.
Oven Time: Since everyone’s oven is different, begin checking your first batch of cookies around the 5 minute mark. Be careful not to overbake, or these cookies will not have a soft texture.