Sprinkle Cookies
These buttery vanilla sugar cookies are thick, soft-baked, and loaded with festive rainbow jimmies. They bake quickly with lightly crisp edges and absolutely no dough chilling required.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Wire Racks
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour add an extra tablespoon for thicker cookies
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened slightly but still cool
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 3/4 cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The parchment helps the bottoms bake evenly and keeps cleanup easy.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl, then set the mixture aside. Mixing the dry ingredients first helps the leavening and salt distribute evenly through the dough.
- Beat the butter until smooth, then add the sugar gradually and mix for about 1 minute before blending in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. The mixture should look pale yellow, a little fluffy, and slightly aerated rather than heavy or greasy.
- Mix in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain, then stir in 1/2 cup sprinkles by hand. Stop as soon as the dough comes together so the cookies stay tender and the colors stay bright.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions, roll each one into a ball, and press the tops into the remaining 1/4 cup sprinkles on a plate. Keep the dough balls taller than wide so the cookies bake with thicker, softer centers.
- Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets with space between them and bake for 9-11 minutes. The edges should look set while the centers stay pale, soft, and lightly cracked.
- Set the baking sheets on wire racks to cool, then repeat with the remaining dough only after the pans have cooled completely. Warm pans can start melting the next batch before it bakes, which encourages spreading.
Notes
Butter tip: Start with butter that is softened enough to give slightly when pressed, but still cool to the touch. Avoid warm or partially melted butter to prevent your cookies from spreading too flat.
Sprinkle tip: Use classic cylinder-shaped jimmies. Avoid nonpareils in the dough, as they dissolve and bleed color, which can turn the cookie batter a muddy gray or green color.
Baking cue: Slightly underbake the cookies, pulling them from the oven when the edges are completely set but the centers still look soft and pale. They will finish setting as they cool on the hot baking sheet.
Dough prep: Roll the dough balls higher rather than wider (dome-shaped rather than hockey pucks) to help the cookies maintain thick, bakery-style soft centers.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.