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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
9 minutes
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makes
40 cookies
Author Notes
The truth is: these are one of my favorite kinds of cookies at any time of year. But they definitely earn a spot on my favorite holiday cookie list for a number of reasons, too. First and foremost: they are real, honest-to-goodness crowd pleasers. Each cookie is lightly crisp on the outside, perfectly soft and chewy inside—you truly couldn’t ask for a dreamier (more crave-worthy) sugar cookie. They are also incredibly easy to make—no rolling of dough is required, these are just simple drop cookies that can be made as easily as your favorite recipe for chocolate chip. But they also boast a coating of sprinkles outside, so it’s almost like they literally decorate themselves! Each ball of cookie dough is rolled fully in sprinkles to coat the exterior. In the oven, the cookie spreads, allowing the sprinkles to speckle the entire exterior of the cookie for a sweet, crunchy coating that can’t be beat. I love to use different hues of sprinkles to add some color to an assortment of holiday cookies without even breaking out a piping bag. But really, the sprinkles you choose are all about the texture and look you're going for. Smaller and finer sprinkles, such as nonpareils or sanding sugar, work best for getting an even, all-over coating. But a mixture or a homemade blend of multiple kinds of sprinkles—including confetti style, coarser sprinkles, pearls, or even shaped sprinkles—can look so incredible thanks to the contrasting textures! —Erin Jeanne McDowell
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Watch This Recipe
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
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1 cup
(226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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3/4 cup
(150g) granulated sugar
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1/2 cup
(106g) light brown sugar
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2
large eggs, at room temperature
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1 tablespoon
(15g) vanilla extract
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2 1/3 cups
(280g) all purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon
(3g) baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon
(2g) fine sea salt
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sprinkles, as needed, for finishing
Directions
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Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with an electric hand mixer), until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add the eggs and mix on medium speed to combine, then scrape the bowl well. Beat in the vanilla on medium speed. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
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Add about half of the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine.
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Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon sized rounds. Place the sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Roll the balls of dough fully in the sprinkles and transfer to the prepared baking sheets, staggering the rows of cookies to allow them room to spread during baking. Gently press each cookie with your fingers to flatten.
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Bake in batches, switching the baking sheets halfway through if baking two at a time, and rotating the sheets from front to back. Bake until the cookies spread and are lightly golden around the edges, 7-9 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!
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