Oh, the holidays! The twinkling lights, the cozy sweaters, and that wonderful, slightly chaotic pull to bake *everything*? I totally get it. Those moments in the kitchen, covered in flour and maybe a little disagreement over who licks the spoon next, are the best. That’s exactly why I developed these **ultimate soft & chewy christmas sprinkle sugar cookies**!
When I was running around planning corporate events, baking was my escape—my way to slow down and make something tangible and happy. Now, as Claire Sterling, the founder of Bliss Batter, I pour all that experience into making sure your baking adventure is pure joy, not stress. If you’re worried about stiff, crackly cookies that need ages of chilling, forget all that! This recipe is buttery, incredibly soft, and they are brilliant because they require almost no chilling time. Seriously, they bake up beautifully right from the bowl! You can read more about how we develop these foolproof recipes over on our About Page. These are your go-to festive treats.
- Why These Are the Best christmas sprinkle sugar cookies for Your Holiday Baking
- Gathering Ingredients for Your christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
- Step-by-Step Instructions for Soft christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
- Tips for Perfect christmas sprinkle sugar cookies Every Time
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Your Holiday Baking
- Serving Suggestions for Classic Holiday Treats
- Frequently Asked Questions About christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
- Nutritional Estimates for These Festive Holiday Cookies
- Share Your Festive Holiday Baking Creations
- Nutritional Estimates for These Festive Holiday Cookies
- Share Your Festive Holiday Baking Creations
Why These Are the Best christmas sprinkle sugar cookies for Your Holiday Baking
I want you to have the easiest, most delicious holiday season possible, and that means baking cookies that deliver maximum holiday cheer with minimum fuss! After endless testing—yes, even I have to test things repeatedly!—I landed on this formula because it hits every single happy note you want in a festive treat.
- They truly are Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies. No one wants a dry, crumbly holiday cookie, and these stay perfectly tender even after a few days.
- These are genuinely Easy Christmas Cookies. You’re going to love how fast they come together.
- They are stunningly festive straight out of the oven, thanks to all those colorful jimmies!
Soft Texture Guaranteed
The secret to that perfect soft texture comes right down to the creaming step—we incorporate tons of air when we beat the butter and sugar for ages. We tested batch after batch to make sure the ratio of leavening (baking soda/powder) gave us a little lift without spreading too thin. The result? Cookies that melt in your mouth and tick that ‘soft and chewy’ box every single time.
Low-Effort christmas sprinkle sugar cookies (No-Roll Option)
Let’s face it, rolling sugar cookies out in December is a headache. That’s why I made this dough robust enough that you can skip the messy rolling pin entirely! This is fantastic for Kid Friendly Christmas Baking. Seriously, roll a ball, flatten it a bit with the bottom of a glass, and boom—you’ve got a perfect shape. It cuts down on flour dust everywhere, too!
Gathering Ingredients for Your christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
Okay, the ingredient list for these beauties is super straightforward, which is another reason they make the cut for our busy holiday schedule! You don’t need anything fancy, just good quality basics that come together quickly. We are aiming for that classic, buttery holiday cookie flavor that everyone expects.
Here is what you need to grab:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (It needs to be truly softened, not just barely warm!)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles (I prefer the long jimmies for these, but nonpareils work too!)
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Since these cookies are simple, the quality really shines through, trust me. You absolutely have to use real, unsalted butter here if you want that rich, buttery holiday cookies depth of flavor. Margarine just doesn’t cut it when it comes to texture and taste in these classics!
Now, about those sprinkles! I call for 1/2 cup of Christmas-colored ones. If your pantry only has those tiny round ones (nonpareils), that’s totally fine! Go ahead and use them. Just know that jimmies tend to hold their color a bit better during baking, whereas nonpareils can sometimes bleed a little, creating a cool, watercolor effect instead of sharp red and green specks.
Remember, we test these rigorously, so exact measurements matter, especially the baking powder and soda. The balance is key to keeping them soft!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Soft christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
This is where the magic happens! Even though we designed this dough to be speedy, we still need to respect the mixing process to keep these cookies pillowy soft. Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait overnight if you don’t want to!
First things first, make sure your oven is warming up to 350°F (175°C) and get those baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Parchment is your best friend during the holidays; cleaner pans equal more time for sipping cocoa!
Mixing the Buttery Holiday Cookies Dough
Start by creaming that softened butter and sugar together. And when I say cream, I mean whip it until it’s truly pale and fluffy—this incorporates the air we need for tenderness. Once it looks happy, mix in the egg and vanilla right until they disappear. Don’t beat it for too long after that!
In a separate bowl, I always whisk my dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—jusr to make sure everything is distributed evenly. Now, add that dry mix slowly to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. The second it comes together into a dough mass, STOP MIXING. Seriously, I can’t stress this enough: overmixing here leads to tough cookies.
Gently fold in those festive sprinkles. If your kitchen is super warm or if you feel the dough is way too soft, wrap it up and pop it in the fridge for just 30 minutes. That’s really the longest you should chill for this recipe, which is why I love it for quick holiday sessions! You can find my detailed guide on creaming methods here: Sugar Cookies Recipe.
Shaping and Baking Your Festive Holiday Sprinkle Cookies Recipe
Time to make cookies! Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll those into nice little balls. Place them about two inches apart on your prepared sheets. Since this is our low-roll dough, you just need to flatten them slightly with the bottom of a glass or even just the palm of your hand. They won’t spread wildly!
Pop them into the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes. You are looking for cookies where the edges look just set and maybe a tiny bit golden, but the center still looks a little soft. If you bake them until they look totally done, they will be crunchy when they cool! Let them sit right on the hot pan for about five minutes—this helps them finish setting up gently—before moving them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Perfect christmas sprinkle sugar cookies Every Time
Even though this recipe is designed to be super straightforward, sometimes the kitchen has a mind of its own, right? I’ve learned a few tricks over the years that guarantee these christmas sprinkle sugar cookies turn out picture-perfect, especially when I’m rushing to fill orders for a Christmas cookie exchange ideas platter!
If you want them to really pop and look extra vibrant, try this little trick: after you roll your dough balls, instead of just pressing them flat, give them a quick roll through a bowl of extra red and green sprinkles before you press them down. This creates that intense, colorful shell we all love when we see great Red and Green Sprinkle Cookies in pictures. The sprinkles stick right to the surface because the dough is slightly tacky, and they bake right into the exterior!
Another thing—temperature matters, even if the dough didn’t require a multi-hour chill. If you find your dough is being floppy and spreading into thin pancakes right when you place it on the sheet, just scrape those sheets into the fridge for 10 minutes. Even a short chill shock will firm up that butter just enough to stop the sprawl. It’s better than having flat discs!
And please, don’t be tempted to cut short that 5-minute rest time on the baking sheet after they come out of the oven. That moment is crucial for setting the softness. They look slightly underdone when you pull them out, but give them that five minutes to set up outside the direct heat, and you’ll have the absolute best texture waiting for you!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Your Holiday Baking
One of the greatest things about these christmas sprinkle sugar cookies is that they are truly phenomenal for making ahead! If you’re juggling a million things for your Christmas cookie exchange ideas or just trying to keep ahead of the holiday rush, this recipe is your friend. The good news is that these cookies actually taste better the next day once they’ve settled.
For short-term storage—say, up to four or five days—you want to make sure they are completely cool first. Then, layer them in a sturdy, airtight container. The trick here is to use layers of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers of cookies. This stops them from sticking together and preserves that lovely, soft texture on the outside and the chewy center.
If you need to bank these troops way ahead of time, freezing is your best bet. You can freeze them either baked or unbaked, and both ways work beautifully! For baked cookies, flash freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them sealed tight into a heavy-duty freezer bag. They’ll be perfect for up to three months. Or, you can scoop the dough balls, place them on a sheet, freeze them solid, and then store the frozen balls in a bag. You can bake straight from frozen, just add two or three extra minutes to the baking time!
If you are using these make-ahead tactics for larger baking projects, sometimes I find it helpful to have quick dinners ready, which is why I sometimes rely on trying out the newest meal delivery services when I know the oven will be running non-stop!
Serving Suggestions for Classic Holiday Treats
Once these perfect little spheres of joy are cool, the real fun starts: deciding what to pair them with! These buttery holiday cookies are amazing all on their own, of course, but part of the joy of Classic Holiday Treats is making an occasion out of them. I always try to set up a little cookie station when friends drop by.
Because these are so wonderfully soft and packed with vanilla goodness, they go perfectly with something warm and rich. Think about wrapping your hands around a mug on a cold evening—that’s the vibe we’re going for! This is where my background in serving up comforting flavors really kicks in. They stand up beautifully to a hot beverage without getting instantly soggy.
My go-to pairing, especially when I’m decorating the house for Christmas, is a big, creamy latte. Seriously, try dipping the edge of one of these sprinkle cookies into a fresh salted caramel latte. The salty-sweet hit with the buttery cookie is heavenly—it just tastes like Christmas morning!
If you’re serving a crowd or setting up for a party, don’t forget a big pitcher of cold milk! That classic combo is unbeatable, especially for the kids who are busy admiring all the red and green sprinkles. It brings me right back to being in my grandmother’s kitchen, making simple, happy moments. Enjoy every bite!
Frequently Asked Questions About christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
I know you have questions! When you’re in the middle of a holiday bake, sometimes you just need a quick answer so you can get back to eating cookie dough, right? When I was first perfecting this recipe, I had a million questions too! Here are the ones I hear the most about getting these festive cookies just right.
Can I skip the chilling time indicated for the dough?
Yes, that’s the beauty of this recipe! We designed this to be super friendly for busy bakers. If your kitchen is cool, you can realistically skip chilling and just go straight from mixing to scooping. If the dough feels a little sticky or oily when you try to roll it, that’s your cue to chill for at least 30 minutes. If you skip the chill entirely, you might just need to press the dough balls down a little more firmly before baking!
What kind of sprinkles work best for these Red and Green Sprinkle Cookies?
I’m picky about sprinkles, I won’t lie! For the best visual pop and keeping that vibrant color, I really prefer the longer, rod-shaped sprinkles we call jimmies. They give you that classic, colorful coating. Nonpareils (the tiny round balls) are also fun, but sometimes they can bleed their dye into the dough as they bake, making for a more watercolor look than sharp color spots.
How can I make my christmas sprinkle sugar cookies thicker instead of flatter?
If you want a slightly thicker, puffier cookie when they come out of the oven, make sure your butter isn’t too warm when you start creaming! Butter that’s too soft melts too fast in the oven, causing spread. Also, when you flatten them, don’t press them down hard—just a gentle press with the bottom of a glass, leaving them about 3/4 inch thick before baking. Thicker dough equals chewier centers!
Are these considered Easy Christmas Cookies for kids to help with?
Absolutely! This is one of the most Kid Friendly Christmas Baking recipes we have. Since there is no rolling involved—just scooping and a gentle press—little hands do great work here. They can definitely handle mixing the sprinkles in (carefully!) and pressing the dough down. They won’t get frustrated trying to handle thin dough!
If you are looking for other easy-bake recipes that are great for involving the family beyond these wonderful sprinkle cookies, check out my guide on making the perfect chewy oatmeal cookies—they are just as straightforward!
Nutritional Estimates for These Festive Holiday Cookies
I always like to give a little heads-up about the numbers, though remember, this is just a starting point! Since we are using real butter and sugar to guarantee that amazing buttery holiday taste, they definitely taste indulgent—because they are!
Based on my recipe calculations, here is a general idea of what one cookie contains:
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: About 150
- Fat: Around 7g (with most of that being from the butter!)
- Carbohydrates: Roughly 21g
- Protein: About 2g
- Sugar: Around 12g
This estimate uses the ingredients exactly as listed. If you swap things out, like using alternative flours or cutting back on sugar, those numbers will, of course, change! But honestly, these are for celebrating, so enjoy them!
Share Your Festive Holiday Baking Creations
I truly hope making these christmas sprinkle sugar cookies brings as much joy to your home as it does to mine when I see those bright colors coming out of the oven! Remember, baking is about creating happiness, and I want to see what you’ve made!
When you bake a batch, please snap a quick photo and tag us on social media. Give this recipe a rating right here on the page—it helps other bakers know they are grabbing a winner for their Classic Holiday Treats list. Seeing your festive results is the best part of running Bliss Batter!
And hey, if you are trying to keep the holiday energy high while outsourcing the weeknight cooking, I always look at the local meal-planning advice I find online to save time for baking!
Happy baking to you all, and Merry Christmas!
Nutritional Estimates for These Festive Holiday Cookies
I always like to give a little heads-up about the numbers, though remember, this is just a starting point! Since we are using real butter and sugar to guarantee that amazing buttery holiday taste, they definitely taste indulgent—because they are!
Based on my recipe calculations, here is a general idea of what one cookie contains:
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: About 150
- Fat: Around 7g (with most of that being from the butter!)
- Carbohydrates: Roughly 21g
- Protein: About 2g
- Sugar: Around 12g
This estimate uses the ingredients exactly as listed. If you swap things out, like using alternative flours or cutting back on sugar, those numbers will, of course, change! But honestly, these are for celebrating, so enjoy them!
Share Your Festive Holiday Baking Creations
I truly hope making these christmas sprinkle sugar cookies brings as much joy to your home as it does to mine when I see those bright colors coming out of the oven! Remember, baking is about creating happiness, and I want to see what you’ve made!
When you bake a batch, please snap a quick photo and tag us on social media. Give this recipe a rating right here on the page—it helps other bakers know they are grabbing a winner for their Classic Holiday Treats list. Seeing your festive results is the best part of running Bliss Batter!
And hey, if you are trying to keep the holiday energy high while outsourcing the weeknight cooking, I always look at the local meal-planning advice I find online to save time for baking!
Happy baking to you all, and Merry Christmas!
PrintUltimate Soft & Chewy Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Bake these easy, soft, and buttery Christmas sprinkle sugar cookies covered in festive red and green sprinkles. They are perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or gifting.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 11 min
- Total Time: 26 min
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles (red, green, and white jimmies or nonpareils)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the Christmas sprinkles.
- Form the dough into a ball, flatten slightly into a disk, wrap it, and chill for at least 30 minutes if the dough feels too soft. (This dough is designed to be low-chill or no-roll for ease.)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Gently press down on each ball with the bottom of a glass or your palm to flatten slightly into a cookie shape.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For extra festive cookies, roll the dough balls in extra sprinkles before flattening them.
- If you skip chilling, you may need to flatten the cookies more firmly before baking.
- These cookies are great for beginners and kid-friendly baking projects.
- If you are interested in meal planning for your holiday baking marathon, look into best meal delivery services for quick dinners.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg



