Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

These buttery Sprinkle Sugar Cookies will become an instant hit with their perfectly soft and chewy texture. This rich vanilla cookie dough is loaded with colorful rainbow sprinkles and rolled in sugar for a little crunch on the outside. They're similar to my Funfetti Cookies, with an extra dose of vanilla and a plush, thick, soft texture. They stay soft and chewy for days too. This is such a fun and easy recipe to celebrate any occasion, especially birthdays, and once you make them, everyone will want the recipe. If you love baking with sprinkles, then you must try my Best Funfetti Cake too.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Soft and chewy sugar cookies - these sprinkle sugar cookies have the most wonderful soft texture. They are perfectly thick and chewy with soft centers that won't dry out.
• Buttery vanilla flavor - you will love the rich vanilla flavor that will appeal to everyone! An extra egg yolk and a splash of milk adds a custardy taste (like French vanilla ice cream) and also creates that soft texture.
• Versatile recipe - I think this is the best sugar cookie recipe and you can use it as a base for so many other mix-ins.
• Rainbow jimmie sprinkles - I use sprinkle rods or jimmies which hold up better in the cookie dough. The color won't bleed as readily as non-pareils. I like to also roll the dough balls in some round confetti sprinkles for a big pop of color on top.
• Easy sugar cookies - this is such a simple recipe and very easy to make with just a bowl and a spatula. You can use a mixer if you have one and it will get the job done faster.
• Short chill time - you only need to chill this dough for about and hour and it will make them stay so soft as well as control spread so you get nice thick cookies.

INGREDIENTS FOR SPRINKLE SUGAR COOKIES

• Butter - I use unsalted butter for this recipe for a smooth, sweet and creamy buttery flavor. Salted butter works too. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt in the recipe by half.
• Granulated sugar - simple white sugar creates the soft texture and adds the perfect sweetness while letting the vanilla flavor shine.
• Egg - you'll need one whole egg plus one egg yolk for this recipe. An additional egg yolk adds rich flavor and also a fudgy texture in the middle.
• Milk - a bit of milk makes these cookies so soft in the middle. It is just the right amount that replaces the egg white to hydrate the dough without making the cookies too puffy or coarse.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is the main flavor of these cookies so don't be shy with it! I really like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Salt - salt is super important in any cookie recipe. It balances the sweetness and really elevates the rich buttery sweet taste.
• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes perfectly chewy cookies in this application.
• Rainbow sprinkles - you will need rainbow sprinkle rods (also called rainbow jimmies) for this recipe. If you use the little round nonpareils, they will dissolve into the cookie dough too quickly and bleed into the dough so that you won't get that nice distinct sprinkle appearance.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE SPRINKLE SUGAR COOKIES

• STEP 1). Cream butter and sugar. Combine soft butter with both sugars and vanilla in a large bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy. You can also mix by hand using the creaming method with a wide rubber spatula.
• STEP 2). Mix in egg. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated and smooth, then mix in egg yolk and milk.
• STEP 3). Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and fold it in until mostly combined with a few streaks a flour remaining.
• STEP 4). Add sprinkles. Add sprinkles and fold them in until evenly combined.
• STEP 5). Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• STEP 6). Bake. Use a 1.35oz cookie scoop to portion dough and roll into smooth balls, then roll the dough balls in granulated sugar so they are evenly coated. Sometimes I skip this step and press the top of the dough balls in confetti sprinkles instead. Place the dough balls onto prepared baking sheets spacing them at least 3 inches apart with room to spread. Bake for 9-12 minutes until puffed and the edges are just lightly golden and the bottoms are lightly browned. The centers will puff up and still feel slightly soft in the middle.

BAKING TIPS FOR SPRINKLE SUGAR COOKIES

• Use your favorite vanilla extract. Vanilla is essential to this recipe and I really love my Bourbon Madagascar vanilla extract.
• Measure the milk accurately. If you accidently over-pour and add too much milk into your tablespoon, then it can affect the texture of the cookies. Too much moisture will make a wet dough that spreads excessively. Too little will mean the cookies don't spread enough and won't be as soft. So, use a scale to weigh out 15g or measure a level amount in your one tablespoon measure.
• Measure the flour accurately. I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour, but if you don't have one, then you should fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your measuring cup before leveling it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag packs the cup and can result in dry, crumbly cookies.

• Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the dough.
• Do not over-mix the sprinkles. Just fold in the sprinkles gently until well combined so that they don't break up and dissolve into the cookie dough too much.
• Use sprinkle RODS. The rods or little sticks are crucial to preserving the distinct rainbow colors in these cookies.
• Do not over-bake. These cookies are ready when the edges are just barely golden. Pull them from the oven earlier than you think. Never wait for sugar cookies to turn golden brown all over. Take them out as soon as the centers look matte and are no longer shiny. The bottom should be golden and the tops will still be pale, then they will finish setting up on the hot baking sheet.

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Soft & Chewy Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

These buttery Sprinkle Sugar Cookies will become an instant hit with their perfectly soft and chewy texture. This rich vanilla cookie dough is loaded with colorful rainbow sprinkles and rolled in sugar for a little crunch on the outside. They're perfect for birthday parties, favors or just a fun treat any day of the week!

4.84 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 9 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Servings 16 large cookies

Ingredients

  

• ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup plus 1 tbsp (115g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon (7ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (80g) rainbow jimmies sprinkles (sprinkle rods)
• 3 tablespoon (40g) granulated sugar for rolling (optional)
• 3 tablespoon rainbow confetti sprinkles for rolling (optional)

Instructions

 

• Make the cookie dough. Combine soft butter with both sugars and vanilla in a large bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy. You can also mix by hand using the creaming method with a wide rubber spatula. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated and smooth, then mix in egg yolk and milk.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and fold it in until mostly combined with a few streaks a flour remaining. Add sprinkles and fold them in until evenly combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies. Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion dough and roll into smooth balls, then roll the dough balls in granulated sugar so they are evenly coated. Sometimes I skip this step and press the top of the dough balls in confetti sprinkles instead.
• Place the dough balls onto prepared baking sheets spacing them at least 3 inches apart with room to spread. Bake for 9-12 minutes until puffed and the edges are just lightly golden and the bottoms are lightly browned. The centers will puff up and still feel slightly soft in the middle. They will deflate slightly as they cool. Transfer baking trays to a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes then transfer cookies individually to a wire rack to cool completely.