Oh, the sheer joy of pulling a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven! There’s just something so special about the smell filling the house, isn’t there? And if you ask me, classic Sprinkle Sugar Cookies are pure happiness baked into little rounds. They’re not too fancy, but oh-so-festive with those bright sprinkles! My absolute favorite memory making these was for my nephew’s 5th birthday party. Seeing his face light up when he saw all the colors—well, that’s what baking is all about for me!
Why You’ll Love These Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Seriously, these cookies are a winner for so many reasons! Just looking at them makes you smile:
- Super Easy! You won’t spend all day in the kitchen.
- Classic Taste: That perfect buttery, sweet sugar cookie flavor we all adore.
- Festive Fun: Sprinkles make them instantly celebratory for any party or holiday.
- Kid-Approved: Kids just can’t resist them (and they love helping to make them!).
Gather Your Ingredients for Perfect Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Alright, let’s get our mise en place ready! To make the absolute best Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, you’ll want to gather these goodies. Trust me, using good quality ingredients makes a difference!
You’ll need:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened just right (not melted, please!)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar – this gives them that lovely sweetness.
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature helps them blend better.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract for that classic aroma.
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, the backbone of our cookie.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda for a little lift.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to balance everything out.
- 1/4 cup milk, just to get the dough to the perfect consistency.
- And the star of the show: 1/2 cup of your favorite rainbow sprinkles!
Using fresh, good-quality ingredients will really shine through in these simple, delicious Sprinkle Sugar Cookies.
Essential Equipment for Making Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
To whip up these delightful Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, you’ll want a few trusty kitchen companions:
- A sturdy electric mixer (or a good old wooden spoon and some elbow grease!)
- Mixing bowls, at least two.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- Baking sheets – your trusty flat friends.
- A spatula for scraping.
- Wire cooling racks.
Step-by-Step Guide to Baking Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Alright, let’s get baking! Following these simple steps will have you whipping up cheerful Sprinkle Sugar Cookies in no time. Oh, and don’t forget to preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) before you begin! If you’re feeling adventurous, check out my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for another baking adventure!
Creaming the Butter and Sugar
First up, we cream the butter and sugar. This is super important for getting that light, tender texture in your cookies. Beat them together until the mixture is pale yellow and looks really fluffy, almost like a dreamy cloud!
Incorporating Wet and Dry Ingredients
Now, let’s add in our wet ingredients. Beat in those eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully mixed in before adding the next. Then, stir in that lovely vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. We’ll add this dry mix to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. This helps keep everything nice and smooth!
Adding the Festive Sprinkles
Time for the fun part! Gently stir in your rainbow sprinkles. I love using the jimmies-style sprinkles because they really hold their color and don’t bleed too much, making our Sprinkle Sugar Cookies look extra cheerful.
Shaping and Baking Your Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Use a rounded tablespoon to drop dollops of dough onto your baking sheets. Leave a little space between them because they’ll spread. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges look just lightly golden. Be careful not to overbake them if you want a softer cookie!
Cooling and Finishing Touches
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for literally just 2 minutes – this helps them set up a bit. Then, very carefully, transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Once they’re totally cool, you can totally add more frosting and sprinkles if you’re feeling extra festive, but honestly, they’re perfect just as they are!
Tips for Perfectly Chewy Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Want your Sprinkle Sugar Cookies to be just the right amount of chewy and not too crispy? I’ve got you covered! A few little tricks make all the difference, and trust me, these are my go-to tips:
First, make sure your butter and eggs are truly at room temperature. This helps them emulsify really well, giving you that perfect tender crumb. If your butter is too cold, it won’t cream properly, and if it’s too warm, your cookies might spread too much. Also, when you’re mixing in the dry ingredients, don’t overmix! Just a few stirs until everything is combined is all you need. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, which can make your cookies tough instead of chewy. And for that softer texture, keep an eye on the oven; pulling them out just as the edges *start* to turn golden is key. For more ideas on soft cookies, check out my other soft sugar cookie recipe!
Ingredient Substitutions for Your Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you need a swap for an ingredient! For these Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, the butter is pretty key for that classic taste, but you could try a good quality vegan butter stick if you need dairy-free. The flour is pretty standard, but if you’re going gluten-free, look for a good 1-to-1 baking blend. It might change the texture a *tiny* bit, but you’ll still get delicious cookies!
Storing and Reheating Your Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Got leftover Sprinkle Sugar Cookies? Lucky you! Just pop them into an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay wonderfully fresh for about 3-4 days. If you want to warm them up a bit before enjoying, pop a cookie on a baking sheet in a low oven (around 300°F or 150°C) for just a couple of minutes until they’re feeling nice and toasty again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Got questions about your Sprinkle Sugar Cookies? I’ve got answers! Here are a few things folks often ask:
Can I make these Sprinkle Sugar Cookies vegan?
You bet! For a dairy-free version, swap the butter for a good quality vegan butter stick. For the eggs, you can use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, let it sit for 5 minutes) or a commercial egg replacer. They should turn out wonderfully!
My cookies are spreading too much! What did I do wrong?
Oops! This usually happens if your butter was too soft or melted, or if you overmixed the dough. Make sure your butter is just softened, like when you can poke it and it leaves an indent but isn’t greasy. Also, try to mix the dry ingredients in until *just* combined. If they’re still spreading, popping the shaped dough balls in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before baking can help a lot!
Can I skip the sprinkles for these sugar cookies?
Absolutely! While the sprinkles are the star of the show for these fun cookies, they’re still delicious classic sugar cookies without them. You could also try drizzling them with a little icing or adding some colored sugar before baking if you want a different look.
Can I make this dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can! This Sprinkle Sugar Cookie dough freezes really well. Just wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and it should be good for about 2-3 months. You can also chill the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days, which can actually make the flavor even richer. For even more simple cookie ideas, check out my easy 3-ingredient Christmas cookies!
Estimated Nutritional Information for Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Just a quick heads-up! The nutritional info for these yummy Sprinkle Sugar Cookies is just an estimate, you know, since everyone’s ingredients and portion sizes can be a *little* different. But generally, each cookie has around 150 calories, 7g of fat, and about 20g of carbs. Enjoy!
Print
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Classic sugar cookies decorated with colorful sprinkles.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
- Stir in sprinkles.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
- Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- For softer cookies, slightly reduce baking time.
- Decorate with additional frosting and sprinkles after cooling if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: sugar cookies, sprinkle cookies, holiday cookies, easy cookies, baking, dessert