Soft Batch Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are a super easy holiday sugar cookie – no rolling the dough required! Packed with red and green sprinkles, perfect for the holidays! These sprinkle sugar cookies are the best, easiest, Christmas cookies around!
*This recipe was originally published on December 13th, 2016 and has been updated with new photos AND a video*
You guys. Â It’s Christmas cookie season! Â My favorite season of all. Ever.
It doesn’t matter what other desserts are on display at Christmas time, I go for anything with sprinkles on it first.
Know what makes Christmas cookie season even better for me? Â When I can have the softest, most buttery-delicious, cookies ever, and not have to roll out a big heap of dough!
Um, it’s the holidays and I’m busy, and I might WANT to do that (I really don’t) but I don’t have time. Â I’m going to guess you don’t either.
If you’re like me, these are the cookies for you. Â Step away from the rolling pin – ya don’t need it!
This is a fairly basic sugar cookie dough, with a couple of additions to, ya know, make them even better.
The addition of cornstarch keeps these guys nice and thick and puffy.
THEN, the cream cheese keeps them super soft, and makes them taste extra buttery!
These sprinkle cookies whip up in about ten minutes, and then into the fridge for a good two hours – yes, chilling is mandatory for these guys.
After they come out of the fridge, you’ll roll the dough into balls, then roll them in a bowl of sprinkles. Â Don’t mix your sprinkles into the dough – if you do it will most likely turn an unsavory shade of brown…..nobody wants that.
If you’re looking for other Holiday recipes you can find my families traditional Poppy Seed Bread right HERE as well as some super tasty Peppermint Chocolate Poke Cake right HERE! Be sure to try my Soft Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies too!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Soft Batch Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Stick butter softened
- 1/4 Cup cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
- 2 Teaspoons corn starch
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup sprinkles nonpareils
Instructions
- In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl using hand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and extracts until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Mix together on low/medium speed for one minute, until combined.
- Refrigerate dough for two hours before baking.
- When dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the sprinkles into a medium bowl, and roll tablespoon sized balls of dough into the sprinkles.
- Place the cookies onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes. These should not turn golden brown, and will still look wet when they come out of the oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are so festive!
If I omit almond extract because of allergies should I double up on the vanilla extract?
You don’t have to double up on it, but, it would definitely give them a little extra flavor!
Could candied fruit be mixed into the dough, omitting the sprinkles?
I haven’t tried, so without further recipe testing, it’s difficult for me to say if that would work. If you do try it out, please let me know how it works! 🙂
Can you freeze the cookies after they are baked? I bake ahead and try to freeze all my cookies.
Yes, baked cookies should be frozen individually on a baking sheet first. Then, when they are frozen you can store them in the freezer for up to one month. Keep in mind that the cookies may take longer to bake.
I too was curious about freezing after baking. You said they may take longer to bake but they would already have been baked.
What if you do not refrigerate for the full 2 hours?
My husband ran out and wanted to surprise him but can probably only refrigerate for an hour before baking!
You can definitely try baking them before refrigerating for the full two hours. The dough will be somewhat sticky still and the cookies may flatten out more.
I am making these right now…the first batch turned out looking beautiful ? then I bit into one after it cooled…they definitely need more than 9 minutes ?
Oven temperatures can vary quite a bit. I have tested this recipe multiple times before adding it to my website, and 9 minutes is always perfect for me. However, your oven may take longer. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you like them 🙂
Can you please tell me where the rack should be in the oven? I made mine in the lowest and baked for 12 minutes, however kept putting them back in to bake longer as hey we’re not done in the center.
Hi
I was going to make these for cookie platters we put together for our local food pantry families and I was wondering if these cookies needed to be refrigerated after baking because of the cream cheese. We have no way of refrigerating them.
Thanks and Merry Christmas
Hi! No, they do not need to be refrigerated after baking. I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Hi, Robin! Yes, you can leave them in for a couple of minutes longer. Then, check them again. Oven temperatures vary so they may just need a few more minutes.
Do you think I could make the dough then roll in sprinkles, then freeze? I want to be able to just thaw and bake closer to Christmas.
Hi, Tracy! You should be able to do that, yes. You’ll want to freeze the cookies laid out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet first. Then, when they are frozen you can transfer them to a zip top freezer safe bag.
These look so good and such a classic! Pinning for later 🙂