If you follow my page, you know I’m a sucker for anything sprinkles. If there’s a way to fill a recipe with them or pile them on top, I’m probably going to try it, and love it. These Chocolate Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are a festive twist on one of my favorite chocolate cookie bases, inspired by my Cosmic Brownie Cookies and dressed up for the holidays.
They’re rich, fudgy, and taste just like brownies in cookie form, with a thick layer of red, white, and green sprinkles pressed right on top. Soft and chewy in the center, slightly crisp on the edges, and packed with chocolate flavor — they’re perfect for Christmas baking trays, cookie swaps, or just keeping on hand all season long.
RECIPE TIPS
Sprinkles
Because sprinkles matter, especially here. For this version, no sprinkles go in the dough. Instead, the cookie dough balls are dipped directly into a festive sprinkle mix before baking.
I use a combination of Christmas-colored jimmies and nonpareils (red, white, and green). The jimmies hold their shape beautifully, while the nonpareils add a little crunch and give the tops that classic holiday look. Since the sprinkles stay on the outside, nonpareils work great here without bleeding into the dough.
Underbaking the cookies
This is essential for the perfect texture. I bake these cookies for 12 minutes exactly, then remove them from the oven and let them cool on the hot baking sheet. This allows the centers to finish setting gently without drying out. If you prefer a slightly firmer cookie, you can bake for up to 14 minutes, but for soft, chewy, brownie-like cookies, 12 minutes is the sweet spot.
Corn starch
Do not skip the corn starch. It plays a huge role in giving these cookies that soft, chewy texture, especially paired with proper baking time.
Chilling the dough
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps control spreading and improves flavor. These cookies naturally spread a bit, but chilling keeps them thick and fudgy, it’s totally worth the wait.
Cookie dough scoop
Using a cookie scoop ensures evenly sized cookies that bake uniformly. I use the medium size from my favorite scoop set. Even dough balls = evenly baked cookies every time.
Baking sheet
For cookies, I always recommend using a standard flat cookie sheet. Jelly roll pans tend to cause uneven browning around the edges, which can affect texture.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND COOKIES EVERY TIME
This step is optional, but I use it every single time. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they’re still hot, place a large round cookie cutter, glass, or bowl slightly bigger than the cookie around it and gently swirl for 3–5 seconds. This reshapes the edges and gives you perfectly round, bakery-style cookies with almost no effort.
These Chocolate Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are rich, fudgy, and perfectly festive, making them a must-bake during the holiday season. Whether you’re adding them to a cookie tray, sharing with friends, or baking just because, they’re guaranteed to be a hit. If you make them, I’d love to hear what you think so be sure to leave a rating and review below so others can enjoy them too!
Interested in trying other cookie recipes? Click here
Chocolate Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1 cup cocoa powder I prefer dark chocolate cocoa powder, but use whatever you prefer!
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For garnish:
- ¾ cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium for 30 seconds until combined. Add in both eggs and mix on low until incorporated. Add in the flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low until everything is combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Scoop 24 even cookie dough balls, rolling the tops in the sprinkles, before evenly spacing on the cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper and space 4-6 cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely.
Can you freeze this dough prior to baking? If so, how long would you need to thaw?
Hi, do you think these will would with mini M&M’s instead of sprinkles?
Thank you!
These cookies are Incredible! And super easy to make too!