These cookies are the ultimate sprinkle cookie. Soft and chewy, packed with vanilla flavor with pops of pretty sprinkles, what more could you be looking for in a cookie?! Nothing! Nothing is the answer because it’s hard to beat a good classic cookie. They also only need to be chilled for 30 minutes and bake up quickly.
RECIPE TIPS
- Sprinkles: I feel like I needed to dedicate a section here to sprinkles because there are so many different varieties and not all of them will work in this cookie. For this recipe I used my favorite type of sprinkles, confetti quins. They hold their shape and provide little bursts of color and flavor in every bite. You can also use classic sprinkles. For these cookies do not use nonpareils. They’re small and add a great crunch but the color will bleed if you mix them into any sort of batter. If you would like to make a recipe using nonpareils, try these Christmas Kiss Cookies!
- Underbaking the cookies: This is essential to getting the texture right. I bake my cookies for 9 minutes on the dot and then remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet. Letting them cool on the hot pan will keep cooking them but at a lower temperature, not drying out the cookie entirely. If you prefer a dryer cookie, feel free to bake for 11 minutes. They’re still delicious, but I’m a sucker for a chewy cookie 🙂
- Corn starch: Do not skip the corn starch in this recipe! Corn starch gives the cookies that chewy texture (along with baking for the correct time) and makes them soft on the inside.
- Chilling the dough: Chilling the dough will help with two things: cookie spreading and flavor. These cookies will spread a bit when they bake but by chilling the dough for 30 minutes prior to baking, it will keep them from spreading too much! Also as the dough chills the flavor will enhance. It’s truly a win win 🙂 I pull out only the cookie dough I need and let the rest stay in the refrigerator until you are baking them!
- Cookie dough scoop: I always get a ton of questions about what scoop I use, so I wanted to link the ones I used for this recipe! I like this set because it comes in 3 different sizes. For these cookies I used the medium size. Using a cookie dough scoop gives you perfect cookie dough balls that are even and therefore will bake evenly!
- Baking sheet: For all of my cookie recipes you I suggest you use a cookie sheet. You can use a jelly roll however I find the edges of the cookies tend to brown a little faster and they bake differently.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND COOKIES EVERY TIME
This trick is totally optional but I use it anytime I bake cookies to ensure they are perfectly round every time! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still hot use a large round cookie cutter, or something else round and larger than the cookies (I’ve used a glass or bowl before). Place it overtop of the cookie and move it around in a circular motion for 3-5 seconds, gently bouncing the cookie around inside. This will round the edges of the cookie out giving that perfectly circular shape. This will make your cookies pretty and uniform!
These cookies are colorful, delicious and bake up really quickly. If you’re looking for a no fuss, incredibly tasty cookie, this is the recipe for you 🙂
Rainbow Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter room temperature. I use salted but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer!
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in vanilla and the egg and mix until just combined.
- While the mixer is on low, add in the corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until everything is incorporated. Add in the sprinkles and mix on low until just combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium sized cookie dough scoop (about 2 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie) scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step!
- Toward the end of the chilling process preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange 5-6 dough balls about 2 inches apart as these cookies will spread!
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are just set. They may seem underdone but they will be perfect! Remove from the oven and if you want perfect circular cookies use a round cookie cutter larger than the cookie to scoot them into a round shape. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely.
I don’t know what I did. But I measured my flour and all my ingredients. Followed recipe to a T. Mine are sad puddles. I also cooked an extra minute.
Did you chill the dough? That helps to make sure they don’t spread into puddles!
Hi! The recipe shouldn’t be fully frozen going into the oven. Cookies that spread too much either aren’t chilled correctly or the ingredients aren’t measured correctly and there is too much fat content.
I have not had this issue but it seems like you may have added too much flour to the dough or everything wasn’t properly incorporated!
Do upu have to chill the dough? Can you add cream of tartar to this as well?
Hi Fara, yes for this recipe you need to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes! I’ve never added cream of tartar so it may change how the cookie bakes.
We loved these cookies!
Can you freeze the dough for later use?
Yes this dough freezes so well! I suggest scooping it prior to freezing 🙂
These were PERFECT and the only cookie recipe I have not messed up haha. They really satisfy the craving of a sweet yet chewy cookie!! Amazing recipe
My FAVORITE sugar cookie recipe- never fails and so easy to throw everything into the stand mixer- love love love!
Do you pack your dry ingredients down? If not, do you know how many grams everything should be?
I like the flavour of these cookies are how soft and chewy they are, but they’re super sweet. I doubled the batch as I am making them a few days before Christmas and I wanted cookies to put out for Santa for my daughters, 3 cups of sugar and a cup of sprinkles..seems like a lot of sugar though I do know they’re called sugar cookies. Is there a way to make these and cut the amount of sugar for them? I wonder if I don’t add sprinkles, or if I use even less than you suggest will it be less sweet? Thank you for the recipe! My girls will love them! 8/10 I will recommend