These White Chocolate Nonpareil Sugar Cookies are a simple yet festive twist on a classic sugar cookie. Soft, buttery cookies are baked plain, then finished with a smooth white chocolate coating on the bottom and dipped into colorful holiday nonpareils. The result is a cookie that feels elevated and special without requiring extra steps in the dough itself.
This decorating method keeps the cookie texture exactly how a good sugar cookie should be — tender, rich, and not weighed down by sprinkles baked inside. The white chocolate adds just the right amount of sweetness, while the nonpareils bring a subtle crunch and pop of color that make these perfect for holiday baking.
What makes these cookies especially appealing is their versatility. They work beautifully in Christmas cookie boxes, on dessert platters, or packaged as gifts, and they’re easy to customize simply by switching up the color of the nonpareils for different seasons or occasions. Holiday nonpareils give them that classic festive look, but pastels, red-white-and-blue, or even all-white sprinkles work just as well.
Why Bake the Cookies Plain?
Baking the cookies without sprinkles allows the dough to bake evenly and keeps the color and texture consistent. Sprinkles mixed into sugar cookie dough can sometimes bleed or melt during baking, which affects both appearance and structure. By decorating after baking, you get clean edges, a soft interior, and a polished, bakery-style finish.
The white chocolate acts as a “glue” for the nonpareils, locking them in place once set and giving the cookies a finished look that feels intentional rather than messy.
Recipe Tips
White chocolate:
Since white chocolate is the star of the finish here, quality matters. I recommend using good-quality white chocolate bars, melts, or wafers that are meant for melting. They melt smoother, set better, and won’t seize as easily as lower-quality white chocolate chips. Be sure to melt slowly and gently — white chocolate can overheat quickly.
Nonpareils: For this recipe, nonpareils are used after baking, not in the dough. I used holiday nonpareils for a festive look, but any color works depending on the season. Nonpareils are perfect here because they add crunch and color without bleeding, since they’re pressed into the white chocolate instead of mixed into the batter.
Baking the cookies plain: These sugar cookies are baked without any sprinkles or mix-ins, which keeps the texture soft and buttery and allows them to bake evenly. Decorating after baking gives you a cleaner look and prevents the color bleeding that can happen when sprinkles are baked directly into dough.
Let the cookies cool completely: This step is important. If the cookies are even slightly warm when dipped, the white chocolate won’t adhere or set properly. Fully cooled cookies create a clean dip and allow the chocolate to harden nicely on the bottom.
Cookie dough scoop: Using a cookie dough scoop ensures evenly sized cookies, which means they’ll bake at the same rate and look uniform. I like using a medium-sized scoop for sugar cookies. This is also especially helpful since these cookies are dipped after baking — consistent sizing makes them easier to handle and decorate.
Baking sheet: I recommend using a standard baking sheet for these cookies. Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper also helps with even baking and easy removal.
How to Make Perfectly Round Cookies
For perfectly round cookies every time, use a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass that’s slightly larger than the baked cookie. While the cookies are still warm (but not hot), place the cutter around the cookie and gently swirl it in a circular motion. This reshapes the edges into a smooth, even circle without affecting the soft center.
This quick technique makes a noticeable difference, especially when you’re gifting cookies or photographing them.
Storage & Make-Ahead Notes
These cookies store well once the white chocolate has fully set. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. If your kitchen tends to be warm, storing them in the refrigerator helps keep the chocolate firm. For make-ahead baking, the cookies can be baked and frozen undecorated, then thawed and dipped in white chocolate closer to serving time.
White Chocolate Nonpareil Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature. I use salted butter but you can use unsalted 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 kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup nonpareil sprinkles
- 10 oz Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers or other white chocolate, melted
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.
- 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.
- Melt wafers or white chocolate according to package directions. Dip the bottoms of the cooled cookies into the chocolate, letting it come slightly up the sides. Immediately press into a shallow bowl of nonpareils so the whole bottom is covered. Place on parchment until set, this usually take 3-5 minutes. Serve & enjoy!