Homemade Christmas sugar cookies with festive sprinkles. These cookies are made ahead of time and then sliced and baked when ready.
These cookies are easy to change up the sprinkles for any color scheme you'd like!
You will love this easy Christmas Sugar Cookies recipe!
Christmas cookies are one of my favorite things to bake during the holiday season. I love having a variety of cookies to please everyone, although they tend to disappear faster than I can bake them.
These Christmas Sugar Cookies can be made ahead of time and the sliced and baked just before you need them.
They are a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Ingredients
- Butter - Use regular salted butter. Make certain the butter is softened to room temperature.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar is used in this recipe.
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour. Be certain when you measure your flour, you use a fluff and scoop technique. This helps prevent over compacting the flour which results in too much flour added.
- Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract
- Leavening - Baking powder and an egg are used in this recipe.
- Sprinkles - Pick sprinkles in your favorite colors. Try to avoid very large, thick sprinkles.
How to make Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
- Mix butter with an electric mixer until very soft and creamy.
- Mix in sugar until light and fluffy. Mix for 2-3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until the dough is crumbly. The dough will look dry, but will come together when pressed.
- Dump dough onto a flat surface. Divide into two sections. Working with one section at a time, form dough into a 10 inch log. The dough will begin to stick together when pressed. If it breaks apart, simply press back together.
- Pour sprinkles onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roll logs into sprinkles.
- Place each log on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pour additional sprinkles over each log. Wrap each log fully with plastic wrap. Use your hands over the plastic wrap to smooth sprinkles into logs.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Remove plastic wrap and cut into ½ inch slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or grease baking sheet lightly.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes.
- Let cookies cool slightly on baking sheet. Remove and continue cooling on baking rack.
Adding the sprinkles
This is probably the most difficult part of making these cookies, and it really isn't all that difficult. Sprinkles remind me a bit of glitter. They seem to get everywhere and you find them for days after you are done using them.
I used a two step method to add the sprinkles:
- First, I added the sprinkles to a cookie sheet and rolled the dough log back and forth. A lot of sprinkles stuck to the log, but not enough.
- Second, I placed the log on plastic wrap and added more sprinkles. When I wrapped up the plastic wrap, I rubbed the sprinkles into the dough. There will still be several loose sprinkles and areas not covered, but this is okay.
- After you refrigerate the logs of cookie dough, unwrap the dough and slice into ½ inch slices. Any piece that is missing too many sprinkles can be rolled along the edges into more sprinkles. It is okay to have a few blank areas. There are plenty of sprinkles on these cookies and they will look fine.
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe Tips
- Make certain butter is very soft, not melted, but soft enough to leave an indentation when lightly pressed.
- This dough looks dry and crumbly after mixing. It will form together when molded with your hands.
- Keep everything dry. If the sprinkles get wet, the colors will run.
- Use a rimmed cookie sheet to help keep the sprinkles contained
- Allow dough logs to fully chill before slicing and baking
Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles FAQs
Yes, these cookies can be frozen. Double wrap the dough and place it in the freezer to bake later. When ready to use, allow dough to thaw and then slice and bake. Cookie dough can be frozen up to one month.
The cookies can also be frozen after they have been baked. Allow cookies to fully cool and then place in an airtight container. Freeze up to one month.
Add the sprinkles while the dough is still soft and before it is refrigerated.
Look for colorful sprinkles that are small in size. Use nonpareils, which are tiny round sprinkles or use jimmies which are small oblong shaped sprinkles.
Chill sugar cookie dough for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. You want the dough to be firm so it holds its shape when cut.
More delicious Christmas cookies
- Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies
- Shortbread Christmas Cookies
- Gingerbread Snowflakes
- Peppermint Candy Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Chocolate Crinkles
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my cookie recipes!
Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies (Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles)
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (soft)
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg
- 3 ¼ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup colored sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix butter with an electric mixer until very soft and creamy.1 cup butter
- Mix in sugar until light and fluffy.1 ½ cups sugar
- Add egg and vanilla. Mix well2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 egg
- Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until the dough is crumbly. The dough will look dry, but will come together when pressed.3 ¼ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Dump dough onto a flat surface. Divide into two piles. Working with one section at a time,form dough into a 10 inch log. The dough will begin to stick together when pressed. If it breaks apart, simply press back together.
- Pour sprinkles onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roll logs into sprinkles.½ cup colored sprinkles
- Place each log on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pour additional sprinkles over each log. Wrap each log fully with plastic wrap. Use your hands over the plastic wrap to smooth sprinkles into logs.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Remove plastic wrap and cut into ½ inch slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or grease baking sheet lightly.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes.
- Let cookies cool slightly on baking sheet. Remove and continue cooling on baking rack.
Notes
- Make certain butter is very soft, not melted, but soft enough to leave an indentation when lightly pressed.
- This dough looks dry and crumbly after mixing. It will form together when molded with your hands.
- Keep everything dry. If the sprinkles get wet, they will melt and run
- Use a rimmed cookie sheet to help keep the sprinkles contained
- Allow dough logs to fully chill before slicing and baking
- Dough logs can be frozen for up to one month. Allow to thaw before slicing and baking.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Aly says
Making these cookies tonight!!! Would you say the cookie spreads at all when they're baked? I want to make the cookies about 3" wide so not sure how small to roll the log! Thank you for your help
Kathy says
Hi Aly,
The cookies will spread a small amount. Let me know how they turn out!
Kathy 🙂
Adrianna says
Delicious!
Kathy says
Thank you!
Wendy Popp says
This is a great recipe! Easy and delicious and makes a bunch! A little like a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread. Will definitely make again.
Kathy says
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!!! 🙂
David @ Spiced says
Oh, I love a good sugar cookie! Robbie and I are planning on making gingerbread cookies tomorrow afternoon for Christmas Eve. Maybe we'll add these sugar cookies to the lineup, too. I know Santa would approve of these!! 🙂
Kathy says
Santa definitely approves! 😉
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
You can't go wrong with sugar cookies, especially this time of year! Love the fun, festive sprinkles. Just what my Friday needs with a big glass of cold milk 😉 Happy weekend, my friend!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
Love the addition of the sprinkles, Kathy! It really does give these such a lovely festive touch 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Can't beat a holiday sugar cookie! These look like the perfect addition to the Christmas cookie tray Kathy!