The best Sprinkle Cookies recipe ever! Soft and chewy and covered in rainbow sprinkles. This old-fashioned recipe is better than any bakery cookie you have ever eaten. No chill time and you can change the sprinkles for any occasion! They will melt in your mouth!
Better than Bakery Sprinkle Cookie Recipe
Our Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies are soft, chewy, and covered in baked-on sprinkles. (The key to making them soft is including cream cheese in the recipe!) This sprinkle cookie recipe has gone crazy viral on Facebook and has been shared millions of times on Pinterest
They are the perfect special treat for a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or the best for a Christmas Cookie Swap! Our version is better than any Italian bakery or Jewish bakery cookie!
The sprinkles are baked into the cookie, no icing to take away from the delicious vanilla with a hint of almond flavor. They kind of remind me of an Italian Cookie, also known as an Italian Wedding Cookie, but they really are pretty different. The main difference is our cookies have no glaze (and a lot more sprinkles!)
Just looking at them makes you smile, but eating them is even better! AND, we even got the gluten-free cookies thumbs-up (see notes on how to change it to make them gluten-free).
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 ¼ Cups Sugar
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ tsp Almond Extract (use 1 1/3 vanilla if you have a nut allergy or don’t want almond)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 3 Cups Flour
- Non-Pareils or Rainbow Sprinkles (or both!!)
These cookies can easily be adapted for pretty much every single holiday! All you need to do is get some holiday-colored sprinkles (i.e. for Christmas Sprinkle Cookies grab some red and green Christmas cookie sprinkles. For Valentine’s Day grab some pink and red and white nonpareils. Same for Halloween, Easter, etc.)
How to make Sprinkle Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat
- Using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (my preference) or a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix in cream cheese, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the other ingredients, on slow to medium speed, mixing until combined and evenly moistened.
- Pour the sprinkles or nonpareils in a small bowl. Using a 1.5 – 2 tablespoon cookie scoop roll cookie dough into balls (You can make little cookies or extra large if you prefer!)
- Roll the dough in the sprinkles, leaving the bottom of the ball sprinkle free.
TIP: Cover the rest with as many sprinkles as possible – the more the better
- Place the cookie ball on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
TIP: The cookies will spread a bit, so leave space!) - Using the bottom of a glass, gently press down on the cookie to slightly flatten it.
TIP: You want them between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch thick. - Bake in the oven for approximately at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (every oven cooks differently so watch them, mine took closer to 12 minutes, but you don’t really want them to brown).
- Let cool on pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your sprinkle cookies for up to 3 months. Just place in a freezer bag and defrost when ready to eat!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need to let the dough chill for this recipe.
For this recipe, you put the sprinkles on before you bake the cookies. By rolling the uncooked cookie dough ball in the sprinkles, they bake right into the cookies perfectly. Don’t worry, the sprinkles will not burn.
We find that by gently flattening the cookies (just a little bit) with either the bottom of the glass or the bottom of a measuring cup, they bake perfectly! You will get a soft and chewy center of the cookie and a just-the-right amount of crispy edges.
This is a personal preference. There are two types of basic sprinkles, crunchy nonpareil or the softer rainbow sprinkle (aka jimmies). Typically when I make sprinkle cookies I will make half a batch of each. Either way, these cookies are so incredibly cute.
Yes, you can use 1 1/3 teaspoons of vanilla if you don’t want to use the almond extract. However, the almond extract gives these cookies a delicious richness to them, so if you can, use it!
Yes, they can be made gluten-free. One of my readers adapted the recipe to be a gluten-free sprinkle cookie. See the instructions below.
You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Store in a freezer bag or airtight container.
How to Make Gluten Free Sprinkle Cookies?
Follow the recipe as is, just substitute the flour for Gluten Free Flour. My friend, Lisa, who tested them out recommends Gluten Free Flour by Jules. She says it is THE ONLY gluten-free flour she will use!
Lisa also put the dough in the refrigerator and chilled it for about 10 minutes before rolling it in the sprinkle! She said they were one of the best Gluten Free Cookies she has ever tasted!
We love cookies and some just make us extra happy! Just like our Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles, our Sugar Cookie Bars and our Sugar Cookie Spoons make everyone smile!
Are you a cookie fan? Have you ever heard of the Secret Copycat Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie story? You must check it out and try to make these better than you have ever tasted chocolate chip cookies!
We have some of THE BEST COOKIE RECIPES ever! Be sure to take a few minutes and check them all out!
More Great Rainbow Desserts
- Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats
- Easy Rainbow Sangria
- Rainbow Cookies
- Waffle Rainbows
- Banana Split Cake
- Rainbow Popcorn
Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 ¼ Cups Sugar
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ tsp Almond Extract (use 1 1/3 vanilla if you have a nut allergy or don’t want almond)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 3 Cups Flour
- Non-Pareils or Rainbow Sprinkles (or both!!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in cream cheese, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract. Mix together until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix into the large bowl on slow to medium speed, adding in a little at a time, until evenly moistened.
- Place sprinkles or nonpareils in a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, roll cookie dough into balls (about 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of dough or to preference. You can make little cookies or extra large!)
- Roll the dough in the sprinkles, leaving the bottom of the ball sprinkles (no sprinkles on the bottom section). BUT, cover the rest with as many sprinkles as possible – the more the better – and place on the cookie sheet about 2 inches or so apart. (the cookies will spread a bit, so leave space!)
- Use the bottom of a glass and gently press down on the cookie to slightly flatten it. You want them between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes (every oven cooks differently so watch them, mine took closer to 12 minutes, but you don’t really want them to brown).
- Let cool on pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Jenn’s Notes
- Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your sprinkle cookies for up to 3 months. Just place in a freezer bag and defrost when ready to eat!
1/3 teaspoon almond extract? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a recipe call for 1/3 teaspoon, how do you measure that? and if you want to replace it with vanilla extract you use 1 1/3 so 5x more vanilla?
Hi Brittney – LOL, you just need to eyeball the 1/3 teaspoon. The reason for the 1 and 1/3 vanilla is if you choose to not use almond then you will want 1 and 1/3 vanilla TOTAL. So you are adding the 1/3 of the almond to the already 1 tsp of vanilla making it a total of 1 and 1/3 vanilla (to make up for not using the almond). I hope that makes sense.
I loved these…soft, buttery, and the vanilla with subtle almond made for the perfect cookie. Reminds me so much of my grandmothers cookies she used to make with leftover vanilla biscotti dough. Just rolled them round and put sprinkles on top! I’ll keep these forever. Lots of warm nostalgic childhood memories here.💕💕💕
Thank you SO much for your comment – I couldn’t have described these cookies any better! Brings back such fond memories! Thank you for taking the time to comment and warm my heart!
These were some of the best cookies I have ever made. The texture is perfect, not too crunchy, not too cakey. They look beautiful with the sprinkles, and the touch of almond lends a wonderful flavor to an otherwise simple cookie. I will be making these regularly from now on! They were a huge hit with my husband and at work.
This recipe is the closest I’ve ever gotten to the “big rainbow cookies” I’d get from my local bakery as a kid. They’re delicious! But I have one question: how long do the cookies last in either an airtight container or in a sandwich baggy?
Thank you!! They were my FAVORITE growing up! They will last a few days (but they wouldn’t last even a day in my house!!)
I am planning to make it and surprise my kids only thing any alternative instead of cream cheese.
So sorry, I don’t.
These cookies are very good. I ran out of sprinkles so I rolled the cookie in coconut. It was amazing. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you SO much!
Omigosh these were my favorite cookies too as a young girl! I’m from the same part of Michigan as you and I can remember these cookies from the Italian bakeries. I was wondering if they would freeze well. Thank you for the recipe.
Approximately how many cookies does this recipe make?
What do I do with the egg?
OOOOPS! So sorry! You add it in when you add the cream cheese and vanilla. Just fixed the recipe card! Thanks for the catch!
what do I do w/the egg hehe thats funny. Dunno maybe put it in the mix haha. I think Janet is not making cookies.
We’re cooking with flower now, not flour? Maybe edit your blog before posting!
OMGosh – thank you so much. I was so excited about these cookies – I was moving way too fast. I SO appreciate you correcting me! Thanks so very much for kindly pointing out my error! xoxo