Soft & Chewy Mini Sprinkle Cookies
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Ok, how cute are these mini sprinkle cookies? With lots of vanilla and rainbow sprinkles, they’re soft, chewy, and bite-sized for a party. And, you can use holiday sprinkles to make these cookies for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and more!
Now that the weather has turned absolutely frigid, my daily uniform has transformed into a combination of drawstring sweatpants, thick fuzzy socks, and my indoors-only Hoka slides. (Because just in case being almost-30 wasn’t jarring enough, now I need arch support at all times, wtf??)
Luckily, what I lack in fashion, I’ve been making up for in pretty, colorful, sprinkle-covered everything. That’s right, friends. We’re in full-out holiday cookie mode over here. And what better way to warm up than by turning on the oven and baking a batch of treats for friends?
In addition to mini chocolate chip cookies and mini M&M cookies, these rainbow-studded cookies are one of my most-requested holiday recipes. As a trained pastry chef, I’m fairly picky when it comes to a basic cookie. But these are always a hit. They’re soft and chewy, have lots of vanilla flavor, and they’re all wrapped up in a cute little two-bite package!
A cookie for every occasion
Obviously, I love a seasonal treat like cardamom gingerbread or molasses crinkle cookies, but sometimes, it’s nice to just have something versatile. I make these drop cookies all the time for birthdays, bridal showers, or holidays like Christmas and Halloween!
- This recipe is inspired by the classic sugar cookies with sprinkles that you get at the grocery store bakery. But thanks to real butter and vanilla, these ones don’t taste like Play-Doh lol.
- The recipe is honestly so easy to make and uses basic pantry staple ingredients.
- You can use any sprinkles for different holidays, parties, and get togethers.
- The cookies are also freezer-friendly so you make them in advance!
Rod sprinkles
I tested this recipe with a few different types of sprinkles and there was a clear winner – rainbow rod sprinkles! These are the classic sprinkles that you usually find in the baking or ice cream aisle at the grocery store. I also tested this recipe with nonpareils but the color bled too much into the dough.
Other than that, you’ll need super basic baking ingredients. Make sure you have all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, Morton’s Kosher salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, an egg, and good vanilla extract to make this recipe.
For funfetti cookies, use artificial vanilla extract instead of pure vanilla. Start with 2 teaspoons and add more to taste!
#100 cookie scoop
For those teeny tiny cookies, you need a #100 cookie scoop which is about 1 teaspoon of dough. Of course, you can always use a teaspoon if you don’t want to buy a scoop. But I promise, this recipe goes so much quicker if you have a scoop!
Make the dough
Don’t over-mix the dough or the cookies will come out tough and crunchy! You want to beat the flour into the dough until it’s about 80% mixed. Then, fold in the sprinkles until there are no more streaks of flour.
Scoop, roll, & bake
Be careful not to over-bake these cookies if you want them to come out soft and chewy. If they over-bake even for just a minute, they’ll come out crunchy. Lean towards under-baking if you’re not sure!
Chill the dough
When it comes to bite-sized cookies, chilling the dough is non-negotiable. That’s mainly because cold dough keeps the cookies from spreading too much. When I tested this recipe without chilling the dough, the cookies turned into thin, melty messes haha. But also, refrigerating the cookie dough gives it time for the flavors to develop even more! So overall, it’s a win-win.
Holiday cookies
One of the best parts of this dessert is that you can make them with any kind of rod-style sprinkles! These are just some combinations I’ve tried for different holidays, and they always come out so cute.
- Red, green, and white for Christmas
- Black, orange, lime green, and purple for Halloween
- Red and light pink for Valentine’s Day
- Pastel colors for Easter or Mother’s Day
- Green, white, and orange for St. Patrick’s Day
More cookie baking tips
- I like to roll the cookie dough balls in extra sprinkles before baking them. This is optional but makes the cookies look extra pretty!
- If the dough is too cold to scoop, let it warm at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. You want it to be chilled but scoop-able.
- The cookies are ready when they are puffed up but not browning. They should look a tad under-baked in the middles.
- For super round cookies, use the scoot method! Right after the cookies come out of the oven, place a small round cookie cutter or cup around each cookie and scoot it in a circular motion to round out the edges.
Storing cookies
Funfetti cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Over time, they’ll lose their soft and chewy texture, so I recommend eating them sooner rather than later!
Freeze – dough or baked
You can freeze either the cookie dough or the baked cookies. It’s amazing for a make-ahead bake!
- Dough – scoop the dough into balls and roll them in extra sprinkles. Place the cookie dough balls on a sheet pan and freeze until firm, 1-2 hours. Pop the cookie dough balls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You can bake them from frozen – just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time!
- Baked – place the cookies in a freezer bag or container lined with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost the cookies for 1-2 hours at room temperature before eating.
Weighing ingredients
When I was in pastry school, I learned that weighing ingredients is key to amazing baked goods! It’s much more accurate than using measuring cups, so the cookies come out soft, chewy, and delicious every time.
If you do not have a kitchen scale, you can use measuring cups, but make sure to measure the flour the right way. First, fluff it with a whisk and spoon the whisked flour into a measuring cup. Level it off without packing the flour in.
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Soft & Chewy Mini Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (15 milliliters)
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for rolling (100 grams)
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- #100 cookie scoop
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and Kosher salt. Set aside.
- Add the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Beat the dough until it's about 80% mixed. Then, use a rubber spatula to fold the sprinkles into the dough, mixing just until there are no more streaks of flour. Cover the dough and chill for at least 1-2 hours, or overnight.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Using a #100 cookie scoop or teaspoon, scoop the dough into balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in more sprinkles for extra pretty cookies. Then, line the cookie dough balls about 1-2-inches apart on the sheet pans. Refrigerate any leftover dough while the cookies are baking.
- Bake the cookies for 5-6 minutes, just until the edges are set and the centers are still a bit under-done. Don't over-bake or the cookies will end up crunchy! Let the cookies cool on the sheet pans for 4-5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
