Valentines Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
Sprinkle Cookies are a fun and colorful that are perfect for any occasion (psst, like Valentines Day!). made with a simple sugar cookie dough base and are decorated with an abundance of sprinkles, making them a hit with both kids and adults.
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Bakery Style Sprinkle Cookie Recipe
If you are looking for an absolutely delicious tastes-like-it’s-from-a-bakery, yet easy and can’t mess up Sprinkle Cookie Recipe, you are in the right spot!
Not only could I not stop eating these, my cookie hating (gasp!) family member loved them, too. These are perfect for literally any occasion, all you need to do is switch up the color or style of sprinkles and bam, you are all festive and stuff.
Also, because I know I’ll get asked, the cut heart sprinkles shown in this post are from the one and only Target which would also be great on some Valentines Day Spritz Cookies, if you need another excuse to grab some.
Now, let’s get baking.
What you’ll need to make Bakery Style Sprinkle Cookies at Home
- salted butter– I always use salted butter, if you only have unsalted on hand, you’ll want to add an extra pinch of salt to your cookie dough.
- margarine– the margarine gives the final cookie a nice, melt in your mouth buttery crisp edge. You can use all butter or all margarine, if you prefer. Make sure that it is a stick of margarine, not a spreadable margarine from a tub.
- granulated sugar
- egg
- light corn syrup– this helps the finished cookie be extra chewy. You can just omit the corn syrup, if desired. This will just effect the texture of the cookie, not the taste.
- vanilla extract
- butter extract– trust me here!! The butter extract is what gives this cookie the ‘came from a bakery’ taste.
- all purpose flour– no fancy flour needed, though.
- baking soda– the baking soda will help the cookies to spread and aid to that buttery crisp edge we are looking for.
- salt
- Sprinkles– my favorite place to buy sprinkles is right from my local grocery store bakery. You can buy them in bulk and ask for a specific mix of colors so you can be festive for any holiday!
How to Make Sugar Cookies Covered with Sprinkles
- First thing you’ll do is preheat your oven. We will preheat to 350° F or 180° C.
- Next, cream together the butter, margarine and sugar for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. You can do this with either a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Scrape the sides of your bowl and add in the egg, corn syrup and extracts. Slowly mix until mostly combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients (flour, soda and salt). Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Portion out your dough and then roll in a bowl of sprinkles, pressing the sprinkles into the cookie dough. For small cookies, use 1 1/2 tbsp of dough, for larger cookies use 3 tbsp of dough.
- Arrange cookie dough on a baking sheet that is lined with either parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Bake until the cookies have spread and the tops of the cookies no longer look wet and glossy. For small cookies that will be about 7-9 minutes. For larger cookies, you’ll bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
How to Store Bakery Sprinkle Cookies
You’ll want to store in an air tight container or zip top bag, always. They’ll stay fresh for about 3 days but if you want them to last longer than that, I suggest freezing them.
How to freeze Sprinkle Cookies
The best way to freeze sprinkle cookies is this: first, set your cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the entire sheet into the freeze for 1 hour, or until the cookies are frozen. At that point, you can gather all of the cookies and stack them in an air tight container without them sticking together. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to put sprinkles on cookies before baking
Like we did in this recipe, you can roll the cookie dough to cover it in sprinkles before baking or you could add the sprinkles to the cookie dough prior to scooping and rolling. They will both lend a different look, but both will taste the same.
What kind of sprinkles are best for Sprinkle Cookies?
Ultimately, the best kind of sprinkles for sprinkle cookies is a matter of personal preference. I prefer a softer sprinkle, like jimmies. Although nonpareils and sanding sugar work well, too. You can use one type of sprinkle or mix them together to create a unique and visually appealing cookie.
More Cookie recipes to try:
Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (111g) salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup (111g) margarine softened
- 1 1/4 cup (293g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp butter extract
- 2 1/2 cups (380g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (200g) sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Line you baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the margarine, butter and sugar until well combined.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the egg, corn syrup, vanilla and butter extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt, mix until the dough forms.
- Portion the dough out into your desired size. For small cookies, use 1 1/2 tsp of dough (#50 scoop) or for larger cookies use 3 tbsp of dough.
- Roll into a ball and then roll and press sprinkles onto the outside of the cookie dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake at 350° F (180° C) until the cookie will flatten, spread and the center of the cookie will no longer look wet and glossy when they are ready to come out of the oven. For small cookies, about 7-9 minutes, for larger cookies about 9-11 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It took me 2 tries (and a trip to 3 different stores to find more sprinkles) to get these cookies right, but it was absolutely worth it! My screw up? I initially bought and Imperial 50% vegetable oil spread rather than margarine with 80% vegetable oil. D’oh! They wouldn’t bake. In round 2 (with the “right” margarine), I used your weight measurement for flour — different from how I measure King Arthur AP flour (120 g/cup) — and the dough was too dry for sprinkles to stick. I couldn’t believe it. A little spritz of water on my hands while rolling, and all was well. In the end, these cookies are flavorful and the texture is absolutely perfect! This is the third recipe of yours I’ve tried in 2023, and I cannot wait to try another!