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Unleash your festive spirit with our Christmas Sprinkle Funfetti Cookies recipe! Easy to make, fun to decorate and delicious to eat - they're the perfect holiday treat!
It's that time of the year again when we deck the halls with boughs of holly and Santa gears up for his global trek. And what's Christmas without the most adored tasty delight - the ever-so-festive Christmas sprinkle cookies? Time to put on your holiday music and sprinkle some Christmas magic!
Homemade funfetti cookies are a great recipe to add to your Christmas cookie recipes toolkit. They are easy to make and add a bit of fun to every holiday cookie box or holiday cookie exchange. Swap out the Christmas-colored sprinkles for rainbow sprinkles and you can use this recipe all year round!
Why You'll Love Making (and Eating) Funfetti Christmas Cookies
- The Aesthetics: Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles are not just cookies, they are edible holiday decorations. Every bite is a flavor-filled celebration!
- Easy to Make: This Christmas sprinkle cookies recipe is so simple that even Santa's elves could whip it up quickly!
- Deliciously Soft and Chewy: These soft, chewy sugar cookies with a sweet crunch from the sprinkles melt in your mouth and leave you reaching for another... and another... and...
- Perfect for Gifting: Who wouldn't love a box of homemade Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles? They make the sweetest gifts.
- Santa Approved: Guaranteed to get you on the nice list!
Christmas Funfetti Cookies Ingredients
- all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- baking soda
- cream of tartar
- kosher salt
- Christmas sprinkles
- butter
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- egg
- pure vanilla extract
See the printable recipe card below for exact quantities.
How to Make Christmas Confetti Cookies
This easy recipe uses colorful sprinkles with a soft and chewy sugar cookie dough. Here are the basics on how to make these homemade cookies:
- Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Gradually add in dry ingredients.
- Hand mix the sprinkles.
- Roll dough into balls and chill.
- Bake until golden and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Your Christmas sugar sprinkle cookies are ready to be devoured.
See the printable recipe card below for exact recipe instructions.
Recommended Equipment & Tools
cookie sheets, wire rack, silicon baking mats
Storage Instructions
Store these chewy cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
For longer storage, place baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, separating the layers with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Freeze these delicious soft sugar cookies for up to 3 months.
To freeze unbaked cookie dough balls:
- Arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Ensure they're spaced out so they don't stick together while freezing.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 1-2 hours, or until the dough balls are firm (also known as flash freezing).
- Once the dough balls are firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container.
- Don't forget to label the bag or container with the date. The dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Bake from Frozen: When you're ready to bake, take out as many dough balls as you need and bake them in the preheated oven. You should add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
This method ensures you always have cookie dough ready for the holiday season or when you need a last-minute treat for unexpected holiday guests. Enjoy your Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles, fresh from the oven, anytime!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes for Your Christmas Cookie Platter
Cookies Tips
- There's no sticky situation baking parchment or a silicone mat can't solve. Line your tray with one of these to prevent your cookies from sticking.
- Want your cookies to bake evenly? It all starts with room-temperature butter and egg. This ensures your ingredients blend harmoniously for a perfect bake.
- Timing is everything when it comes to adding holiday sprinkles to cookies. Make sure to mix them in last and only until they're evenly dispersed.
- Keeping your cookie dough chilled isn't a suggestion, it's a must! This crucial step ensures your cookies keep their round, fluffy shape while baking.
- Shape before chilling. Roll your dough into balls before refrigerating, as it won't be as pliable post-chilling.
- When you take them out, the centers might look undercooked, but rest assured, they will firm up as they cool. If you wait for them to firm up in the oven, you risk crunchy cookies instead of soft ones.
- Make-ahead magic! If you plan ahead, feel free to chill your dough in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sugar cookie holds the crown for the most-eaten cookie at Christmas. Our Christmas sugar sprinkle cookies are a delicious twist on this classic favorite.
Sprinkles are made of sugar and artificial colors, which don't typically go bad. However, for the best flavor and color, use them within 3 years.
I will be the first to admit that I did not use the 'correct' type of sprinkles for these cookies. As you can see in these photos, I used regular nonpareils sprinkles that I had on hand. Living out in the sticks has proven that certain ingredients aren't readily available, and I didn't feel like waiting a handful of days for an online order to arrive to make this sprinkle cookie recipe.
So, I will tell you that for best results (aka sprinkles that don't bleed), you should be using sprinkles called jimmies. But, as you can see, my sprinkles didn't bleed much because I carefully mixed the sprinkles by hand for this delicious Christmas cookie recipe.
However, when it comes to picking the best sprinkles for your funfetti Christmas sprinkle cookies (and you have access to the ingredients), it's a festive showdown between 'jimmies', 'nonpareils', and 'confetti quin sprinkles'.
Jimmies are the true unsung heroes of the sprinkle world for baking purposes. Their elongated shape and soft texture blend beautifully into your dough without bleeding color, resulting in cookies that are as appealing to the eyes as they are to the palate.
Nonpareils, while colorful and crunchy, tend to bleed their vibrant colors into your dough during baking, leading to a less visually appealing, somewhat streaky batch of cookies.
Confetti quin sprinkles are your wildcard choice. While they don't blend as well as jimmies, they're a great alternative if jimmies aren't available. These disc-shaped sprinkles add a pop of color and a bit of crunch to your cookies.
If you give this Christmas Sprinkle Funfetti Cookies recipe a try, please leave a comment below, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to tag me @homesweetfarmhome. I’d love to see what you come up with and share with our community. Cheers!
Recipe Card
Christmas Sprinkle Funfetti Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup Christmas-colored sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream or tartar and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on high speed for 1 minute until creamy.
- Switch to medium-high speed and add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until the mixture is completely creamed and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low-speed, add the egg to the mixture and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Next, add vanilla extract. Beat until everything is well combined.
- On low-speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Pour the sprinkles into the batter and mix by hand to incorporate.
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll it into a ball.
- Chill the cookie dough balls for at least 1 hour.
- Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Place cookie dough on baking sheets, spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges of the cookie just begin to turn golden brown and the centers look slightly under-baked.
- Remove the pan from oven and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
* The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Ellie says
Super fun to make with the kids! These make for an easy and tasty after school snack!