The Ultimate Chewy Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

There is something undeniably magical about the smell of vanilla and butter wafting through the house during the holiday season. While elaborate gingerbread houses and intricately piped cut-out cookies have their place, sometimes you just crave a classic: the Chewy Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookie. This is the cookie that tastes like childhood. It is soft, tender, slightly crisp on the edges, and bursting with festive cheer thanks to vibrant red and green sprinkles.

Unlike labor-intensive cut-out cookies that require chilling, rolling, and precise timing, these “drop” style sugar cookies are effortless. They bake up with beautiful crinkly tops and a sparkling sugar coating that makes them look as good as they taste. Whether you are preparing for a cookie exchange, leaving a treat for Santa, or just need a sweet fix on a Tuesday night, this recipe is your new holiday staple. Below, we explore the science behind the chewiness, the best ingredients to use, and how to get that perfect bakery-style finish every single time.

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Why You Will Fall in Love With This Recipe

We know there are thousands of sugar cookie recipes on the internet, but here is why this specific one stands out from the crowd:

• Texture Perfection: These aren’t cakey, and they aren’t rock hard. They occupy that perfect middle ground—dense, chewy, and soft in the center with a delicate, sugary crunch on the exterior.
• No Rolling Pin Needed: Forget the floury mess on your counter. These are scoop-and-bake cookies, meaning you can have them in the oven in under 20 minutes.
• Festive and Customizable: While we use red and green sprinkles for that classic Christmas look, you can easily swap the colors for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or birthdays.
• Freezer Friendly: The dough freezes beautifully, allowing you to bake off fresh cookies whenever guests drop by unexpectedly.

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Ingredients

The beauty of a sugar cookie lies in its simplicity. Because there are so few ingredients, quality matters. Here is what you need to make these festive treats:

• Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks). It must be softened to room temperature. This allows it to cream properly with the sugar, creating the air pockets needed for lift.
• Granulated Sugar: 1 ½ cups, divided. You will need 1 ¼ cups for the dough and an extra ¼ cup for rolling the dough balls before baking. This rolling step is crucial for that sparkly, crackled exterior.
• Egg: 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk. The extra yolk adds fat and richness, contributing to a chewier texture.
• Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons. Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor profile.
• All-Purpose Flour: 2 ¾ cups. Measure this carefully (spoon and level method) so your cookies don’t become dry.
• Cornstarch: 1 teaspoon. This is the secret ingredient! Cornstarch softens the proteins in the flour, ensuring the cookies stay tender.
• Baking Soda: ¾ teaspoon. This helps the cookies spread and encourages browning.
• Cream of Tartar: ½ teaspoon. This adds a tiny bit of acidity which reacts with the baking soda to create lift and that signature “tangy” chewiness found in Snickerdoodles.
• Salt: ½ teaspoon. Essential to balance the sweetness.
• Christmas Sprinkles: ½ cup. Use “jimmies” (the rod-shaped sprinkles). Nonpareils (the tiny balls) can bleed color into the dough and make it look muddy.

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Instructions

Follow these step-by-step instructions to achieve cookie perfection.

1. Prep Your Station

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside the ¼ cup of sugar in a small shallow bowl for rolling later.

2. Cream the Butter and Sugar

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and 1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for about 2–3 minutes. The mixture should look pale yellow and fluffy. Do not rush this step; this aeration is what gives the cookie its structure.

3. Add Wet Ingredients

Add the whole egg, the extra yolk, and the vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.

4. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed. Mix just until streaks of flour disappear. Do not overmix, or the gluten will develop too much and make the cookies tough.

5. Fold in Sprinkles

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Pour in the festive sprinkles. Use a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold them into the dough by hand. This prevents the sprinkles from breaking and streaking the dough.

6. Scoop and Roll

Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons) to portion out the dough. Roll each scoop into a smooth ball between your palms. Roll the ball generously in the reserved sugar until fully coated. This step creates the “sparkle” and helps the cookies crinkle.

7. Bake

Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–11 minutes. The centers will still look slightly soft and underbaked—this is exactly what you want! The edges should be just barely set but not browned.

8. Cool

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will firm up as they cool. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Tips for Bakery-Quality Cookies

Room Temperature Ingredients are Non-Negotiable:
If your butter is too cold, it won’t cream properly. If it is melted, your cookies will spread into flat puddles. The butter should yield slightly when you press it with your finger.

Measure Flour Correctly:
Scooping your measuring cup directly into the flour bag packs the flour down, leading to dry, thick cookies. Instead, fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.

The “Bang” Method:
If your cookies are puffing up too much in the oven, open the oven door halfway through baking and lift the pan up a few inches, then drop it onto the rack. This deflates the cookie, creating a dense, chewy texture and beautiful crinkles.

Choosing the Right Sprinkles:
Stick to “jimmies” (cylinder shapes) or confetti sprinkles (flat shapes). Avoid the tiny round nonpareils for mixing into the dough, as their color bleeds instantly. You can, however, use nonpareils for rolling the outside if you wish.

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Variations and Storage

Flavor Twists

• Almond Sugar Cookies: Swap half of the vanilla extract for almond extract for a nutty, bakery-style aroma.
• Citrus Burst: Rub 1 tablespoon of lemon or orange zest into the sugar before creaming it with the butter.
• White Chocolate: Fold in ½ cup of white chocolate chips along with the sprinkles for extra indulgence.

Storage Instructions

Room Temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To keep them soft, place a slice of white bread in the container with them (the cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread).

Freezing Dough: Roll the dough into balls (without the sugar coating) and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to bake, roll in sugar and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

Freezing Baked Cookies: Fully cooled cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

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Fun Facts & Cultural Context

Sugar cookies trace their roots back to the mid-1700s in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, created by German Protestant settlers. They were originally called “Nazareth Sugar Cookies” and were baked in the shape of a keystone, the state symbol. Over centuries, they evolved into the holiday staple we know today. The tradition of leaving cookies for Santa Claus became popular in the United States during the Great Depression, as a way for parents to encourage generosity in their children despite financial hardships. Today, making these simple drop sugar cookies is a way to connect with that history of simple, homemade joy.