Description
Delight in these colorful Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies, soft sugar cookies coated generously with vibrant nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles. Perfectly sweet and buttery with a hint of almond and vanilla, they’re a festive treat ideal for parties or everyday indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ tsp almond extract (or 1 1/3 tsp vanilla extract for nut allergy)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups flour
Decoration
- Non-pareils or rainbow sprinkles (or both!)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the cream cheese, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with wet ingredients on slow to medium mixer speed. Add the flour a little at a time until the dough is evenly moistened and forms a soft, cohesive dough.
- Prepare Sprinkles: Pour your nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles into a small bowl, ready for rolling the cookie dough balls in them for full coverage.
- Shape and Coat Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form dough into balls approximately 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons each depending on desired cookie size. Roll each ball generously in the sprinkles, coating all sides except the bottom. Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Flatten Cookies: Press down gently on each dough ball with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly. Aim for thickness between ¼ and ½ inch to ensure even baking and a soft texture.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t brown; the cookies should remain light in color for the best texture and appearance.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which preserves their softness and prevents sogginess.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
- For longer storage, freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months and thaw before eating.
- To make gluten-free, substitute the regular flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Chilling the dough for 10 minutes before rolling in sprinkles is recommended to make handling easier and improve texture.
- If nut allergies are a concern, simply replace almond extract with additional vanilla extract as noted in the ingredients.
- Do not overbake; watch for cookies to remain just lightly colored to keep them soft and chewy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
