Sugar Sprinkle Cookie (Traditional Recipe)
These soft and chewy sugar sprinkle cookies are made with just 9 simple ingredients. They don’t require chilling and can be made from start to finish in just 21 minutes. And guess what, you probably have most or even all the ingredients already in your pantry!
So enjoy Pennsylvania’s official state cookie because they are delicious!
History
Sugar cookies have a history that goes back centuries. They have their roots in 7th century Persia, when sugar began to be commonly used in the region. As trade routes opened up and the popularity of these sweet treats grew, the simple sugar cookie began to spread across Europe.
By the 17th century, Nazareth, Pennsylvania had become the heartland of sugar cookie evolution in America. The German settlers there created a round, crumbly and buttery cookie that came to be known as the Nazareth Sugar Cookie. In 2001, this beloved recipe was recognized as Pennsylvania’s official state cookie.
Over the centuries, sugar cookies have maintained their simple charm, even as bakers have begun to adorn them with frosting, sprinkles, and other decorations. Despite their evolution, at their core, sugar cookies remain a mixture of the simplest baking ingredients: sugar, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, and leavening agents.
These Sugar Sprinkle Cookies honor this rich, simple tradition while adding a touch of color and fun with the addition of sprinkles.
Ingredients
These sugar sprinkle cookies only use a handful of ingredients, and the best part is that most of those are probably already in your pantry.
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of your cookies, providing structure and texture.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work together to give your cookies the perfect rise and a lovely, soft texture.
- Salt: A pinch enhances all other flavors in your cookies.
- Unsalted Butter: It adds richness and moisture. Make sure it’s at room temperature for smooth mixing.
- Granulated Sugar: It sweetens the cookies and helps in achieving a nice texture.
- Eggs: They act as a binding agent, keeping your cookies from crumbling apart. Room temperature eggs mix better with the dough.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: It adds that classic, sweet aromatic flavor I love in cookies.
- Sprinkles: They give your cookies a fun, festive look and a slight crunch.
Expert Tips
- Room Temperature Butter: Your butter should be at room temperature, which means it should be soft but not melted. This is important as it ensures the sugar and butter blend together well, resulting in a well-textured cookie.
- Avoid Overmixing: When combining the dry and wet ingredients, mix just until they are combined. Overmixing could result in tough cookies due to the overdevelopment of gluten.
- Chilling the Dough: Although optional, chilling the scooped cookie dough for about 30-60 minutes will stop the cookies from spreading as much. If you have time and prefer more puffier cookies, don’t skip this step.
- Underbaked Centers: The cookies might look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out of the oven, but that’s okay. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet, leading to perfectly soft and chewy cookies.
Step by Step Instructions
1) Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside for later.
3) In a separate large bowl, whip the butter until smooth and spreadable. This usually only takes 1-2 minutes with room temperature butter.
Note: You can use a regular whisk or an electric whisk. I prefer to use an electric whisk as it’s quicker.
4) Add the granulated sugar to the butter and continue to beat for an additional minute or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
5) Add the eggs and pure vanilla extract, then continue to beat the mixture until well incorporated.
6) Fold in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until combined.
Note: Make sure not to over-mix otherwise, the gluten in the flour may make the cookies tougher.
7) Gently fold in the sprinkles into the cookie dough.
8) Portion the cookie dough with a cookie scoop or tablespoon and roll them into circular cookie dough balls. Each portion should be between 35 to 40 grams or 1.2oz to 1.4oz.
Note: I used a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion mine.
9) Place them on a non-stick baking tray or baking tray lined with baking paper with 2-3 inches of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies for 11 minutes or until the edges are set and the center looks slightly unbaked.
10) Leave the cookies to set for 5 minutes on the baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Storage and Leftovers
Sugar sprinkle cookies are perfect for making ahead, as they keep very well. After they’ve cooled completely, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and tasty for up to a week. Enjoy them as is or warm them up slightly for a just-baked feel.
FAQs
Can I use self-raising flour instead of all-purpose flour?
You can, but omit half the baking powder from the recipe as self-raising flour already contains it.
Can I freeze the dough for later use?
Absolutely. Shape the cookie dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, and then transfer to a zip-top bag. They can be baked directly from the freezer; just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter in this recipe?
Yes, you can use salted butter in place of unsalted butter. However, keep in mind that this will affect the overall saltiness, so you will want to omit the teaspoon of salt that is added.
What kind of sprinkles should I use for these cookies?
You can use any sprinkles you prefer. I used jimmies as they are the classic choice for these cookies. However, nonpareils also work well. Nonpareils are smaller and provide a light crunch. Choose based on your preference or whatever you have on hand!
Sugar Sprinkle Cookie (Traditional Recipe)
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Medium-Sized Cookie Scoop optional
- Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour or plain flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 8 oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature (about 2 sticks of butter)
- 1 â…“ cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Sprinkles I used jimmies
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside for later.
- In another large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the room-temperature unsalted butter until it becomes smooth. Add the granulated sugar to the butter and continue to beat for an additional minute or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and pure vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture, then beat until these ingredients are fully combined.
- Gradually fold the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture using a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula – be careful not to overmix. After, gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto a non-stick baking tray, ensuring each cookie dough ball is spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for about 11 minutes, or until the edges are set. The centers of the cookies should still look slightly underbaked.
- Once the cookies are done baking, allow them to rest on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
