Soft Valentine Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Tweet
Share
Pin
Share

These pillowy-soft sugar cookies are loaded with Valentine sprinkles baked right into the dough — no rolling, no cutting, no decorating required.

They’re the easier, chewier cousin of traditional sugar cookies, ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

Why You’ll Love It

  • No chilling, rolling, or cutting required
  • Soft and chewy center with slightly crisp edges
  • Ready in under 30 minutes
  • One bowl, minimal cleanup
  • Kid-friendly to make
  • Sprinkles add color without frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks / 227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Valentine sprinkles (jimmies or nonpareils), plus more for topping

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt — set aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add wet ingredients. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix on low until a soft dough forms — don’t overmix.
  6. Fold in sprinkles. Gently stir in 1/2 cup sprinkles by hand, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
  7. Shape the dough. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion dough into 1.5-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each).
  8. Roll in sugar. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart — press a few extra sprinkles on top of each ball.
  9. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cookies are done when edges are just set but centers still look slightly underdone — they will continue cooking on the hot pan.
  10. Cool on pan. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

Don’t overbake. These cookies set up as they cool — pulling them out when the centers look underdone is the secret to soft cookies.

Butter temperature matters. Softened butter should hold a fingerprint but not be greasy or melted — too warm and your cookies will spread too thin.

Use jimmies, not nonpareils. Jimmies (the rod-shaped sprinkles) hold their color better when baked than the small round nonpareils, which can bleed.

Chill if needed. If your dough is too soft to scoop (usually from warm butter), refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Make them bigger. Use a 3-tablespoon scoop for bakery-size cookies — add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Skip the almond extract. It adds depth but isn’t essential — use an extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla instead.

Add cream cheese. Replace 2 tablespoons of butter with cream cheese for an even softer, tangier cookie.

Serving Ideas

Stack cookies in a clear glass jar for a colorful kitchen display.

Package in cellophane bags with a ribbon for Valentine’s treats.

Serve alongside pink lemonade or strawberry milk for a kid-friendly Valentine’s party.

Create ice cream sandwiches with strawberry or vanilla ice cream between two cookies.

Arrange on a heart-shaped platter for a festive presentation.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days — cookies will stay soft if stored with a slice of bread.

Refrigerator: Not recommended — refrigeration can dry out soft cookies.

Freezer (baked): Freeze cooled cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months — thaw at room temperature.

Freezer (dough balls): Freeze shaped dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag — bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

Make dough ahead: Refrigerate covered dough for up to 3 days — let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping.

The Easiest Valentine Cookie You Will Make

Soft sprinkle sugar cookies prove you don’t need frosting or fancy decorating to make something festive.

The sprinkles do all the work, and the soft, chewy texture makes these more appealing to most people than crisp cut-out cookies anyway.

Keep this recipe bookmarked for every holiday — just swap the sprinkle colors.

Similar Posts