Name: No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 3 h 18 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick); ½ cup granulated sugar; ½ cup light brown sugar, packed; 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half; 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (clear imitation-vanilla preferred); 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste); ¾ cup red, green, and white jimmies (sprinkles), plus more for sprinkling on top

Jump to Recipe·5 from 68 reviews

If you’re looking for a festive cookie that captures the Christmas spirit without any fuss, you’re going to love this No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe. These beauties are soft, colorful, and packed with cheerful sprinkles without any need for rolling dough or complicated shaping. Trust me, once you try them, they’ll become your holiday go-to because they’re just that fan-freaking-tastic.

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Why This Recipe Works

No rolling required: The dough is soft and scoopable, so no mess or extra tools, making holiday baking much easier.
Chilling is key: Refrigerating the dough helps control spreading and keeps cookies thick and soft.
Clear imitation vanilla extract: It adds a nostalgic bakery-cookie flavor that takes these cookies to another level.
Sprinkles galore: With loads of festive red, green, and white sprinkles, these cookies bring holiday cheer in every bite.

No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies, festive holiday cookies, easy Christmas cookies, colorful sprinkle cookies, no-bake holiday treats - A white plate filled with twelve round cookies stacked in a slightly overlapping way. Each cookie is light golden brown with a soft texture and topped with colorful sprinkles in red, green, and white, scattered evenly across the surface. The cookies have visible darker spots where chocolate chips or similar small ingredients are baked inside. The plate sits on a white marbled surface, adding a clean, bright background to the image. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

The magic in this No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe is in how simple, quality ingredients come together effortlessly to deliver big festive flavor and texture. I always recommend using fresh butter and those classic red, green, and white jimmies for that timeless holiday look.

No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies, festive holiday cookies, easy Christmas cookies, colorful sprinkle cookies, no-bake holiday treats - Flat lay of a small mound of unsalted butter, a small white ceramic bowl of granulated sugar, a small white ceramic bowl of packed light brown sugar, one large uncracked brown egg, a small white ceramic bowl of cream, a small white ceramic bowl of clear imitation vanilla extract, a small white ceramic bowl of all-purpose flour, a small white ceramic bowl of cornstarch, a small white ceramic bowl of baking soda, a small white ceramic bowl of salt, a small white ceramic bowl filled with red, green, and white jimmies sprinkles, all arranged symmetrically on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Using softened unsalted butter helps control the salt level and ensures a creamy, fluffy cookie base.
Granulated sugar & light brown sugar: The combo of sugars gives sweetness and just enough chewiness with brown sugar’s molasses hint.
Large egg: Binds the ingredients and adds richness to the dough.
Cream or half-and-half: Adds moisture for tender, soft cookies without weighing them down.
Clear imitation vanilla extract: This is my secret ingredient for that nostalgic bakery vibe — it’s a game changer!
All-purpose flour: The backbone that holds everything together.
Cornstarch: Helps keep the texture soft and delicate—perfect for melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
Baking soda: Provides just the right lift without making the cookies cakey.
Salt: Enhances the sweetness and balances the flavor.
Red, green, and white jimmies (sprinkles): Because what’s a Christmas cookie without colorful sprinkles? Use good-quality jimmies that don’t bleed color when baked.

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Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Tweak to Your Taste

I love that this No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe is such a blank canvas. Over the years, I’ve played around with adding different extracts or ditching the sprinkles for chunks of white chocolate or festive dried cranberries. Feel free to make these cookies your own!

Variation: I once swapped sprinkles for red and green chopped peppermint candies which gave the cookies a wonderful minty twist — definitely try it if you want a more holiday mint flavor.
Dietary fix: If you’re looking to go gluten-free, replacing the flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free blend works well, but I’d recommend chilling the dough a little longer to keep the texture right.
Flavor boost: Adding a bit of orange zest to the dough pairs beautifully with the sprinkles and gives them a fresh holiday zing.

Step-by-Step: How I Make No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugars Until Fluffy

Start by beating the softened butter with both granulated and brown sugars on medium-high speed for about 3 to 4 minutes. I find that this step is crucial for airiness — it makes the cookies tender. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of your bowl halfway through to get everything evenly mixed.

Step 2: Add Egg, Vanilla, and Cream

Next, add the egg, the clear imitation vanilla extract (trust me, it’s worth it), and cream or half-and-half. Beat again until fully combined. The batter might look a little grainy or like it’s separated here — that’s totally normal, so don’t worry!

Step 3: Incorporate Dry Ingredients Gently

Switch to low speed and add your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until just combined. You want to be gentle here to keep those cookies soft and tender. Overmixing can make them tough.

Step 4: Fold in the Festive Sprinkles

Last but not least, add the jimmies sprinkles. Beat or gently fold on low speed for just 30 seconds — you want colorful dots throughout those cookies without breaking the sprinkles or bleeding their colors.

Step 5: Chill the Dough for the Perfect Shape

Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or your hands, form about 17 equal-sized dough mounds. The dough is quite soft and sticky, so a scoop really helps. Place them on a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours — and up to 5 days if you want to bake them slowly over the holiday season. This chilling step is what stops the cookies from spreading and keeps them nice and thick.

Step 6: Flatten, Sprinkle, and Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Take the dough out and flatten each mound to about half its original height—that’s an easy way to shape cookies without rolling. Arrange them on a lined baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart, and top each mound with a few extra sprinkles for that festive sparkle. Bake for roughly 8 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain glossy and soft — underbaked is better here because they firm up as they cool.

Step 7: Cool and Enjoy

Once out of the oven, let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet — I skip the cooling rack because these cookies are delicate and prone to breaking. This also lets them finish setting perfectly. Then, dig in and enjoy!

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Pro Tips for Making No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe

Use a cookie scoop: It makes portioning dough uniform and less sticky on your hands—even one with a non-stick surface can help prevent mess.
Don’t skip chilling: I learned this the hard way—baking unchilled dough leads to flat, sad cookies.
Press sprinkles gently: When topping the dough before baking, press sprinkles lightly so they stick without sinking or bleeding color.
Watch your baking time closely: These cookies bake fast and a little underbaked in the center means soft, tender perfection when cooled.

How to Serve No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe

Garnishes

I love adding just a few extra sprinkles on top right before baking—they give the cookies a playful, festive look. Sometimes I also dust a tiny pinch of powdered sugar for a subtle snowy effect that guests adore.

Side Dishes

Pair these cookies with a warm mug of hot cocoa or a cup of spiced coffee for an ultimate holiday treat. They’re also fantastic alongside a simple bowl of fresh fruit or a small cheese plate to balance the sweetness.

Creative Ways to Present

For holiday parties, I like stacking these cookies in a clear jar tied with a festive ribbon—makes a perfect gift or centerpiece. Arranging them on a platter with sprigs of fresh holly or pine cones adds an instant festive touch that your guests will notice.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and they stay perfectly soft for up to a week. If you like crunchy edges, you can let them sit uncovered for a bit, but personally, I prefer them soft and tender.

Freezing

Freezing works wonders for this No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe. I portion out the dough mounds on a tray, flash freeze them, then store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 4 months. When cravings hit, just thaw overnight in the fridge and bake fresh.

Reheating

If you want to enjoy these cookies warm, pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds or heat briefly in a low oven (300°F) for 5 minutes. The warm sprinkles and soft texture feel just like freshly baked!

FAQs

Can I skip chilling the dough in the No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe?

Technically, you can, but I don’t recommend it. Chilling the dough solidifies the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much, resulting in perfect, soft, thick cookies. Baking unchilled dough usually gives you flatter, thinner, and less tender cookies.
What type of sprinkles should I use?

Jimmies (long, thin sprinkles) in red, green, and white are perfect because they hold up well to baking without melting away or bleeding color. Avoid nonpareils or sugar crystals here, as they might not have the same festive look or texture when baked.
Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

You can swap the butter for a plant-based margarine and use non-dairy milk in place of cream or half-and-half. Just keep an eye on the dough texture—it might need a little extra chilling time to firm up for baking.
How do I prevent sprinkles from bleeding color?

Use good-quality jimmies designed for baking, and fold them in gently on low speed. Also, pressing extra sprinkles lightly on top of the dough before baking helps keep them on the surface without mixing too much into the dough, reducing color bleeding.
What’s the best way to store leftover cookie dough?

Store dough mounds tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 months. Just thaw refrigerated dough before baking or bake directly from frozen by adding a couple minutes to the baking time.

Final Thoughts

This No-Roll Christmas Sprinkle Cookies Recipe has become a holiday staple in my kitchen for good reason. They’re easy, absolutely charming, and filled with that nostalgic cozy feeling you want during the holidays. I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) these as much as I do—maybe even share a batch with friends or bring them to a festive gathering. Trust me, once you make these, they’ll be on your “must bake” list every Christmas season!