Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

Indulge your sweet tooth with these irresistible Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies! These delightful treats strike the perfect balance between rich, fudgy chocolate goodness and a delightful crunch from colorful sprinkles. Perfect for special occasions, holidays, or just a cozy night in with a cup of milk.

These cookies are perfect for a birthday party, bake sale, or Christmas Eve (for Santa, of course!). The overload of sprinkles makes them extra special and absolutely gorgeous to look at! For more special treats that always impress, try my chocolate chip cake mix cookies, chocolate marshmallow cookies (YUM!), or my recipe for gourmet chocolate bark which will disappear so fast, you might want to make a double batch.

What Makes These Sprinkle Cookies So Special:

• SO many sprinkles: These cookies aren’t just sprinkled with decorations, they’re rolled in sprinkles for a decadent, extra special cookie, bursting with cocoa flavor and brightly colored sprinkles. Kids love helping with these cookies!
• Easy recipe: These cookies are deceptively easy to whip up, with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen.
• Easy to customize and serve: Perfect for any occasion, from after-school snacks to parties to holidays, these cookies are easy to customize for any special occasion.

I think these cookies are absolutely perfect with a cold glass of milk. They’re pretty chocolatey and sweet. I used Dutch cocoa which always yields a rich dough with plenty of chocolate flavor, and the cold milk cuts the sweetness perfectly. A cup of coffee never hurts, either, of course.

We used these cookies to make ice cream sandwiches, too. They froze well and held together in the freezer perfectly. Just scoop some vanilla ice cream between 2 cookies and give them a squeeze to even out the shape. Individually wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap, then freeze them in a large, freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 1-month.

How to Make Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

These cute, crinkled sugar cookies are so stunning to see and absolutely dreamy to snack on. But they’re actually so easy to make. You start by making a simple sugar cookie dough, but then, you flavor it with cocoa to make a rich chocolatey dough. Then, all you have to do is roll the dough balls in your favorite sprinkles and drop them on a cookie sheet. Bake, and voila! Gorgeous sprinkled sugar cookies pop out of the oven perfectly every time!

Here are the details:

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter – Margarine or shortening can be used as substitutes for butter in this recipe. Butter gives you the richest flavor and the best texture, with a soft center and perfectly tender-crisp outside.
• Brown sugar – You can replace brown sugar with an equal amount of granulated sugar mixed with molasses. Mix 1 cup of sugar with 1 tsp of molasses for the perfect light brown sugar blend.
• Granulated sugar – Coconut sugar or Stevia can be used as alternatives to granulated sugar in this recipe.
• Large egg – For vegans or those with egg allergies, a flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water) can be used.
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour – Whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour blends can be used as alternatives to all-purpose flour without a problem, however, the texture may be somewhat different, and your cookies may seem heavier and more dense.
• Cocoa powder – Carob powder can be used as a cocoa powder substitute.
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Sprinkles – Any kind of nonpareils will work fine. I liked these rainbow sprinkles with a bit of a pastel look to them, but any kind will do.

How to Make Sprinkle Cookies

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

STEP THREE: Add the egg and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute or until combined.

STEP FOUR: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

STEP FIVE: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat on low until just combined. Do not overmix!

STEP SIX: Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll it into a ball using your hands. Then roll in the sprinkles and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

STEP SEVEN: Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are firm.

STEP EIGHT: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

• If your cookie dough seems a bit sticky, place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before rolling it into balls. That should firm it up and help it to hold its shape better while baking.
• You can’t really have too many sprinkles. Go ahead and get plenty of color on these cookies!
• Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start making these cookies. It will help your dough mix up without lumps, and will make your cookies extra soft and chewy.
• These cookies (most cookies, actually) will bake up much better when your oven is completely preheated before you place them inside. Turn your oven on when you start making the dough.

Easily turn these cookies into holiday cookies, or make them themed for special occasions by changing the sprinkle colors. Use red, green and white for Christmas, red for Valentine’s Day, red, white and blue for the 4th of July, and pink, purple, and yellow for Easter.

How to Store Leftovers:

These cookies keep really well. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week for chewy cookies anytime you want to grab a snack.

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

Absolutely! These cookies freeze very well! Pop them in a freezer bag or airtight container, and they’ll stay good for about three months.

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make the dough ahead, or bake the cookies ahead, whichever is most convenient for you. You can prepare the dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to two days before baking, or freeze it in a Ziploc bag for up to a month. Let it thaw in the fridge, then roll and bake.

You can also make these cookies ahead of time as they freeze very well. Make a few batches to have on hand for bake sales, holiday parties, or surprise guests!

Can This Recipe Be Made Gluten-Free? Dairy free?

Yes! Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend, and you’re good to go. If you need the recipe to be dairy free, replace the butter with a dairy-free butter alternative.

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