Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
These festive Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies are soft, fudgy, and coated in bright, cheery sprinkles. Switch up the sprinkle colors and enjoy these cookies for any occasion!
I first made these Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies when creating my Chocolate Sprinkle Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. The cookies are thick, chewy, chocolatey, and covered in colorful sprinkles. They’re so good that I knew they were going to need a blog post of their own! For this version, I went with a festive Christmas sprinkle mix, making them perfect for gifting in cookie boxes, a fun baking project for little ones, or leaving with a glass of milk for Santa. They can easily be made to match any season or occasion by simply switching up the sprinkle colors!
How to Make Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
This cookie dough comes together quickly and all in one bowl – no mixer needed! The dough needs to chill in the fridge, but only for about 30 minutes. Once the cookies are baked, they can be enjoyed warm for a gooey cookie or room temperature for a chewy cookie!
- Make the cookie dough. The dough starts with whisking together melted butter and sugar, followed by eggs and vanilla which are combined well until the mixture lightens in color. The dry ingredients are added which include cocoa powder and a bit of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Scoop the dough. Once the dough is mixed, it gets portioned out with a cookie scoop. I like to use a size #30 scoop, which holds about 2 tablespoons or 1 ounce of dough. Dunk the top rounded part of the dough scoop into your sprinkles and reshape as needed, to keep the top rounded.
- Chill and bake. After the dough is portioned and dipped in sprinkles, it needs to chill for 30 minutes. Chilling the dough balls will give them time to firm up so the cookies don’t spread too much in the oven and it also allows the ingredients to meld together for an even better flavor.
- Bake and enjoy. Place the chilled dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment, spacing the dough at least 2 inches apart. The cookies bake for about 10-12 minutes at 350°F. Enjoy the cookies warm from the oven or allow them to cool completely for a soft and chewy texture.
Favorite Tools & Supplies
Chocolate Sprinkle Cookie FAQs
What are the best sprinkles to use?
Jimmies are my favorite type of sprinkle to use on these cookies. They are soft enough to not add an unwanted crunch to the cookie. You can buy pre-mixed colors, like rainbow jimmies, or purchase colors separately and make a fun sprinkle color mix of your own!
What size cookie scoop is best?
For these cookies, I used a #30 size cookie scoop, which is about 2 Tablespoons or 1 ounce. This is just the size I like to use for this cookie but you can make them however big or small you’d like.
Do I need to chill the cookie dough?
Yes, because of the melted butter in these cookies, the dough is pretty soft and needs to be refrigerated before baking. The fat in the dough needs to solidify before baking, otherwise, the cookies will spread too much in the oven. Chilling the dough also allows the flour in the dough to fully hydrate and gives the dough time to develop an even better, deeper flavor.
What is the best way to store the cookies?
Store the cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze the cookies?
Yes, these cookies freeze great. I like to arrange the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet (or two) and freeze them for at least an hour, until firm. Then layer the cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. This will help the cookies keep their shape and not stick together when you freeze them. To thaw the cookies, remove them from the freezer and allow them to sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours or overnight before serving.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
- Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies
- Peanut Butter Monster Cookies
- Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
- Lemon Curd Cookies
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cup (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (70g) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (140g) jimmies sprinkles
Instructions
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and sugar. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture lightens in color, about 30 seconds – 1 minute. Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Scoop the cookies onto a small pan lined with parchment paper, using a 2 Tablespoon (size #30 or 1 oz.) cookie scoop. Dip the top/rounded part of each scoop of cookie dough into the sprinkles. Place the dough balls back on the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Place the chilled cookie dough scoops on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!
