Drop Style Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe

I’m warning you: these Christmas Sugar Sprinkle Cookies snap just right, glitter with red and green sprinkles, and look so dangerously good you’ll scroll on autopilot until you get the recipe.

I am obsessed with these Drop Sugar Cookies because they’re stupidly easy and actually taste like real holidays. I love the way red and green sprinkles crunch and melt into buttery crumbs, the kind that beg to be eaten two at a time.

But it’s the butter and vanilla extract that make me pause mid-bite and sigh. No fluff, just sugar, chew, tiny crackly tops and that soft, slightly dense middle.

Christmas Sugar Sprinkle Cookies, yes, but messy and honest. I will only eat the plain ones if they have extra sprinkles.

Bring them. Now.

I will steal your plate.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: gives structure and a tender, familiar cookie crumb you’ll love.
• Baking powder: lifts things up so cookies aren’t dense, light little puffs.
• Baking soda: reacts with acid for slight spread and browning, helps texture.
• Salt: balances sweetness and makes flavors pop, even in small doses.
• Unsalted butter: rich fat for flavor and soft, melt-in-your-mouth edges.
• Granulated sugar: sweetness and a bit of chew, classic cookie feel.
• Egg: binds everything together and gives that cakey-but-chewy body.
• Vanilla extract: warm background flavor, it’s simple but comforting and familiar.
• Sour cream or yogurt: adds tang and moisture, keeps cookies tender.
• Red and green sprinkles: festive crunch and color, instant holiday cheer.
• Sanding sugar: sparkly finish and extra crunch if you want it.
• Granulated sugar for rolling: basically adds a bit more crunch and shine.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (about 1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup red and green sprinkles or sanding sugar
• Granulated sugar for rolling, optional (about 1/4 cup)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl; set that aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer or a little longer by hand.

4. Beat in 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt until smooth; scrape the bowl once or twice so nothing is left behind.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, mixing just until combined; dont overmix or the cookies will be tough.

6. Fold in 1/2 cup red and green sprinkles or sanding sugar gently so they dont bleed color into the dough too much.

7. If you want neater rounds, chill the dough 10-15 minutes; otherwise use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to drop rounded mounds onto the prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

8. Optional: roll each mound lightly in about 1/4 cup granulated sugar before placing on the sheet for extra sparkle and a little crunch.

9. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and tops look slightly matte; the centers will still be soft. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (set to 350°F / 175°C)

2. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats

3. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl for dry ingredients

4. Hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon if you wanna do it by hand

5. Measuring cups and spoons (including 1/4 cup, tbsp, tsp)

6. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for scraping the bowl

7. Whisk for dry ingredients

8. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop for dropping dough

9. Cooling rack (and a small bowl for the rolling sugar, optional)

FAQ

Drop Style Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap cup for cup with a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend that contains xanthan gum. Texture may be a bit crumblier, so chill dough a little longer before baking.
• Unsalted butter: use equal amount of stick margarine or a vegan block butter for dairy free cookies. Taste will change slightly and spread can be a bit more, so watch the first batch.
• One large egg: replace with 1/4 cup applesauce or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water (let sit 5 minutes). Applesauce makes them softer, flax gives a bit more chew.
• Sour cream or plain yogurt: swap with the same amount of buttermilk or a dairy free plain yogurt. If using buttermilk, reduce any added liquid elsewhere or the dough might be sticky.

Pro Tips

1. Chill the dough 10 to 20 minutes if your kitchen is warm, otherwise they’ll spread too much. Even a short chill makes the cookies hold a nicer round shape and gives you cleaner tops.

2. Don’t overcream the butter and sugar or overmix once you add the flour. Beat just till light and fluffy, then stop. Overworking the dough = tough cookies, no matter how good the rest of the steps are.

3. Fold in the sprinkles very gently, and use nonpareil style sprinkles if you can. Bigger sugar crystals or jimmies will bleed color into the dough and make it look muddy, nonpareils stay bright.

4. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling off, instead of scooping with the cup. Too much flour makes dry heavy cookies. Also watch the bake time closely, they look soft in the middle when done but will firm up as they cool.