Description
These Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies are buttery, soft, and delightfully festive treats perfect for any celebration. With a tender cream cheese cookie base coated in colorful nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles, they are as fun to make as they are to eat. The combination of vanilla and almond extracts adds a subtle depth of flavor, while the slight flattening before baking ensures a perfect soft and chewy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 ¼ Cups Sugar
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ tsp Almond Extract (use 1 1/3 tsp vanilla if nut allergy or omit)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 3 Cups Flour
Decoration
- Non-Pareils or Rainbow Sprinkles (or a combination)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugar; Add Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the cream cheese, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, mixing well until fully combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add this mixture into the wet ingredients on slow to medium speed, mixing until evenly moistened and a soft dough forms.
- Prepare Sprinkles and Shape Dough: Place your sprinkles or nonpareils into a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into balls about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons each depending on preferred cookie size.
- Coat Dough Balls with Sprinkles: Roll each dough ball in the sprinkles, covering all but the bottom portion. The goal is to have the top and sides fully coated for a colorful look. Place the sprinkle-covered balls on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Flatten Cookies: Gently press down on each dough ball with the bottom of a glass to flatten it slightly to between ¼ and ½ inch thick, ensuring even baking and a chewy texture.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Watch closely to avoid browning; the cookies should be just set and still soft in the center.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps the cookies firm up and prevents breakage.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
- These cookies freeze well; store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months and thaw before eating.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a trusted gluten-free flour blend and chill the dough for about 10 minutes before rolling in the sprinkles to help manage spread.
- If you have a nut allergy, replace the almond extract with an additional 1 1/3 teaspoons of vanilla extract or omit altogether.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
