• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
5 Secrets to Mexican Cooking

sign up to get my top 5 secrets to help you master mexican meals at home!

trending now: March Cooking Challenge!
  • About
  • Press/Advertise
  • Contact

Isabel Eats

Easy Mexican recipes for home cooks

  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Dinner
      • Sides
      • Desserts
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Soups & Stews
      • Salads
      • Salsas
      • Sauces and Condiments
    • Diet
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Carb
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Chorizo
      • Pork
      • Turkey
      • Seafood
    • Occasion
      • Christmas
      • Cinco De Mayo
      • Easter
      • Game Day
      • Summer
      • Thanksgiving
    • Type
      • 30 Minute Meals
      • Mexican Basics
      • Freezer Friendly
      • Grilling
      • Healthy
      • Instant Pot
      • Slow Cooker
      • Enchiladas
      • Tacos
  • Dinners
  • Kitchen Tips
  • Life
  • Shop
  • About
  • Subscribe!

    sign up to get my top 5 secrets to help you master mexican meals at home!

Browse by Course/Type/Diet

  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Soups & Stews
    • Salads
    • Salsas
    • Sauces & Condiments
  • by type
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • Mexican Basics
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Grilling
    • Healthy
    • Instant Pot
    • Slow Cooker
    • Enchiladas
    • Tacos
  • by meat
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chorizo
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Seafood
  • by diet
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • by occasion
    • Christmas
    • Cinco De Mayo
    • Easter
    • Game Day
    • Summer
    • Thanksgiving
Jump to latest Browse All Recipes
HomeRecipesDesserts

Easy Sprinkle Cookies

rate recipe Shareshare
Share on:
1403 shares
By: IsabelPosted: 5/11/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclaimer.

Jump to Recipe
A stack of sprinkle cookies.

These melt-in-your-mouth sprinkle cookies are soft, chewy and buttery on the inside with a fun little crunch on the outside from fun and festive nonpareils sprinkles! Made with only 6 simple ingredients, these cookies are ready to bake immediately – no need to refrigerate and chill the dough beforehand!

Sprinkle cookies stacked on top of one another.

These soft, chewy, and colorful sprinkle cookies are the best cookies I’ve ever made!

My husband and I devoured an entire batch in a couple of days and we both agreed that they were some of the best cookies we’ve ever had.

What are Sprinkle Cookies?

These sprinkle cookies are sugar cookies with a crumby yet soft and buttery inside and a satisfyingly crunchy exterior thanks to the nonpareils sprinkles.

Inspired by one of my favorite treats found in Mexican panaderías (bakeries), they’re often referred to as galletas de gragea in Spanish.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make these cookies, you need 6 simple ingredients:

  • unsalted butter
  • granulated sugar
  • egg
  • vanilla extract
  • all-purpose flour
  • nonpareils sprinkles
Raw sprinkle cookie dough on a baking sheet
A sprinkle cookie dough ball being flattened

The great thing about this recipe is that there’s no need to refrigerate the dough before baking. Just prep the cookies and bake immediately!

How to Make Sprinkle Cookies

  1. Make the dough: Beat the butter and sugar until fully combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, followed by the flour.
  2. Form the dough: Shape the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each.
  3. Dip in sprinkles: Roll the balls in sprinkles to coat the outside.
  4. Flatten the cookies: Gently press on the cookies with a flat object (like a cup) until they’re 1/4 inch thick.
  5. Bake: Bake in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are light to golden brown.

Tips and Tricks

  • Check for doneness by looking at the color of the bottom of the cookie. It should be light to golden brown. If the tops of the cookies still seem a little soft, that’s okay. The cookies will continue to harden while they cool.
  • These sprinkle cookies don’t spread out much, so keep that in mind when flattening them out. If you’d like to make them even thinner, feel free to flatten them out to your liking! Keep in mind that the baking time will likely change and be a little shorter.
Sprinkle cookies on a table

Substitutions and Variations

Don’t have all the ingredients? Looking to make these cookies your own? Here are some helpful substitutions and variations you can try:

  • Instead of nonpareils sprinkles, you could use rainbow sprinkles or “jimmies” if you prefer. Keep in mind that the texture of the outside of the cookie will change. Instead of the crunch that the nonpareils gives the cookie, using jimmies will leave the outside a little softer.
  • To give the cookies a festive holiday flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and reduce the amount of vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Making Ahead and Storing

These cookies can be made ahead of time and frozen until ready to bake. To do so, prepare the dough as normal. Then, shape the dough into a large disc. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the fridge 1 hour before using.

To store baked sprinkle cookies, place them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They can be stored this way for up to 1 week.

A sprinkle cookie with a bite taken out of it.

More Desserts You’ll Love

  • Mexican Wedding Cookies
  • Marranitos (Mexican Gingerbread Pigs)
  • Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Recipe

4.69 from 19 votes

Easy Sprinkle Cookies

Serves: 18 cookies
Print
Rate
Sprinkle cookies on a table
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total : 35 minutes
These melt-in-your-mouth sprinkle cookies are buttery, soft and chewy on the inside with a little crunch on the outside thanks to the nonpareils sprinkles!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2.5 ounces nonpareils sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and pour the sprinkles in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed together, about 1 minute.
  • Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat for 30 seconds to combine.
  • Add flour one cup at a time and mixing on low until well combined before adding in the next cup of flour.
  • Scoop and roll the dough into 18 balls (about 2 tablespoons per ball), and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Roll each ball in the sprinkles, pressing down firmly to get them to stick to the outside as much as possible. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
  • Flatten the cookies by gently pressing down on the tops with a flat surface until they're about 1/4 in thick. (The bottom of a measuring cup works great for this!)
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are light to golden brown.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Isabel’s Tips:

These cookies can be made ahead of time and frozen until ready to bake. To do so, prepare the dough as normal. Then, shape the dough into a large disc. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the fridge 1 hour before using.
To store baked sprinkle cookies, place them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They can be stored this way for up to 1 week.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie Calories: 231kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 31g (10%) Protein: 3g (6%) Fat: 11g (17%) Saturated Fat: 7g (35%) Cholesterol: 37mg (12%) Sodium: 6mg Potassium: 29mg (1%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 15g (17%) Vitamin A: 330IU (7%) Calcium: 8mg (1%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Author: Isabel Eats
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:Mexican
Sprinkle cookies on a table
Did you Make my Easy Sprinkle Cookies?Leave a comment below and tag @isabeleats on social media!
@isabeleats

You may also like…

  • Classic holiday Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with a twist! Made with Abuelita Mexican chocolate, these festive cookies are soft, chewy and covered in powdered sugar.
    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
  • Mexican Wedding Cookies on a plate with one cookie with a bite taken out.
    Mexican Wedding Cookies
  • This Mexican Hot Chocolate made with 100% unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and a hint of chili will warm you up from the inside out!
    Mexican Hot Chocolate
  • Mexican hot chocolate cookies made with chocolate chips.
    Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
free ebook!

download my top 10 recipes book

Subscribe and receive a free e-cookbook of our Top 10 Easy Mexican Recipes!

Get My Copy!

Download my top 10 easy Mexican recipes!

Chicken tamale casserole in a baking dish.
Previous Post
Chicken Tamale Casserole
Chile de Arbol Peppers on a white plate.
Next Post
Chile de Arbol Peppers

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!
Recipe Rating:




  1. Diane says

    Posted on 3/5 at 11:31 am

    I make these with my grandchildren…they love the rolling the cookies in sprinkles part the best!

    Reply
  2. jennifer says

    Posted on 9/13 at 12:15 pm

    Cant wait to try this classic cookie i ate as a kid, do you by chance have simple one for making mantecadas too?

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 9/14 at 9:46 am

      Hi Jennifer! We don’t have mantecadas just yet but we will definitely put it on our list of recipes to make!

      Reply
  3. David says

    Posted on 4/2 at 7:47 pm

    5 stars
    I recommend 13min for 350 and it is just right. I cut the flour a little bit and they were really good.

    Reply
  4. Corinne L Clark says

    Posted on 2/26 at 4:23 pm

    4 stars
    Tasted too floury to me. Next time I’ll try 2.5 cups.

    Reply
  5. Maria says

    Posted on 11/7 at 12:56 pm

    5 stars
    These are my absolute favorite cookies. Love this recipe, didn’t change a thing!

    Reply
  6. Anne Marie says

    Posted on 4/13 at 8:48 am

    I altered the recipe by changing to:
    2 cups AP flour
    1 cup self raising flour
    1/3 cup Golden sugar
    1/3 cup Truvia
    1 teaspoon vanilla paste
    1/2 teaspoon almond extract

    When I made original recipe it came out too sweet. Also very dense so I lightened with self raising flour. Original tasted a little bland so I rebalance the flavorings. finally I just pressed the sprinkles into the top of the cookie rather than rolling. I love the updated result. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
  7. Maria Bisceglia says

    Posted on 7/29 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone requests these cookies, it is a favorite in our family and among my work friends! Delicious, and so cheerful!

    Reply
  8. Sandy Hill says

    Posted on 5/26 at 5:49 pm

    Hi Isabel… I’m loving your recipes!! On the Easy Sprinkle Cookies you say there is only 6 ingredients but I want to make sure… is there no baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar???

    Reply
    • Isabel says

      Posted on 5/27 at 4:16 pm

      That is correct!

      Reply
  9. Dennise Zayas says

    Posted on 5/24 at 6:18 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Had fun making the cookies with my daughter 🙂

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Isabel Orozco-Moore, Founder of Isabel Eats
¡Hola!

i’m isabel

A first-generation Mexican American who loves to cook! Here at Isabel Eats, you’ll find a mix of all your favorite authentic Mexican recipes with a twist!

Read More

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

free email series!

5 Secrets to Mexican Cooking

My top 5 secrets to help you master Mexican meals at home in no time!

Sign me up!

Sign up to get My top 5 secrets to help you master Mexican meals at home in no time!

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

Authentic Recipes

This Mexican Pork Chile Verde is made of tender pieces of pork simmered in a flavorful tomatillo and chile broth. Serve in a bowl or with a side of rice for an authentic Mexican meal! (low carb, gluten free, paleo)

Chile Verde Recipe

Masa for Tamales

Masa for Tamales

Six bolillo breads on a baking sheet ready to eat.

Bolillo Bread (Mexican Rolls)

Pozole verde in a bowl topped with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cilantro, and lime juice.

Chicken Pozole Verde

Pozole Rojo (Red Posole) recipe

Pozole Rojo Recipe

Cooked Mexican rice in a pot with peas mixed in.

Authentic Mexican Rice

Reader Favorites

Beef empanadas on a plate served with a side of guacamole.

Beef Empanadas

Chile relleno on a plate with red salsa.

Chile Relleno Recipe

Cooked canned black beans with tomatoes, onions and garlic in a bowl.

How to Cook Canned Black Beans

Chicken enchiladas in a baking dish topped with cilantro.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Juicy pork carnitas in warm corn tortillas topped with cilantro, onions and limes.

Easy Carnitas Recipe

Conchas in a bowl ready to be eaten.

Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

5-star faves

Frozen margaritas in glasses topped with lime wedges.

Frozen Margaritas

These were absolutely delicious. So fresh and the perfect amount of sweetness.

A bowl of borracho beans

Borracho Beans

These beans are delicious! Garlic, onion, beer and bacon…you can’t go wrong, lol! I loved these!

Chile Colorado

This recipe is so perfect and delicious. My entire family loved it! Big kudos to you for such an authentic masterpiece!

follow along @isabeleats

Favorites

  • Tacos
  • Sides
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Salsas

Browse By Meat

  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Seafood
  • Turkey
  • Chorizo
Back to Top
  • About
  • Press
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
© 2023 Isabel Eats Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled