Name: Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 32
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup milk; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; sprinkles

Bake up a batch of holiday treats with colorful sprinkles! This sugar cookie recipe is perfect for Christmas and beyond.

A plate full of sugar cookies decorated with red, green, and pink sprinkles.

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Sugar cookies are perfect for holiday baking. They’re simple and sweet, good for parties or gift boxes. I dressed these up to match my holiday decorations with the addition of colorful sprinkles. I bought these from Sprinkle Pop and they come in tons of different colors. (Of course, these are also delicious sans-sprinkles if you prefer.)

These would be fun for a Merry and Bright cookie exchange party. The colors also remind me of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, if you’re having a Whoville themed party with the kids.

This is a small batch recipe and makes about 32 2-inch cookies. You can easily double it (or more) if you’re making these for the holidays.

How to make sugar cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
sprinkles

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat until combined and smooth.

Blending butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl.

2. Add wet ingredients.

Add the milk and vanilla to the butter mixture. Blend again, scraping the sides if necessary.

Blending milk and vanilla into cookie dough in a stand mixer.

3. Add dry ingredients.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the mixture. Blend until combined, scraping the sides again so that the cookie dough is even.

Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10-15 minutes.

4. Press into sprinkles.

Pour a few tablespoons of sprinkles into a shallow bowl. Scoop a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Set the ball in the sprinkles and press down gently with the bottom of a glass.

A ball of cookie dough sitting in a bowl of green sprinkles.

Pressing a glass onto a sprinkle-coated cookie to flatten it.

5. Bake.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sprinkle cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 to 16 minutes per batch.

Unbaked green sprinkle cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Then store in a covered container at room temperature.

A wire cooling rack filled with red, green, and pink sprinkle cookies.

These are perfect for a kids’ holiday party or as a homemade gift. These sprinkles are vibrant and fun, but still soft, so they don’t make the cookies extra crunchy.

A square plate with 3 rows of sprinkle-coated sugar cookies in red, pink, and green.

Printable recipe card

Yield: About 32 cookies