This EASY cookie recipe creates the BEST soft, chewy, sprinkle covered chocolate sugar cookies! No need to bring your butter and cream cheese to room temperature and NO CHILL time. Better than any bakery cookie and ready in about 30 minutes.
Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This recipe for chocolate sprinkle cookies checks all the boxes.
Easy, check.
Fast, check.
Delicious, check and double check!
I got my inspiration for these chocolate sprinkle cookies from Deb at Smitten Kitchen. To be honest, I have been "smitten" with Deb's recipes and blog for a long time. Her confetti cookies were my first introduction to using a food processor to make cookie dough and I've been hooked ever since.
This post was originally published in May of 2019 and has been updated with new photos and helpful information. The recipe remains the same.
why you will love this easy cookie recipe
- It's quick; about 30 minutes from start until you are noshing on a chocolatey, rainbow sprinkle covered cookie!
- The texture is somewhere between a brownie and a chewy sugar cookie.
- You can customize the cookies for any holiday, birthday party or sporting event just by changing up the sprinkle colors.
- Oh, and did I mention that you use COLD butter and COLD cream cheese? Perfect for those of us that forget to pull out our ingredients ahead of time!
ingredients {and substitutions} for chocolate confetti cookies
- All-purpose flour ~ use your favorite brand. I haven't tested this recipe with a gluten free flour, but suspect a gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour should work here.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder ~ I have been loving Scharffen Berger and Big Country Foods cocoa powders, but Hershey's also makes a solid one that I buy at Target.
- Baking soda ~ helps to neutralize the acid in the unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking powder ~ helps give the cookie some of it's thickness.
- Kosher salt ~ to help balance the flavors. If using table salt, reduce the amount to ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
- Unsalted butter ~ use COLD, cut into cubes.
- Cream cheese ~ use COLD block cream cheese, cut into cubes.
- Granulated sugar ~ provides the sweetness.
- Eggs ~ 2 large eggs are needed.
- Vanilla ~ I prefer a pure vanilla extract.
- Sprinkles ~ "jimmies" sprinkles are my preferred sprinkle. If you love nonpareil sprinkles, they will also work here.
how to make cookies with cold ingredients
A food processor is your best friend for these cookies. You will use cold butter and cold cream cheese and the food processor blends these ingredients with ease. We've had our Cuisinart for 20+ years and it still performs like a champion!
Start by combining the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
Then add the cold butter, cold cream cheese and granulated sugar and pulse until the mixture becomes sandy in texture.
Next add the eggs and vanilla and blend until the dough comes together.
Then roll the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon balls and roll in sprinkles. I use a cookie scoop, like this one, to get the dough into uniform sized balls. Place the dough ball onto a prepared baking sheet, spacing 1-2 inches apart and flatten the cookie dough to ¼ - ½ inch tall. I typically use parchment paper, but also have great results with a silicone baking mat.
Finally, bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. The cookies may look slightly under baked, but the edges will be set. DO NOT over bake!! To keep the cookies soft and chewy we want the centers slightly underdone. They will continue cooking as they cool and the centers will firm up.
what kind of sprinkles should I use?
I prefer the "jimmies" variety of sprinkles for this recipe; they are soft and colorful sugar strands and can typically be found in a variety of colors. Sprinkles can be purchased in many stores; Michael's, Target, Walmart, Amazon and even many local grocery markets carry them. Typically they are located in the baking aisle.
Nonpareils are the tiny, round balls. I personally find them to be too hard and crunchy and don't care for them on this cookie. If you love nonpareils, they absolutely will work in place of the jimmies so go ahead and use them!
how do you get the sprinkles to stick to the cookies?
After scooping the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon balls, roll them briefly in the palm of your hands. The warmth of your hands softens the dough and makes it slightly tacky, which helps the sprinkles to adhere to the cookie dough.
I also recommend working one cookie at a time. Scoop the dough, roll it in your hands, then roll in the sprinkles. Continue until all the dough is used.
It's as easy as that.
30 minutes or less and you'll be biting into a soft, chocolatey, sprinkle-filled cookie and wondering where these chocolate sprinkle cookies have been all your life.
I have made this cooke recipe a countless number of times since 2019. But back when I was recipe testing, Big E was sampling a freshly baked cookie and I asked her if this cookie was worth sharing. She completely stopped what she was doing, turned and looked me directly in the eye and stated, "these cookies are DEFINITELY share-worthy"!! I think you'll agree.😊
Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more recipes with sprinkles {or chocolate} to make
- Sprinkle Cookies
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Funfetti Cookies {From Scratch}
- Sugar Cookie Sandwiches {Stuffed with Funfetti Frosting}
- Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes {with Sprinkles}
- Malted Chocolate Ganache Tart
- Fudgy Irish Cream Brownies
- Small Batch Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Funfetti Ice Cream
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
This EASY cookie recipe creates the BEST soft, chewy, sprinkle covered chocolate sugar cookies! No need to bring your butter and cream cheese to room temperature and NO CHILL time.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (315g)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed (226g)
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, cubed (56g)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250g)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup jimmies sprinkles (180g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare baking pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to blend.
- Add the cold butter cubes, cold cream cheese and the sugar to the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture becomes sandy in texture.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and blend until the dough comes together.
- Roll dough into 1 ½ tablespoon balls and then roll into sprinkles.
- Place cookies on prepared baking pans, spacing 1-2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass or flat bottom measuring cup to flatten the cookies to between ¼ and ½ inch tall.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until the edges are set and they look slightly under baked.
- Allow to rest for 2 minutes on the baking pan. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
If you don't have a food processor, you can mix the dough in a regular mixer. Let the butter and cream cheese soften a bit and you may have to chill the dough for a short while (30 minutes or so) until it's a consistency you can work with. Follow a typical cookie method; cream the butter/cream cheese/sugar, add the egg/vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients.
If using table salt, reduce the salt to ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
If you like the crunchiness of nonpareil sprinkles, they can be used in place of the jimmies sprinkles.
If the cookies appear puffy after they have baked, you can use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to lightly press them down while they are cooling on the pan.
Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.
If you are more of a visual learner, I've included a video of how to make sprinkle cookies, which uses the same technique with just a couple of ingredient changes.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Confetti Cookies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 60mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate.
Recipe shared with Full Plate Thursday, Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck
Giulia
Thank you!!! I had in my head this exact adaptation of the Smitten Kitchen recipe, but am not a talented enough baker to do it myself.
Tasia
Thank you Giulia, I hope you love these chocolate sprinkle cookies as much as we do!
Theresa
Made these and they are delicious!
BTW always prefer weight measurements. Do you have those available for the flour especially? Thank you! (KA and different sites use different calculations…)
Tasia
Yay! You just made my day Theresa!! Thank you for making these chocolate sprinkle cookies {they are my Big E's favorite cookie!}. I have been in the process of updating my older recipes with weight measurements and have this on one my list for the new year. For flour, I always count 1 cup all-purpose flour as 125g.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
This really is the ultimate party cookie. I especially love how you can change the theme simply by using different sprinkles!
Tasia
Thank you Heidi! And yes, I also love that you can customize this cookie for any holiday or party.
Kathleen Pope
You had me a sprinkles, but you sold my family at chocolate! Can't say I've ever made cookies using food processor, but they are so easy!
Tasia
Yay! I know your chocolate loving family is going to love the taste and you are going to love how easy they are to make!