Indulge in the ultimate treat: these Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies are a celebration in every bite! Perfectly chewy, loaded with rich chocolate, and adorned with colorful sprinkles, they’re guaranteed to bring joy to any occasion or delight the sprinkle enthusiast in your life.
There’s an undeniable magic to a perfectly baked chocolate chip cookie. It’s a classic comfort food that transcends generations, bringing smiles with its familiar warmth and gooey goodness. While a traditional chocolate chip cookie is always a winner, sometimes you crave something a little extra, something that sparkles and truly feels like a party. That’s where these delightful Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies come into play. They take everything you love about the classic and elevate it with a playful burst of color and texture, making them ideal for birthdays, holidays, or simply brightening an ordinary day.
If you’re a true cookie connoisseur always on the hunt for your next favorite recipe, explore some other fantastic options: try our beloved Doubletree Cookie Recipe for a taste of hotel luxury, sink your teeth into the incredibly soft Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies, or enjoy the hearty, satisfying chew of our Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips.
It’s no secret that cookies reign supreme as the most searched term on our blog, Taste and Tell. You, our wonderful readers, clearly have a passion for all things cookies – and frankly, who can blame you? There’s an endless array of flavors, textures, and varieties to explore, each offering a unique kind of comfort and joy. This passion for cookies is precisely why we’re so thrilled to finally share this incredible recipe with you. It might have taken us a little longer than planned to post these beauties, but some things are worth the wait. And what better time to dive into a batch of fun, festive cookies than when the baking spirit is high, especially as we approach the holiday season?
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies
These aren’t just any chocolate chip cookies; they are an experience! Prepare yourself for a cookie that is wonderfully **chewy** in the center, with slightly crispy edges, loaded with generous amounts of **rich, melted chocolate**. But the real star of the show, adding a delightful twist, is the inclusion of vibrant **sprinkles**. They transform a classic into something truly special and celebratory. Imagine biting into a warm, soft cookie, tasting the sweet vanilla and chocolate, and then being greeted by a playful crunch and a pop of color!
The beauty of these sprinkle-infused treats lies in their versatility. While we’ve opted for classic rainbow sprinkles here, feel free to unleash your creativity! Hosting a birthday party? Use bright, festive colors. Celebrating Christmas? Red and green sprinkles will make them perfectly themed. For Halloween, try orange and black. Or perhaps a baby shower with pink or blue? The possibilities are endless, making these cookies adaptable for literally any event or simply for cheering up a Tuesday afternoon. The oats in this recipe also contribute a unique, hearty texture and subtle flavor that sets these cookies apart from your standard all-flour varieties, giving them an extra layer of delicious complexity.
Essential Tools for Baking Perfect Sprinkle Cookies
To achieve the distinctive texture of these cookies, there’s one non-negotiable step: processing the oats. You’ll need either a blender or a food processor to finely grind the old-fashioned oats. This step is crucial because it breaks down the oats, allowing them to integrate smoothly into the dough while still imparting their unique flavor and a wonderfully chewy, slightly dense texture that can’t be achieved with regular flour alone. Skipping this step would result in a different, coarser texture, so definitely don’t bypass it!
While not strictly required, a cookie scoop will be your best friend when portioning out the dough. Using a scoop ensures that each cookie is uniform in size, which is key for even baking. When all your cookies are the same size, they’ll bake at the same rate, preventing some from being underbaked while others are overbaked. This little tool makes the baking process much easier and guarantees a professional-looking batch every time.
Beyond these specific items, ensure you have standard baking equipment on hand: large mixing bowls, a sturdy rubber spatula for scraping down the bowl, measuring cups and spoons, and quality baking sheets. Lining your baking sheets with parchment paper is also highly recommended. It prevents sticking, ensures even browning, and makes for super easy cleanup, allowing your cookies to slide off effortlessly.
Key Ingredients for Irresistible Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies
Crafting the perfect cookie begins with understanding the role each ingredient plays:
- Butter: For optimal results, use unsalted butter at room temperature. It should be soft enough that your thumb leaves a slight imprint when pressed, but not melted or greasy. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air that contributes to a light, tender crumb. If your butter is too cold, it won’t cream properly; if too warm, your cookies may spread excessively. Simply set it out on the counter about 30 minutes before you plan to bake.
- Sugars: This recipe calls for a balanced blend of both white granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Granulated sugar contributes to crisp edges and overall sweetness, while brown sugar, with its molasses content, adds moisture, chewiness, and a deeper, caramel-like flavor that complements the chocolate beautifully. Packing the brown sugar ensures accurate measurement and the desired texture.
- Eggs: Like butter, eggs should be at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify more effectively with the butter and sugar, creating a smoother, more cohesive dough. Eggs act as a binder, provide structure, add richness, and contribute to the cookies’ golden color.
- Vanilla Extract: Always opt for pure vanilla extract over imitation for the best flavor. A good quality vanilla enhances all the other flavors in the cookie, adding warmth and depth to the chocolate and oats. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.
- Oats: Use regular old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats are too finely processed and won’t give the same texture when ground, and steel-cut oats are too hard. Grinding the old-fashioned oats in a blender or food processor to a fine flour-like consistency is essential for the unique chewiness and soft texture of these cookies. It’s what makes them wonderfully substantial without being dense.
- All-Purpose Flour: Standard all-purpose flour provides the primary structure for these cookies. We haven’t tested this recipe with alternative flours, so sticking to all-purpose is recommended for consistent results. Be sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and lead to dry cookies.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Both leavening agents are crucial for these cookies. Baking soda reacts with the acidic brown sugar to help the cookies spread and achieve that classic chewy texture. Baking powder provides additional lift, giving the cookies a lovely softness and preventing them from becoming too flat. Together, they create the perfect rise and texture.
- Salt: A touch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing the flavors of the chocolate and butter. We prefer sea salt for its clean taste, but any fine salt will work. It prevents the cookies from tasting overly sweet and brings out their full deliciousness.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are our top recommendation for these cookies. Their balanced sweetness and slight bitterness perfectly cut through the cookie dough’s richness. However, feel free to customize! Milk chocolate chips will make them sweeter, dark chocolate chips will add more intensity, or you can even use chocolate chunks for larger pockets of melted chocolate goodness.
- Sprinkles: The fun factor! Rainbow jimmies are classic for a cheerful look, but nonpareils or even themed sprinkles work wonderfully. You can typically find bulk containers of sprinkles at most grocery stores or baking supply shops. For best results and to prevent the colors from bleeding too much into the dough, stir them in gently and avoid overmixing, especially if your dough is warm.
Pro Tips for Baking the Best Sprinkle Cookies
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can lead to tough, dense cookies instead of light and chewy ones.
- Measure Accurately: Baking is a science! Use proper measuring techniques for both dry and wet ingredients. For flour, spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. For sticky ingredients like brown sugar, make sure it’s firmly packed.
- Portion Evenly: As mentioned, a cookie scoop is invaluable. Evenly sized cookies ensure consistent baking times and a beautiful, uniform presentation. If you don’t have a scoop, use a tablespoon to measure out your dough, then roll it into balls.
- Don’t Overbake: Cookies will continue to cook slightly even after they’re removed from the oven. Bake them until the edges are golden brown and set, but the centers still look slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool. Overbaked cookies will be dry and crumbly.
- Cool on Wire Racks: After a minute or two on the hot baking sheet, transfer your cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy and allows air circulation, helping them set properly and maintain their crisp edges.
- Customize Your Sprinkles: Beyond just colors, consider different types of sprinkles! Jimmies hold their shape well, while nonpareils are tiny and offer a different texture. For a truly festive touch, press a few extra sprinkles onto the tops of the dough balls right before baking.
Storing and Freezing Your Delicious Cookies
To keep your freshly baked chocolate chip sprinkle cookies at their absolute best, proper storage is key. They should stay wonderfully fresh and chewy for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Placing a slice of bread in the container with the cookies can sometimes help keep them softer for longer by sharing its moisture. While you can store them in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life slightly, be aware that the colder temperature can sometimes cause them to dry out a bit more quickly or lose some of their initial tenderness.
These cookies are also excellent candidates for freezing, which means you can enjoy them much later or always have a batch ready for unexpected guests or cravings! You have two great options for freezing:
- Freezing Baked Cookies:
- First, ensure the cookies are completely cooled to room temperature. This is crucial to prevent condensation and ice crystals from forming, which can lead to soggy cookies.
- Arrange the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes to an hour, or until solid. This prevents them from sticking together.
- Once frozen solid, transfer the cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Layer them with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- Label the container with the date. Baked cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- To enjoy, simply remove the desired number of cookies from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes. For a warm, “fresh out of the oven” experience, you can gently reheat them in a microwave for a few seconds or in a low oven for a few minutes.
- Freezing Cookie Dough:
- This is a fantastic option for having fresh-baked cookies whenever you want them. Prepare the dough as directed in the recipe.
- Portion the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls using your cookie scoop.
- Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch. Flash freeze them for 1-2 hours, or until they are firm.
- Transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container. Label with the date and baking instructions (oven temperature and approximate baking time).
- Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 3 months.
- To bake from frozen, simply arrange the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet (no need to thaw) and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for a few extra minutes (usually 14-16 minutes) until the edges are golden. Keep an eye on them, as baking times may vary.
For more detailed insights into freezing cookie dough and other baking tips, you can refer to our comprehensive guide on How to Freeze Cookie Dough.
More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Try
If these Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies have sparked your passion for baking, you’re in luck! Our kitchen is brimming with a variety of cherished cookie recipes that are sure to become new favorites. From timeless classics to unique twists, there’s a perfect cookie for every taste and occasion. Don’t miss out on these other delightful creations:
- Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies
- Sour Cream Cookies
- Classic Toll House Cookie Recipe
- Perfectly Soft Snickerdoodle Recipe
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
- The Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats finely ground
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your preferred type of chocolate)
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles (or desired festive sprinkles)
Instructions
- Prepare Your Oven and Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This will prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which contributes to the cookies’ texture. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finally, beat in the pure vanilla extract until just combined.
- Process Oats and Combine Dry Ingredients: Place the old-fashioned oats into a blender or food processor and pulse until they are finely ground into a coarse flour-like consistency. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the ground oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Ensure these dry ingredients are well combined to distribute the leavening agents evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry & Add Mix-ins: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles by hand with a spatula. Fold gently to prevent the sprinkles from bleeding their color into the dough, especially if your dough is slightly warm.
- Portion and Bake: Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop (or about 2 tablespoons), roll the dough into uniform balls. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool. Avoid overbaking for the chewiest results.
- Cooling: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before carefully transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy these festive, chewy, and chocolatey sprinkle cookies!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide and is not guaranteed to be exact.
Nutrition Information
Happy Baking, and enjoy every sprinkle-filled bite!