There’s just something magical about cookies that glisten and sparkle during the holidays — that’s why I’m so excited to share this Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe with you. Imagine soft, buttery cookies with a sparkle of festive sprinkles on top, perfect for sharing or gifting!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This sparkling Christmas cookie recipe is one of my all-time favorites because it brings together buttery richness and festive fun in each bite. It’s easy enough for a cozy day in but special enough to wow your holiday guests.
- Buttery Soft Texture: These cookies combine butter and cream cheese for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth feel.
- Festive Sparkle: The sprinkles add just the right dose of holiday cheer and a little crunch.
- Chill & Bake Style: Chilling the dough unlocks amazing flavors and keeps cookies from spreading too thin.
- Customizable Flair: You can play with sprinkles, extracts, and even chilling times to make it your own.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in this Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe plays its part — from structure to flavor to texture. Shopping for good-quality staples, like real butter and fresh cream cheese, will truly elevate these cookies.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure but keeps the cookies tender when measured correctly (spooned & leveled).
- Baking powder: Gives a slight lift, keeping cookies soft rather than dense.
- Salt: Enhances all the sweet flavors and balances richness.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and tenderness; softening it to room temperature ensures smooth mixing.
- Cream cheese: That secret weapon that makes cookies soft and adds subtle tangy depth.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetness and a touch of crunch for bite edges.
- Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture.
- Vanilla extract: Classic flavor that rounds out the sweetness beautifully.
- Almond extract: Optional but I love how it adds a delicate nutty fragrance — you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Sprinkles: This is where the magic happens! Use sanding sugar for sparkle, or combine with nonpareils or jimmies for a colorful, festive look.
Make It Your Way
I love tweaking this Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe depending on my mood or what’s in the pantry. You’ll find it just as fun to experiment and make these cookies truly yours!
- Variation: Sometimes I skip the almond extract and add a bit of orange zest for a fresh twist — it pairs wonderfully with the sparkle of sprinkles.
- Dietary modification: Using gluten-free flour blends works surprisingly well here, just make sure it measures like all-purpose flour.
- Sprinkles swap: If you want to keep the sparkle but reduce sugar, try edible glitter or crushed freeze-dried fruits for a pop of color without extra sweetness.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients carefully
Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt. I always give it a good stir to make sure everything’s evenly combined—this helps the cookies bake uniformly and rise just right.
Step 2: Cream butter and cream cheese
This is where the magic begins. Beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese together on high speed until smooth and creamy — about 2 minutes. Don’t rush this part; if they’re not softened enough, lumps may remain and your dough won’t be silky.
Step 3: Add sugar and flavors
Next, add your sugar, beating until creamy. Then add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat on high till everything’s combined, scraping down the bowl as needed—this brings together all your flavors for a rich, festive aroma.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet on low speed. The dough will be thick, and that’s exactly what you want! Once it comes together, cover it tightly and chill. I recommend at least an hour, but chilling up to 3-4 days is fine and actually deepens the flavor.
Step 5: Prep for baking & add sparkle
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Then, roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough and coat them generously in your chosen sprinkles or sanding sugar. Gently press each ball slightly flat with the back of a glass—this helps them bake evenly and spread just enough.
Step 6: Bake and cool
Bake for 12-13 minutes until the edges are just turning golden. Pull them out and let them rest 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This little pause helps the cookies set so they don’t break apart in your hands.
Top Tip
Through my years of baking these sparkling Christmas cookies, I’ve learned a few tricks that take them from good to unforgettable every time.
- Chill Time is Key: Don’t skimp on chilling the dough—properly chilled dough means cookies won't spread too thin and flavors deepen.
- Softened, Not Melted Butter: Butter should be soft enough to mix easily but not oily or melted, or your dough texture will change.
- Press Gently: When flattening dough balls, don’t press too hard—just a gentle press so sprinkles stay put but cookies can rise properly.
- Use Quality Sprinkles: I’ve found that using sanding sugar or a mix of sprinkles from trusted brands makes a big visual and taste difference.
How to Serve Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe
Garnishes
I usually keep it simple with a colorful mix of sanding sugars and nonpareils because they add sparkle and texture that you want front and center. Occasionally I dust a little powdered sugar for a snow-kissed look—it’s such a fun presentation!
Side Dishes
These cookies shine with a cup of hot cocoa or a glass of eggnog. For a party, I love them alongside a cheese board with nuts and dried fruits—gives a nice balance to the sweetness.
Creative Ways to Present
For gifting or holiday tables, try stacking them in a clear jar tied with red and green ribbons, or arrange them on a festive platter interspersed with fresh rosemary sprigs and cranberries. Kids also love helping to roll dough balls and sprinkling sparkles, which makes presentation even more special.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftover cookies fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They usually stay perfect for about a week, soft and sparkly—though they rarely last that long in my house!
Freezing
You can absolutely freeze these cookies, either baked or as dough balls (just skip the sprinkles and add them before baking). I wrap batches tightly in plastic wrap and then place them in freezer bags. They keep great for up to 3 months, which is a lifesaver for busy holiday seasons.
Reheating
To refresh frozen cookies, I let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour, then pop them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. This brings back that just-baked softness and slight crisp edge—delicious every time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The cream cheese is a key ingredient that lends moisture and a tender, rich texture to these cookies. Omitting it will change the cookie’s softness and flavor quite a bit. If you need to skip it, consider adding a bit more butter and an extra egg yolk to compensate, but it won’t be quite the same delicious sparkle experience.
Chilling the dough firms it up so the cookies don’t spread too much, keeping their shape and the delightful thickness you want. It also helps the flavors develop and blend. I’ve made these cookies with chilled dough ranging from 1 hour up to 4 days, and the longer chill just improves the taste and texture.
Rolling cookie dough balls in a bowl of sanding sugar or your chosen sprinkles works great. For best results, roll the dough balls gently but fully coat them before placing on the baking sheet. Using different types of sprinkles adds texture and shimmer. Avoid pressing sprinkles into the dough too hard so they don’t melt or lose their sparkle in the oven.
Yes! Substitute a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that includes xanthan gum or a similar binder to get the right texture. Measure it the same way you would regular flour. Keep in mind that gluten-free dough may be slightly more delicate, so handle gently when rolling and coating with sprinkles.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe has become a staple of my holiday baking because it’s dependable, delicious, and so joyful to make with family and friends. I hope you have just as much fun baking and sharing these sparkly little delights — they really bring a smile to everyone’s face. Let this be your new go-to festive cookie that you’ll savor year after year!
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Sparkling Christmas Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 32 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Cookie Sparkles, featuring a soft cream cheese and butter dough studded with vibrant sprinkles. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cookies offer a tender texture with a light buttery flavor and a sparkling sugary coating for a cheerful treat.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ounces (57g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Coating
- ¾ cup (150g) sprinkles (sanding sugar, nonpareils, and/or jimmies)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until thoroughly combined. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat until creamy and combined. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beating on high speed for about 1 minute until all ingredients are well incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Form Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until the dough is combined. It will be thick. Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 3-4 days. If chilling longer than 2-3 hours, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling to ease shaping.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Pour sanding sugar into a bowl or divide into multiple bowls if using several sprinkle colors.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into balls about 1 tablespoon each. Roll each dough ball in the sprinkles to coat completely. Place each coated ball on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Gently press down each ball with the back of a measuring cup or glass to slightly flatten.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store: Keep the cookies covered at room temperature, where they will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can prepare the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days before baking.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Unbaked cookie dough balls without the sprinkle coating can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, roll in sanding sugar, and bake as directed.
- Almond extract adds depth of flavor but can be omitted without replacement if desired.
- Use sanding sugar, nonpareils, or jimmies for a colorful sparkly coating; these are usually available in the baking aisle or online in various holiday-themed options.
- For best results, allow chilled dough to soften slightly before rolling to prevent cracking and uneven spreading.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Refer to recommended baking tools such as a stand mixer, silicone mats, and cooling racks for optimal results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
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