These sprinkle chocolate chip cookies are pure happiness in cookie form. They’re chewy in the middle with crispy edges and loaded with chocolate chips and sprinkles. 
Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whether you call them sprinkle chocolate chip cookies, birthday cookies, or party cookies, these are irresistibly good. They bake up with chewy centers and golden, slightly crisp edges. Melting chocolate chips and colorful jimmie sprinkles give them a fun, festive look that appeals to kids and adults alike.
These cookies are ideal for birthdays, school bake sales, holiday baking, or a simple weekend treat. Swap sprinkles seasonally—green and red for Christmas, for example—to suit the occasion.
The dough follows a classic chocolate chip cookie formula: real unsalted butter for flavor, a mix of brown and granulated sugar for chew and caramel notes, and slightly more richness from an extra egg yolk. The recipe uses one whole egg plus one yolk—don’t skip the extra yolk or the cookies will be drier and less tender.
Cookie Baking Tips
- Measure flour carefully. Too much flour makes cookies dry and crumbly. Whisk the flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level it off, or use a kitchen scale. Two cups of all-purpose flour weigh about 250 grams.
- Use softened butter, not melted. Different butter temperatures behave differently; this recipe was developed for softened butter.
- Pick jimmie sprinkles. The short cylindrical sprinkles are less likely to bleed color into the dough than tiny round nonpareils.
- Chill the dough. Refrigerate at least 1 hour for thicker, chewier cookies. You can bake without chilling, but the cookies will spread more and be thinner.
- Reserve chips for topping. Hold back about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and press a few on top of each cookie after baking for an appealing, melty finish.
These cookies are addictively chewy with lightly crisped edges and plenty of chocolate chips. The sprinkles add a playful burst of color, making them perfect for parties, treat bags, or simply baking with kids.
Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 grams), softened but not melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (150 grams), light or dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk (discard the white)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (180 grams), divided
- 1/2 cup jimmie sprinkles (the little cylinders)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla extract, beating until smooth.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir a few times with a rubber spatula, then use an electric mixer on low until combined.
- Fold in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips and the sprinkles with a spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will be thick.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours for best results.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C; 160°C fan-forced). Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Portion the dough into balls about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons each (a bit smaller than a golf ball). If dough was refrigerated overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes first. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11–13 minutes, or until the tops are just set.
- Remove cookies from the oven and press a few reserved chocolate chips onto the tops. Cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Eggs: Use one whole egg plus one extra yolk. Do not substitute two whole eggs.
- Sprinkles: Use jimmie sprinkles to avoid color bleeding. You can use between 1/3 and 1/2 cup depending on preference.
- Chilling: Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes helps control spread; 1 hour is recommended for thicker cookies.
- Make Ahead: Dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Formed dough balls freeze well for up to 2 months; bake from frozen adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Nutrition: Nutrition values are estimates based on 32 cookies per batch.
Nutrition
Calories: 142 kcal • Carbohydrates: 20 g • Protein: 1 g • Fat: 6 g • Saturated Fat: 4 g • Sugar: 14 g