Christmas Shortbread Cookies Recipe with Sprinkles
An easy Christmas shortbread cookies recipe is a real time-saver whenever you need cookies. This recipe is easy enough to whip up quickly.
Have a last minute holiday party to attend? These little Christmas cookies don’t take long to make at all. A quick color change of the sprinkles makes them appropriate for the rest of the year, as well.
Easy Holiday Shortbread Cookies
My grandma had a favorite bakery in town when I was growing up. Every time we went to that bakery, I would get shortbread cookies with tiny round sprinkles. They were my absolute favorite cookie.
This recipe for shortbread cookies with nonpareils (what adults call tiny round sprinkles) brings back a flood of wonderful childhood memories for me.
This recipe makes an entire army of tiny cookies, so it’s ideal for Christmas cookie swaps, filling holiday gift tins, bake sales, or large gatherings.
As always, small desserts are excellent for fairy tea parties. Use rainbow or assorted pastel colors to include them at your woodland fairy party!
Christmas Shortbread Cookies Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Christmas cookie recipe. The measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Butter
- Flour
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Red and green nonpareils
Holiday Shortbread Cookies Directions
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Beat the butter with a mixer until it’s light and fluffy.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix until well combined.
Dust your hands with additional cornstarch to handle the dough if it’s too sticky.
Use your hands to shape the dough into 1″ balls.
Flatten each dough ball a little with the palm of your hand.
Dip the dough balls into the nonpareils and place them on the prepared baking pan about 2″ apart.
Bake the cookies for 20-22 minutes. You want the cookies to be set but not brown.
Remove the baked cookies from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to let them cool completely.
Shortbread Cookies with Sprinkles Recipe Notes and FAQ
How many shortbread cookies does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 6-8 dozen cookies. There are a lot of tiny cookies!
What is the texture of these cookies like?
These tasty little morsels just melt in your mouth. If you like bakery-style shortbread cookies, these taste a lot like the ones in our local bakery.
How can I make these cookies after the holidays?
It’s easy to match the holiday or theme you need by simply changing the color of the sprinkles. Use red and pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, pastel colors for Easter, rainbow for unicorn parties, and more. The possibilities are endless.
Holiday Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup butter softened
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- blue nonpareils
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 300℉.
- Using a mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients together, and gradually add to creamed butter until well blended.1 ½ cup butter, 2 ¼ cup flour, ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup cornstarch
- If dough is sticky, dust hands with additional cornstarch as you shape dough into 1″ balls. Flatten slightly with the palms of your hands. Dip in nonpareils and place on a parchment lined baking pan about 2″ apart.blue nonpareils
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until set but not brown.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Makes 6-8 dozen.
Nutrition
More Christmas Cookies to Make
- Star stained-glass cookies
- Brown butter bourbon cookies
- Mini cherry pie cookies
- Christmas sugar cookie pie
- Marble sugar cookies
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Please let me know if you make these holiday shortbread cookies!
Christmas Shortbread Cookies Recipe with Sprinkles seem so tasty and such fun to make!!
These are so pretty
That seems easy enough for even me to make. Would be great to take to a party or cookie exchange.
I love shortbread — and these look so stinking festive!
How fun! These cookies are so cute, I love the Christmas sprinkles! 🙂 My kids would definitely love making these with me, thank you so much for sharing!
I love shortbread cookies always reminds me of baking with my grandma.
Those are perfect for the holidays. I love shortbread cookies and those are very colorful! Thanks for the recipe!
I love Shortbread cookies and these cookies look so delicious and I want to make these over the Holiday break.
I usually make Shortbread Cookies during the holidays but, I’ve never thought of adding sprinkles to them. Next year, mine will have spriinkles! Great recipe! I saved and also printed it.
Mmmmm. Shortbread cookies are definitely among my favorites, partly because of their simplicity. I love the idea of coating them with sprinkles –they’re so festive. And not just for Christmas, either. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
These look so easy! And they are cute and festive. I am pinning this so I can try soon.