Christmas sprinkle pudding cookies are soft, chewy, and easy to make in under 30 minutes with no chill time. A tasty and easy Christmas sprinkle cookie recipe for your Christmas party.
The instant vanilla pudding mix in the cookie dough gives these Christmas cookies a rich vanilla flavor and incredible softness that will make them the hit of any cookie exchange.
This recipe will make about 60 cookies, making it perfect for a crowd.
However, if you prefer a variety of cookies you can use this same pudding cookie dough to make 4 different varieties of Christmas cookies: jam thumbprint cookies, soft frosted Christmas cookies, hidden kiss cookies, and these yummy sprinkle cookies.
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
You will need:
- Butter & shortening – I like to use a combo of unsalted butter and shortening for this recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract – Use 100% pure vanilla extract for best taste.
- All-purpose flour
- Vanilla pudding mix – A 3.4 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding mix. Make sure you don’t grab cook & serve pudding my mistake, it is not the same and won’t work for this recipe.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Christmas sprinkles – We used a red, green, and white sprinkle mix like this one, but you can use any color that you prefer.
How to Make
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.
Step 2: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer and large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
Step 3: Beat in eggs, vanilla, and instant pudding mix.
Step 4: In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, a little at a time, mixing between additions.
Step 5: Place sprinkles in a small, shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop or a heaping Tablespoon, scoop cookie dough out and roll in your hands to form a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl of sprinkles and roll to coat in sprinkles. Place onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Step 6: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until set and lightly golden brown around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
Storage
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.
FAQ
I prefer to use a combination of butter and shortening for these pudding cookies. The shortening helps prevent the cookies from overspreading in the oven while the butter gives the cookies that real butter flavor. That said, you can use 1 cup of butter and skip the shortening, but the cookies will spread more and come out flatter. They will still taste yummy though!
Yes, to freeze the pudding cookie dough wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer baggie. IT will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Unfortunately, these cookies would not hold their shape well enough to be good cut-out cookies. You would need a recipe with a sturdy dough like these cut-out sugar cookies or shortbread cookies.
More Christmas Cookie Favorites
- Christmas Cookie Bars with M&Ms
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Classic No Bake Cookies
- Christmas Snowballs with M&Ms
- Peppermint Pinwheels
- Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies
Christmas Sprinkle Pudding Cookies
Christmas sprinkle pudding cookies are soft, full of rich vanilla flavor, and easy to make in under 30 minutes with no chill time.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer and large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
- Beat in eggs, vanilla, and instant pudding mix.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, a little at a time, mixing between additions.
- Place sprinkles in a small, shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop or a heaping Tablespoon, scoop cookie dough out and roll in your hands to form a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl of sprinkles and roll to coat in sprinkles. Place onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until set and lightly golden brown around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
Notes
Storage: Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage freeze cookies for up to 3 months.
Make ahead: The cookie dough can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake, up to 3 days. Or the cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 60 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 91
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by a third party and intended to serve as an estimate only. The accuracy of nutritional information is not guaranteed.
Could you use these as a base for a thumbprint cookie?
Absolutely, that is just what I did in this recipe.
Is it possible to use the sanding sugar instead of sprinkles?
Yes, sanding sugar would work as well.
Would these be good for a Christmas cookie exchange party? I just don’t want these to be a ball if i package them to hand out being how soft these are.
They would be great for an exchange. I would suggest packaging them in a box, tin, or tray covered with plastic wrap.
These look great! What can I use instead of shortening?
Butter can be used but it can cause them to spread more in the oven. That is why I like to use part butter and part shortening.
could I leave shorting out of the recipe? if so how will effect the baking outcome?
The cookies wouldn’t be as soft and tender. I would suggest substituting with butter instead of simply omitting the shortening.
these cookies are really good! but even though I used the butter & Cresco shortening they didn’t stay in a ball form. why would that happen? still they passed my husband’s taste test!!
ty
I am glad that your husband enjoyed them 🙂 It sounds like they came out just right– these cookies are soft and spread while baking, unlike snowball cookies which stay in a ball shape.
When you refrigerate, should the dough be brought to room temperature before baking? Thanks!
Nope– straight from the fridge to the oven 🙂
Is it salted or unsalted butter?
I used unslated but you can use either. If using salted butter I would halve the amount of added salt (or leave it out entirely if you prefer).
If baking now for Christmas , do they have to be frozen or refrigerated. Can I just keep them in an airtight container
If you want to store them for longer than 5 days I would suggest freezing them.
Followed recipe and cookies came out flatter than yours. Should this dough be chilled before baking? Going to try with the next batch!
I hope that they still tasted delicious 🙂
I have heard many people having trouble with cookies overspreading lately and think that the differences in butter may be to blame. I am curious what kind of butter you used and if you used butter and shortening or 100% butter?
Also, I do not typically refrigerate the dough for these cookies before baking them but I have once or twice when I prepped the dough ahead of time to bake the next day. I didn’t notice much of a difference in the rise. It certainly can’t hurt to try though.