Green and Red Butter Cookies

Green and Red Butter Cookies tick all the boxes if you want a fun, delicious and easy batch of cookies that you can get the kids to help you bake as well as gift to friends and family.Red and Green Butter Cookies stacked on a plate

These vibrant butter cookie balls are moist on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside with the sprinkles not only adding a pop of festive colors but also a surprise crunch.

Whip them up in 30 minutes, to be enjoyed fresh from the oven or made ahead of time and stored frozen so that you eliminate stress-baking as the days draw closer to Christmas!Red and Green Butter Cookies stacked on a plate

TIPS FOR MAKING BUTTER COOKIE BALLS

  • As with any cookies that have sprinkles, these can get somewhat messy when eating so serve them on plates or napkins.
  • I use vanilla extract for these butter cookie balls but you could add other favorite extracts or flavorings to your cookie batter.
  • Gift these green and red butter cookie balls by placing a few in a cello bag and seal it either with a heat sealer or use cello bags that have self-adhesive seals. Then tie your bag with a pretty ribbon or with twist ties and add a gift label.
  • This recipe is so easy to make so it’s an ideal one to bake with the kids, who always find it exciting when sprinkles are involved!

Green and Red Butter Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Add butter to stand mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until incorporated.powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl
  2. Add flour and salt and mix until dough forms.cookie dough being mixing with hand mixer
  3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and the roll each ball in color sugar sprinkles..Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper for easier clean up).cookie balls being rolled in colored sugar sprinkles
  4. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until set (keep an eye on them!)red and green butter cookies on a baking sheetred and green butter cookies on a baking sheet

HOW SHOULD I STORE THESE BUTTER COOKIE BALLS?

  • You can store these butter cookie balls in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to a few days. Keep them away from other cookies that may have strong flavors or odors so that their taste is not affected.

CAN THESE COOKIE BALLS BE FROZEN?

  • Definitely! Once your cookies have completely cooled, place them on a parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet, and then freeze until solid. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a resealable bag and remove as much air as possible. Freezing them prior to storing in a bag will help prevent them from sticking to each other.

DO THE SPRINKLES MELT IN THE OVEN?

  • This is a question that many people actually ask when it comes to cookies with sprinkles. If you get sprinkles on your baking tray, those will melt in the oven so I always dust off excess sprinkles that may be on the cookies prior to placing the cookies in the oven.
  • On the actual cookies, the sprinkles may melt ever so slightly but once they cool, sprinkles usually form their shape again.
  • It also totally depends on the type of sprinkle used. Because I used powdered sugar with colored sprinkles, it gives the cookies a uniform colored look – almost as if I’ve colored the sugar powder with food coloring even though I haven’t. I rather enjoy that look but if you want a more broken up, spread out sprinkling effect then you can definitely find alternative sprinkles to use.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE WITH ANOTHER KIND OF SPRINKLE?

  • Yep! You can experiment with nonpareils sprinkles (those are the super tiny little balls) which melt slightly or you can try the rainbow jimmies which are the longer sprinkles! They won’t really affect the overall taste of your cookie balls, just the look, so feel free to get creative!.

Other Irresistibly Festive Treats You’ll Love

5 from 3 votes

Green and Red Butter Cookies

These Green and Red Butter Cookie Balls are fun, delicious and an easy batch of cookies that the kids can help make.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter (or margarine for dairy-free), softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup each of red and green colored sugar sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Add butter to stand mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  • Add flour and salt and mix until dough forms
  • Roll dough into 1-inch balls and the roll each ball in color sugar sprinkles..Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper for easier clean up).
  • Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until set (keep an eye on them!)

Video

Notes

Note: If you can't find red and green sugar sprinkles, you can roll these cookies in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar instead. 

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 258IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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2 Comments

  1. Was just wondering what to do with the half cup powdered sugar i added half a cup to the butter mixture but the recipe does not say what to do with the other half? Thanks

    1. You can add an optional, addition layer of powdered sugar before rolling in colored sprinkle. Or if you cannot find the sugar sprinkles use the powdered sugar instead. I will be more specific about that in recipe notes 🙂 .