Everyone loves a surprise, I know I do, and that is what you get with these tasty buttery-almond flavored Christmas Surprise Inside Cookies with a fudge middle layer. Rolled in red, green, and white sprinkles these are the ultimate Christmas cookies and my family's favorite. Seriously, who can resist cookie cuteness?
tis the season for cookie baking
First published Feb. 13, 2018, updated Nov 2, 2021
Today I turned on my favorite Christmas songs and started my Christmas baking; tis the season for delicious and colorful made from scratch cookies.
Don't you love all the holiday colors? That's one reason why these red, white, and green sprinkle sugar cookies are irresistible. Another reason to love these tender cookies is the surprise chocolate layer of cookie inside. It's like two cookies in one.
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Cookie ingredients
For these cookies, the Christmas sprinkles you need to use are called nonpareil's. They are the little round balls that roll everywhere. Personally, I love using nonpareils instead of the jimmies for cookies since they keep their color when baked.
I have tried using other sprinkles such as the jimmies and colored sugar on these cookies and they didn't look good on the cookie. Gotta use the nonpareils.
The holiday nonpareils are carried in craft stores but they are sometimes hard to find the exact colors you want for the specific holiday. So plan early. And, for these cookies, I would suggest getting two bottles so you have plenty of sprinkles for rolling the cookies in.
The holiday nonpareils are carried in craft stores but they are sometimes hard to find the exact colors you want for the specific holiday. So plan early. And, for these cookies, I would suggest getting two bottles or this larger bag so you have plenty of sprinkles for rolling the cookies in.
Let's make some cookies
We are going to be rolling dough today, not with a rolling pin but with our hands to make lots of dough balls.
Prepare - Line baking sheets with parchment paper, heat your oven to 375 degrees F, and pour the sprinkles into a big bowl.
Step 1. In a large bowl beat the softened butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
Step 2. Add the sugar baking powder and salt then mix to combine
Step 3. Add the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Step 4. With the mixer on medium speed beat in the flour to form a soft dough.
Step 5. Remove ¾ cup of the dough and put it into a small bowl then add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and melted butter. Mix all together with a spoon until well combined.
Step 6. Add the almond extract to the plain dough.
Step 7. With a tablespoon, scoop out 30 pieces of plain dough and roll into balls, and with a teaspoon, measure out 30 pieces of the chocolate dough and roll into balls. (I normally get between 28 - 30 balls of each dough.)
Step 8.
- Flatten the almond-flavored dough into a round disk
- Place the chocolate dough ball on top of the flat disk
- Wrap the dough around the chocolate dough ball
- Roll the one big dough ball around in your hand until it is smooth and slightly tacky and immediately roll the dough ball into the nonpareil sprinkles then place on the baking sheet.
- It is important you roll the dough ball immediately in the sprinkles while it is warm from your hands.
Note: This first picture below is what happens when you don't roll the dough ball immediately in the sprinkles, they just won't stick, no matter what!
Step 9. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely then store mth in an airtight container.
This is the perfect cookie recipe to get the kids involved in your holiday cookie baking. They can roll the dough into the balls and the sprinkles; and then, prepare yourself for lots of joy and laughter.
I promise everyone will love these deliciously festive cookies, especially Santa.
What's the Surprise?
Just take one bite of this cookie to find a fudgy chocolate center inside each cookie.
Cookie questions?
Yes, it is best to place the cookies in an airtight container and then place them in the freezer for up to three months. If you place them in a plastic bag, they may get jostled too much and the sprinkles could fall off the cookies.
Try these other One Hot Oven Surprise Inside Cookies
These cookies are not only perfect for Christmas but all year through. It's so easy to roll the dough in different colors of nonpareils for different holidays, or maybe sport team colors, and just for fun. Sometimes I change the middle filling color and flavor. There are so many options with sugar cookies.
For Valentine's Day make these Red Velvet Surprise Inside Cookies for your sweetie.
To celebrate all things Irish try these Mint Surprise Inside Cookies for a St. Patrick's Day treat.
Fill Easter baskets with this pastel Surprise Inside Easter Cookies.
Let's get patriotic with Firework Surprise Inside Cookies that are covered in very festive red, white and blue sprinkles.
Show your team colors like these San Francisco Giants Orange and Black Surprise Inside Cookies. Whatever your sport is these cookies are always a hit for game day.
🎄Baking for Christmas tips
Baking for Christmas should be fun. Many cookie recipes can be made and kept in airtight containers for a week. Even the batters can be made and kept in the refrigerator several days before baking. For these Chai Shortbread's I have frozen the dough logs and then baked them during the holidays. Plus shortbread cookies keep well for over a week.
Another cookie that keeps well are these Holiday Jeweled Biscotti. These are the first cookies I bake for the holidays since they will keep for several weeks.
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Recipe
Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies with a Surprise Inside
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups AP flour
- ⅓ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 5 ounces Red, white and green nonpareils
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Pour the nonpareil sprinkles into a large bowl that is big enough to roll the dough balls in. Also, have a bowl deep enough so the sprinkles don't spill out.
- This is a stiff dough so a stand mixer is very handy to use, but you can still mix this dough with a handheld mixer. Add the room temperature butter to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and on medium speed beat the butter until it is fluffy, about two minutes.
- Add the sugar, baking powder and salt; mix until combined
- At medium speed, mix in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until combined, scraping sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- At medium-low speed, mix in the flour until combined, forming a soft dough.
- Remove ¾ cup of the dough to a small bowl and add the sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter. Mix well to combine with a spoon.
- Add ¼ tsp. of almond extract to the plain dough and stir with a wooden spoon to combine, or use the mixer.
- With a tablespoon, scoop out 30 pieces of plain dough and roll into balls, and with a teaspoon, measure out 30 pieces of the chocolate dough and roll into balls. (I normally get between 28 – 30 balls of each dough.)
- Flatten the almond-flavored dough balls and then place a chocolate dough ball in the center of the flattened dough then mold the dough around the chocolate dough ball to make a round ball.
- Roll the one big dough ball around in your hand until it is smooth and slightly tacky and immediately roll the dough ball into the nonpareil sprinkles then place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 - 11 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
Remember cookies are for sharing, which means you can eat all the cookies except one!
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days, I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? Contact me here, and I’ll be happy to help!
About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.
Natalie
Lovely cookies. I love the sprinkles and the filling. I'm going to add your recipe to my baking list. I think my son will like them.
Dee
These muse be Santa’s favorite cookies! They look so delicious and fun to make with the kids with the beautiful sprinkles.
Stine Mari
I love surprises when they come in the shape of delicious food! These are so pretty too!
Leslie
This is a great Christmas cookie recipe! I love your step-by-step instructions with pictures! So helpful!!
Claudia Lamascolo
these are simply perfect my grandson will flip over these I will make them today! thanks for this recipe!