Red, White and Blue Sprinkle Cookies

These Red, White and Blue Sprinkle Cookies are soft sugar cookies rolled in patriotic sprinkles with a surprise red almond-flavored center hidden inside. They’re colorful, easy to make, and perfect for Fourth of July parties, Memorial Day cookouts, and summer celebrations.

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I’ve been making these surprise-filled sprinkle cookies for years, and they’ve become part of our family’s holiday traditions. My girls loved helping me roll the dough balls in the sprinkles when they were little, and now that they’re grown, they still look forward to these colorful cookies. The hidden almond-flavored center is always a fun surprise when someone takes a bite.

Recipe Highlights

Want The Best Results? Read These Tips First

Chill Time

The dough may need some chill time on a warm day. Just pop it into the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Why Aren’t My Sprinkles Sticking

• Roll the dough ball in the sprinkles immediately after shaping.
• Warm dough helps the sprinkles stick.
• If the dough dries out, roll it between your palms before coating.

Why Is My Dough Sticky

• Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
• Warm kitchens soften butter quickly, especially during summer baking.

Don’t let the colorful center fool you. These cookies use a simple butter cookie dough and just one extra step to create the surprise filling. If you can roll cookie dough into balls, you can make these.

Cookie Ingredients

Making this cookie dough is a breeze using everyday baking essentials: all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. These common pantry items, combined with these extra ingredients, create a sensational base for your cookies.

• Unsalted butter: If you have salted butter, that will work too.
• Almond flavoring: Used to flavor the red filling inside the cookie.
• Red food coloring: Use red for the center filling; you can also use blue. Gel food coloring gives you a vibrant color.
• Red, white and blue nonpareil sprinkles: They hold their color during baking and look prettier than jimmies.

The Sprinkles

There is quite an assortment of sprinkles available these days, but red, white and blue nonpareil sprinkles work best for these cookies. They are just tiny sugar balls that cover the cookie nicely and keep their color during baking. Warning: They roll around a lot!

Why These Cookies Work

• Extra yolks help cream a soft texture.
• Butter creates tender cookies.
• Nonpareil sprinkles hold their color during baking.
• The almond-flavored center adds a fun surprise.

How To Make Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

Making the Dough

1. Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
2. Add the sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix on medium speed until combined.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and two egg yolks, one at a time, then add the remaining whole egg and beat until combined.
4. Add the flour to the bowl and mix on low until a soft dough forms.

5. Remove 3/4 cup of the dough and place it in a small bowl. Mix in the 1/2 teaspoon of almond flavoring and a few drops of red food coloring with a spoon.

Making the Dough Balls

6. With a tablespoon, measure out 25 balls of the plain butter dough and, with a teaspoon, 25 balls of the red dough. Measure the dough portions as evenly as possible so you have the same number of plain and red dough balls.
7. First, place the nonpareil sprinkles in a large bowl or on a big plate to roll the balls in.
8. Place one plain dough ball in the palm of your hand, then press it down with your fingers to flatten it.
9. Take one red dough ball and place it on the flattened dough ball. Start forming the plain dough around the colored dough until it is totally covered. Roll the sugar cookie dough between your palms until it forms a nice, round shape.
10. Immediately, roll the dough ball in the sprinkles until it is covered. The dough must be sticky from rolling between your hands so the sprinkles will stick. Otherwise, the dough will be too dry, and the sprinkles will fall off.

11. Place all the sprinkle-covered cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375° F. for 10 minutes.

12. Let the baked cookies cool on a wire rack, then eat and enjoy!

These colorful sprinkle cookies always stand out on a dessert table. The hidden almond-flavored center makes them even more fun when someone takes the first bite.

Want To Store For Later: Here’s How

Store the cookies in an airtight container for several days.

To freeze the cookies, bake them as directed, let them cool, then store them in a freezer container for up to three months. When ready, remove from the freezer and let them thaw before eating.

More Sprinkle Cookie Recipes

Once you learn the technique, it’s easy to change the colors and flavors for different holidays and celebrations.

Try these other fun and colorful sprinkle cookies

• The red, white, and green Christmas Sprinkle Cookies are pure holiday fun.
• Bake these white and pink Valentine’s Red Velvet Sprinkle Cookies to show how much you love someone.
• The Cassidy family celebrates anything Irish, and these St. Patrick’s Day Mint Sprinkle Cookies have green and white sprinkles with a tangy, minty filling.
• Covered in pastel sprinkles, these Raspberry Cookies look so pretty in Easter baskets.
• Celebrate with the ghosts and goblins with these Halloween Sugar Cookies.
• Do you have a favorite sports team? We always make these Orange and Black Cookies for the San Francisco Giants, our favorite team.

There are so many possibilities and endless colors of sprinkles, so mix and match for your special occasion.

More Patriotic Desserts For Your Celebration

• It’s hard to celebrate the Fourth of July without ice cream. These No-Churn Red, White & Blue Ice Cream Sundaes are easy to make and perfect for a hot summer day.
• If you’re feeding a crowd, these 4th of July Sugar Cookie Bars are a great option. They’re easier to make than individual cookies and are topped with a festive layer of buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles.
• For another patriotic cookie recipe, try these Red, White and Blue Thumbprint Cookies. The bite-sized cookies are topped with frosting and patriotic sprinkles.
• These Red, White and Blue Jello Cups are a fun no-bake dessert with colorful layers and a cherry on top. They’re always popular at summer parties and cookouts.
• Need another easy cookie recipe? These Fourth of July M&M Cookies are ready in under an hour and packed with red, white, and blue candies for a festive treat.

Recipe

Tried it? Rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & comment below, your feedback keeps the oven mitts flying here at One Hot Oven.

First published: July 06, 2020; last updated: June 13, 2026, for better readability.

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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 sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.