Rainbow Sprinkle Cookie Sandwiches with Easy Vanilla Buttercream
I’m not sure when I first fell in love with sprinkles but I’ve been searching for ways to include them in bakes for decades now. Unoriginally, I think the first time I added them of my own free will was to a chocolate chip cookie recipe – to the confusion of my mother – and it simply delighted me to no end.
I’ve been a massive fan of sugar cookies – tied for first with a chocolate chip cookie for my most craved cookies of all time – for as long as I can remember. A crucial element of a good sugar cookie is they have to be soft. Even if they’re rolled and cut, a snappable sugar cookie has never been my thing. Plus, they’re forever made better iced and coated in sprinkles.
These cookies make my dream come true when it comes to a soft sugar cookie, rolled in rainbow sprinkles, and sandwiched around my favorite vanilla buttercream.
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WHAT IS A SPRINKLE COOKIE SANDWICH?
The perfect cookie, in my opinion. It’s made up of two buttery-soft sugar cookies that have been rolled in rainbow sprinkles and baked to perfection. You’ll whip together an easy four-ingredient vanilla buttercream and pipe or spread it between two cookies, sandwiching them together into an exceptional bite (well a few bites but still).
How do I know my sprinkle cookies are done baking? Unless your oven runs cool, pull your sprinkle cookies right at the 10-minute mark. Because they are covered in rainbows it’ll be hard to visibly see that they are done but just allow them to cool on the hot baking tray for 5 minutes to give them a final set, before transferring them to a wire rack.
INGREDIENTS
- Unsalted butter: Adds flavor and texture to your cookie and frosting
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens your sugar cookie while offering some texture to the final bake
- Powdered sugar: Adds an element of chew to your cookies and smoothly sweetens your buttercream
- Egg: Acts as a binding agent in the cookies
- Vanilla extract: Brings out the sweet flavors in both your cookie and frosting
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and texture to your cookies
- Baking powder: Your rising agent to give these cookies a little puff as they bake
- Salt: Enhances and balances all flavors
- Rainbow sprinkles: Offer both color and crunch (and overall joy)
Why roll the dough in sprinkles? Many sprinkle cookie recipes call for you to add your sprinkles to the dough itself. By adding the sprinkles to the dough, you can lose the crunch as well as some of the color, as they often bleed into the dough as it bakes. By rolling the plain dough into the sprinkles, they stay intact and crunchy as they bake in the oven!
HOW TO MAKE RAINBOW SPRINKLE COOKIE SANDWICHES
Begin by making your sugar cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, add your room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar and, using a mixer, beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. You’ll notice the color of the mixture lighten as you beat it. Add in your egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt – and add to your wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula briefly and then use your mixer to combine until it just comes together, you don’t want to over-mix your dough.
Pour your sprinkles into a small bowl or on a plate. Form your cookies into two tablespoon-sized dough balls, shaping each by rolling between the palms of your hands, and then rolling in the sprinkles. Set onto a parchment-lined sheet or plate and place your coated dough balls into the fridge for 30 minutes, to allow the butter to re-firm before baking.
While your dough is chilling, go ahead and make your easy vanilla buttercream. Beat your softened butter in a bowl with a mixer to smooth out before sifting in your powdered sugar and salt, beating until just combined. Add in your vanilla and give it a final mix. Place your frosting in a piping bag with a star tip (if desired – or spread on with a knife) and set aside at room temperature until you’re ready to use.
About 10 minutes before your cookies are to be removed from the fridge, preheat your oven to 350F. Place your cookies onto a parchment-lined baking tray about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave on the tray for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To form your cookie sandwiches, pipe or spread your buttercream onto the bottom of one of your cooled cookies and place the bottom of another cookie on top, pressing lightly to smoosh together. You can eat these immediately – I prefer them at room temperature – or pop them in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the buttercream to firm up. Enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love these cookies
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- You don’t have to pipe your frosting onto your cookies, it’s easily spreadable with a butter knife. If you do pipe it, I used a 1C tip but any tip you prefer will work!
- Since I typically call for unsalted butter in baking recipes, I used that for the buttercream (even though I’ve often grabbed salted for it). If using salted butter for the buttercream frosting, omit the extra salt!
- For even more sprinkles, add some to a plate or flat surface and roll the buttercream in your sandwich cookies along the side gently in the sprinkles. You could also switch it up and roll in crushed M&M’s, Oreos, or cookie crumbs!
- It’s important that you don’t overbake these cookies, though with the sprinkle exterior, it can be hard to tell if they are done yet. Pull them at the 10-minute mark – unless your oven runs cooler – and leave them to sit on the hot tray for an extra 5 minutes. This will allow your cookies to set before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely
- I used the Betty Crocker rainbow sprinkles but baker’s choice based on your own preference!
- If you are looking for a batch of sugar cookies without making them into sandwiches, this recipe makes 15 solo cookies (yes, if you make them into sandwiches you’ll have one extra to enjoy on its own!). You can frost just the tops or omit the frosting entirely.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
The vanilla buttercream can be made ahead and will last in the fridge for a week or the freezer for 3 months. Before using, take it out and bring it to room temperature, to make it easily piped or spread.
You can make the cookie dough in advance as well! I recommend forming it into balls and rolling in the sprinkles before freezing them in an airtight container for up to three months or in the fridge for up to four days. If you freeze, place your dough balls in the fridge the night before, to thaw before baking.
Your baked and frosted sandwich cookies will last at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 6 days. You can also freeze them assembled for 2-3 months, just allow them to come to room temperature before eating!
MORE SPRINKLE RECIPES
If you’re a fellow sprinkle lover, you have to try this Funfetti Cheesecake packed with rainbow goodness on a simple graham cracker base. My Dark Chocolate Oat Pantry Cookies are also filled with colorful delight as well as chocolate, coconut, oats, and so much more, giving them a delicious chew.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Mixer (hand or standing)
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Wire Rack
- Piping Bags, optional
- Star Piping Tip, optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by making your cookies! Add your room temperature butter and both sugars to a large mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy
- Add in your egg and vanilla and beat until combined
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add to your wet ingredients and mix until just combined
- In a separate bowl, pour in your sprinkles. Form your cookies into two tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in the sprinkles to coat the outside. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or plate (whatever will fit into your fridge), and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 350F
- While your dough is chilling, make your vanilla buttercream by beating your softened butter in a bowl with a mixer. Sift in your powdered sugar and salt, beating until combined before adding in your vanilla and giving it a final mix. Add to a piping bag with a star tip (I used a 1C tip) and keep your frosting at room temperature until ready to use
- Place your chilled sprinkle cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely
- To assemble, pipe your buttercream in a spiral on the bottom of one cookie, working from the outside in to get that clear, piped frosting edge, and place another cookie on top
- Enjoy immediately or pop them into the fridge for a few minutes to allow the frosting to firm a bit before eating
