These sugar cookies are easy to make in advance! Coat with sprinkles, flatten, freeze, and bake for 2 extra minutes directly from the freezer.
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium speed, until fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix for another minute, until it's blended. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to be sure everything's well mixed.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until dough is almost combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl again to check for unmixed bits of butter or flour. Stir again briefly to get the dough to just come together.
If your dough is too soft to hand, refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Otherwise, start scooping.
Place sprinkles in a bowl. Use a #40/ 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, or two spoons, to portion the cookie dough. Roll the dough briefly in your hands to make a rough ball. Then dip the top ½-2/3 of the ball in the sprinkles, coating it thickly.
Place cookie dough, sprinkle-side up, on a parchment- or Silpat-lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies to ¼-1/2 inch thickness.
Bake cookies for about 9 minutes at 375F. Cookies will be pale, but will have began to brown on bottom.
Cool for 4-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove the cookies to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Roll the dough into balls and coat in sprinkles as above. Place on a plate or baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or waxed paper, then flatten each with a glass.
Once the cookies are completely frozen, remove them from the plate and store in a labeled freezer bag.
When you want cookies, remove them from the freezer once your oven has preheated. Place them on your prepared baking sheet and bake them, from frozen, for about 11 minutes. No need to thaw first. Enjoy!
I've only used full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. Lower-fat Neufchatel cheese may work fine.
If you run out of sprinkles - and sometimes I do! - just roll the cookies in granulated sugar instead.
We flatten these cookies because they will puff up as they bake, but they will not spread as much due to the cream cheese in the dough.
This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen and King Arthur Baking
Originally written in September 2016. Rewritten in January 2023.
Calorie count is an estimate only, and will vary.