Quick Pillsbury Christmas Cookies (3 Ingredients)
A roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough turns into festive Christmas cookies with barely any effort. You just slice, coat the edges in bright red and green sprinkles, bake, and drizzle with melted white chocolate. They come out soft, buttery, and look like you spent way more time on them than you actually did.
Why This Shortcut Stays in My Fridge All December
These cookies taste buttery and tender right out of the oven, with a slight crisp edge from the sprinkles. The white chocolate drizzle adds a creamy sweetness that balances the salt in the dough. It is the kind of cookie you can throw together on a Tuesday night and still feel proud to bring to the cookie swap.
I keep a roll of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough on hand all holiday season because it removes every obstacle between me and fresh warm cookies. No measuring flour, no softening butter. I just pull it out, slice, and go. My kids can help without a mess of ingredients everywhere.
The sprinkles and white chocolate are the only extras, and they make the cookies look genuinely festive. People will ask how you colored the dough. You didn’t. That is the beauty of it.
Ingredients
- 1 16.5 oz roll Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough: any brand of pre made sugar cookie dough works, just check the weight
- ½ cup red and green nonpareil sprinkles: the tiny round ones stick best
- 4 oz white chocolate, chopped: or white chocolate chips
Variations / Substitutions
- No white chocolate: drizzle with melted milk or dark chocolate, or skip the drizzle and dust with powdered sugar after baking.
- Other sprinkles: use any color mix you have, but larger jimmies may not stick as well.
- Add almond extract: swap in ¼ teaspoon almond extract mixed into the dough for a different flavor, though the dough will be stickier.
You might also like my recipe for soft gingerbread cutout cookies when you want to bake from scratch.
How to Make Pillsbury Christmas Cookies
Step 1: Slice and Shape the Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Open the 1 roll of sugar cookie dough and slice it into rounds about ¼ inch thick. You should get around 22 to 24 cookies. Keep them even so they all finish at the same time. Do not leave them too thick or the centers will stay doughy.
The dough will be cold but not rock hard. Press any cracked edges back together with your fingertips. You do not need flour on the counter, the dough will not stick much.
Step 2: Coat with Sprinkles
Pour the ½ cup sprinkles onto a small plate. Take each round and press one side gently into the sprinkles, just enough to coat the top. Place them sprinkle side up on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. The sprinkles stick to the cold dough without any egg wash.
You will see a clean line between the pale dough and the colorful top. That contrast is what makes them look like a bakery cookie.
Step 3: Bake Until Just Golden
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The edges should be set and barely golden, while the centers look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool. Pull them out the moment you see a hint of color around the bottom rim, then let them rest on the sheet for 5 minutes.
A hot cookie smells like warm butter and vanilla. That rest on the sheet continues to cook the middle without over browning the base.
Step 4: Drizzle and Set
Melt the 4 oz white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. Use a spoon or a small zip top bag with the corner snipped off to drizzle thin lines over the cooled cookies. Let the chocolate harden at room temperature for about 15 minutes before stacking.
The white chocolate sets with a soft snap. Serve them on a plate while the drizzle is still glossy, and the sprinkles will catch the light.
Tips for Baking These Cookies
- Slice from a cold roll: if the dough warms up too much while you work, pop the log back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Warm dough spreads more in the oven.
- Line your pan: parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup instant. Do not use a dark nonstick pan without a liner or the bottoms may over brown.
- Watch the white chocolate: it can seize if you overheat it. Stir well between bursts and stop when a few small lumps remain, then stir until melted fully off heat.
Bake times depend on how cold your dough is and your oven. A 12 minute bake gives a crispier cookie, while 9 minutes leaves them soft.
| Dough condition | Bake time at 350°F |
|---|---|
| Cold, sliced straight from the fridge | 10 to 12 minutes |
| Slightly softened, sat at room temp a few minutes | 9 to 10 minutes |
| Very soft, warm kitchen | 8 to 9 minutes, then watch carefully |
Storing Leftover Cookies
- Refrigerate: store baked cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The white chocolate stays set.
- Freeze the dough: you can slice the raw dough, coat in sprinkles, and freeze the rounds on a sheet. Once solid, transfer to a bag and bake straight from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Reheating: a quick 10 seconds in the microwave brings back that just baked softness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use colored sugar instead of sprinkles?
Yes, coarse colored sugar works the same way and gives a crunchier top. The tiny nonpareils provide more contrast, but both look festive.
How do I keep the white chocolate drizzle from getting messy?
Let the cookies cool completely before drizzling. Warm cookies will melt the chocolate and cause it to slide off. A fork dipped in the melted chocolate gives you a thin controlled line.
Can I make these ahead for a party?
Bake them the day before and wait to drizzle the chocolate until just before serving. The cookies stay soft, but the drizzle looks freshest the same day.
My cookies spread into a blob, what went wrong?
The dough was too warm when it went into the oven. Slice it cold and bake immediately on a cool pan. If your kitchen is warm, chill the sliced rounds for 10 minutes before baking.
Pillsbury Christmas Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice dough into ¼ inch rounds and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Press the top of each round into sprinkles and return to sheet sprinkle side up, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are barely golden. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Melt white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set at room temperature, about 15 minutes.
