Cookies are a classic, go-to dessert. They're typically easy to make, and big batches of dough yield enough cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth for a few days. Have you ever found yourself with a serious cookie craving, a shortage of ingredients, and no willpower to head to the store? Shortbread bites are your answer. 

With only five ingredients, you don't even have to worry about milk or eggs for the dough. The sprinkles are totally optional, but highly recommended to brighten up your treats. You can even play around with which sprinkles you use to fit the occasion, but rainbow is always a classic.

Shortbread Sprinkle Bites

  • Prep Time:45 mins
  • Cook Time:12 mins
  • Total Time:57 mins
  • Servings:20
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 + 1 1/2 tbsp nonpareils sprinkles divided
sweet, cake, candy
Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 1

    Assemble the ingredients.

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    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 2

    Cut butter into tablespoons and cream with the sugar using an electric mixer.

    sweet, dairy, butter, cream, milk, dairy product
    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 3

    Mix in the almond extract.

    #SpoonTip: If you're a big fan of vanilla you can substitute it out for the almond extract.

    cream, espresso, milk, tea, coffee
    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 4

    On low speed, add the flour and salt gradually until well combined.

    ice, sweet, dough, flour, cream, dairy product, milk
    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 5

    Mix in 2 1/2 tablespoons of the sprinkles. Be sure not to over mix or the colors may start to bleed (unless that's your #aesthetic).

    cream, chocolate, candy, sprinkles, cake
    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 6

    In a baking dish, lined with parchment paper, smooth the dough evenly with your hands. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, pre-heating the oven to 350° half-way through chilling the dough.

    pastry, goody, sprinkles, cake, sweet, candy
    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 7

    Take the dough out of the fridge and lift it from the dish by the edges of the parchment paper. You can use either a 9x9 or 9x13 dish for the previous step, but this will affect how you cut the dough. Use a pizza cutter to slice rows into the dough to create the cubes. If you used a 9x9 dish you should cut the cube height in half as well. so it keeps its square shape.

    cookie, pastry, sprinkles, sweet, chocolate, candy, cake
    Caroline Ingalls
  • Step 8

    Transfer the cubes to a ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden, then enjoy the finished product! Store the extras in an airtight container for optimum freshness.

    candy, cake, marshmallow
    Caroline Ingalls

Fun to make and fun to eat, these shortbread cookie bites are the perfect treat for any beginner baker. Inspired by Cooking Classy, this recipe is a must have for your next get-together.