Sprinkles are not all made equal. Some may withstand baking as part of your favorite cookie dough, while others cannot! It is critical to understand which are which for the greatest outcomes.

So what are the different types of sprinkles?

Continue reading to learn about the many types of sprinkles, how to use them, and sample recipes employing each kind.

Jimmies

They are the small rod-shaped sprinkles that you’re most likely to encounter, either in rainbow hues or plain chocolate, and they’re the best for baking. They may be added into dough without bleeding and do not melt in the end.

There has long been a dispute concerning the usage of the term jimmies. People are split on whether jimmies are solely chocolate sprinkles or also include rainbow sprinkles.

To be completely honest, I don’t name any of them jimmies and instead refer to them as chocolate sprinkles or rainbow sprinkles.

Nonpareils

These tiny little balls are fantastic for decorating frosted sugar cookies or a cake, but they bleed and leave a less-than-appealing look when added to cookie dough mixture.

Nonpareils come in a variety of hues, but rainbow nonpareils are the most frequent.

This variety is also known as hundreds and thousands in certain locations, which is cute but a mouthful (pun intended).

Quins (Confetti, sequins)

They will most likely be marketed as confetti sprinkles or sequins. Because they may resemble confetti and sequins!

Although their flat, round appearance is attractive, they dissolve when incorporated with bread and batter and cooked. They come in a variety of forms and sizes. Every Christmas, I use these heart-shaped quins to create my Grinch Crinkles Cookies.

Some recipes that use quins:

• Sugar Cookies with No Chill Cookie Cutter
• Halloween Candy Bark leftovers
• Tiramisu (for 2)
• Crackers for Christmas

Sugar pearls

These firm, circular sprinkles, also known as dragees, are ideal for adorning baked and frosted cookies to offer a beautiful crunch but should not be added to dough or batter.

Sugar pearls are used in the following recipes:

• Sugar Cookie Fairy Bread Bars
• Donuts with Baked Eggnog
• Bars of Sugar Cookie
• Crackers for Christmas
• Halloween Candy Bark leftovers

Coarse sugar

These, also known as sugar crystals, are fantastic for rolling cookie dough in before baking to give texture, crunch, and glitter, but they don’t contribute much to the recipe if added to the dough.

I used King Arthur Flours Sparkling White Sugar on my Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies in the picture above.

Some recipes that use coarse sugar include:

• (No Cold!) Maple Sugar Cookies
• Truffles with White Chocolate and Champagne
• Cupcakes with honey and vanilla frosting

Sanding sugar

Sanding sugar is also fantastic for rolling cookie dough in before baking to add a little sheen, but be aware that the moisture level of the cookie dough may absorb more of it than youd want depending on the sort of cookie you’re preparing.

I rolled my Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookie dough in sanding sugar before baking to give them a faint glitter in the picture above.

Edible glitter

Edible glitter is known by a variety of names, including disco dust, luster dust, diamond dust, petal dust, and I’m sure there are many more.

When sprinkled after everything has been cooked and cooled, it lends a shimmer and sheen to baked items.

How to store sprinkles

We discussed how not all sprinkles can withstand the heat of the oven, but this also means they don’t appreciate being kept in warm or humid surroundings.

You should keep them in airtight containers in a cold, dark environment with minimal humidity, particularly if you use transparent, glass containers. The majority of mine are kept in cute little mason jars on a two-tier lazy susan in a dark part of my pantry.

How long do sprinkles last?

The usual rule of thumb for properly maintained sprinkles is that they will last 12-18 months.