Some days, you just need a sweet little pick-me-up that’s cute, fun, and doesn’t require turning on the oven. That’s where these chocolate chip cookie dough balls with sprinkles come in! They’re the perfect bite-sized treat when you want something quick and satisfying but don’t feel like doing a full baking session. If you’re searching for quick dessert ideas that don’t require hours in the kitchen, this one’s a must-try. It’s one of those quick desserts easy simple enough for anyone to whip up on a whim—no baking skills required.
Whether you’re looking for easy desserts to make at home for yourself or a small crowd, these no-bake cookie dough balls are a total win. Keep them in the fridge for a sweet snack whenever you need a bite of something happy.
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Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
This recipe makes about 18-20 cookie dough balls, depending on the size you roll them. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark works)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (any kind, adjust for texture)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (heat-treated — see tip below)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles
- Mini cupcake liners (for serving)
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls with Sprinkles
This recipe comes together in about 10–15 minutes, making it one of my favorite quick and easy dessert recipes when I want something sweet without much effort.
1. Heat-treat the flour: Heat-treat your flour in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until it reaches a temperature of 160° F (I used a meat thermometer to measure). Or you can just bake at 350°F for 5 minutes to make it safe to eat. It’s really not safe to eat raw flour (I was surprised when I saw that it’s even written on most bags of flour!), so don’t skip this step, even though it seems like you could to save time.
2. Cream the butter and sugars: In a medium bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and milk: Stir in the vanilla extract and milk. The milk helps bring the dough together, but you can start with a tablespoon and then add a bit more to adjust the texture. I ended up using the full 2 tablespoons, but you may be able to get by with about a tablespoon and a half.
4. Mix in the flour and salt: Add the cooled, heat-treated flour and salt. Stir until everything is well combined. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
5. Add the fun stuff: Fold in the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. This is the part where it all comes to life—don’t be shy with the sprinkles!
6. Roll into balls: Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll it into a ball with your hands. Or, use a small cookie scoop to get evenly sized cookie dough balls. If you want to be fancy, roll each ball in extra sprinkles or mini chips for a cute finish.
7. Chill or serve: You can eat them right away (no judgment), but I like to pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes so they firm up just a bit.
Pro Tips
- Make ahead for the week: These store super well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze beautifully—just let them thaw for a few minutes before eating.
- Use Jimmies for Sprinkles It’s very odd for me to call sprinkles Jimmies! To me, they’re just sprinkles. However, if you search sprinkles online or on a store’s website, you’ll get a lot of different things. You want the ones called jimmies, because those are coated in a kind of wax that keeps them from dissolving and bleeding their color all over your dough. Sanding sugar and nonpareils are not ideal for this recipe.
- Heat-treating flour is key: It only takes a couple minutes and ensures the dough is completely safe to eat. Really, to microwave my flour, I only had to microwave for about a minute and my flour reached a temperature of 190°, which is totally hot enough to kill the bacteria and things lurking in raw flour. So, if you don’t feel like turning on your oven, I definitely recommend heat treating with the microwave. I usually heat treat my flour first so it has time to cool before adding it in with the rest of the ingredients
- Keep ‘Em Cool Because these are no-bake and contain butter, they can get soft if left out too long on a hot day. Keep them chilled until serving time, especially if you’re bringing them to an outdoor picnic or BBQ.
- Use a cookie scoop: If you want evenly sized dough balls, a small cookie scoop makes the job so much faster and cleaner.
- Holiday twist: Switch up the sprinkle colors depending on the season. Red and green for Christmas, pastels for spring, or team colors for game day snacks!
FAQs
Can I bake these cookie dough balls?
Not really—this dough doesn’t have eggs or leavening, so it won’t behave like regular cookie dough in the oven. It’s meant to be enjoyed raw (and safely!).
Do I have to use mini chocolate chips?
Mini chips work best because they’re evenly distributed, but if all you have are regular chocolate chips, give them a rough chop before mixing them in.
How do I heat-treat flour if I don’t have a thermometer?
You don’t need one! Just bake the flour on a baking sheet for 5–7 minutes at 350°F, or microwave it in short bursts. It should feel warm and slightly dry—not hot enough to burn, but enough to kill any bacteria.
Can I use dairy-free ingredients?
Absolutely. Sub the butter for a plant-based alternative, and use your favorite non-dairy milk. There are even vegan-friendly chocolate chips out there if you want to make this recipe completely dairy-free.
What if my dough is too wet or dry?
For wet dough, it will indeed firm up in the fridge after being chilled. You can even chill the bowl of dough in the fridge before scooping. If that doesn’t work, add more flour about a tablespoon at a time. For dry dough, add a tiny splash of milk (like 1/2 teaspoon at a time) and mix again until it comes together. The texture should be soft, like playdough.
These chocolate chip cookie dough balls with sprinkles are one of my go-to quick and easy dessert recipes when I’m short on time but want something fun and sweet. They check all the boxes: quick dessert ideas, no baking, super customizable, and just the right amount of nostalgic childhood joy.
Whether you’re whipping up a small batch for yourself or prepping a tray for friends, these are easy desserts to make at home that actually feel special. Keep this recipe saved—you’ll be reaching for it again and again.
Let me know in the comments if you try them! Have fun trying all kinds of colorful sprinkles!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Equipment
- 1 Small Cookie Scoop optional, but very helpful
- 1 Electric Hand or Stand Mixer
- 20-24 Mini Cupcake Liners for serving
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 Tbsp milk adjust for texture
- 1 cup all-purpose flour heat-treated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Heat-treat your flour in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until it reaches a temperature of 160° F (I used a meat thermometer to measure). Or you can just bake at 350°F for 5 minutes to make it safe to eat.
- In a medium bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and milk. The milk helps bring the dough together, but you can start with a tablespoon and then add a bit more to adjust the texture later. I ended up using the full 2 tablespoons, but you may be able to get by with about a tablespoon and a half.
- Add the cooled, heat-treated flour and salt. Stir until everything is well combined. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles.
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll it into a ball with your hands. Or, use a small cookie scoop to get evenly sized cookie dough balls. If you want to be fancy, roll each ball in extra sprinkles or mini chips for a cute finish.
- Chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes so they firm up just a bit (Or eat them right away! That's just as fun.)
