13 Best Christmas Sprinkles Of 2026
The best Christmas sprinkles are the ones that survive contact with frosting. That means jimmies and shaped quins hold their color in buttercream, while nonpareils bleed unless the icing has already set.
Past that, it comes down to what you are decorating. A six-cell assortment covers a week of baking, a bulk bag covers a decorating party, and a flavored finishing sugar earns its place on brownies and hot chocolate rather than cookies.
Here are the 13 that are worth buying this year, all checked for stock and buy box before this list went up.
A note on timing: holiday sprinkles are one of the fastest categories to sell out on Amazon, and several of last season’s picks are already gone for good. If something here suits you, do not leave it until December.
How To Choose The Best Christmas Sprinkles
Gone are the days of little room for creativity with our only options being simple red and green sprinkles or silver balls to top our cakes and desserts.
The world of sprinkles has exploded over the last few years and the choices are now virtually endless!
Sprinkles are tiny colorful pieces of confectionary, used to decorate sweet treats. They add color, sparkle and fun to cakes, cookies, and desserts.
Some people also use them in fun and inventive ways, such as on pancakes, yogurt, and even popsicles!
But with such a huge range of sprinkles available, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your baked treats.
If you are on the hunt for some sprinkles for your holiday desserts, here is what you should take into consideration.
Type Of Sprinkle
Peek into any cake decorating store and you will be blown away at the choice of sprinkles available.
They come in a huge range of colors, sizes, shapes, and flavors. Sprinkles are now available in different themes, covering everything from your child’s favorite TV show through to every different holiday season.
They might just look like a load of different shapes to you and me, but these different styles of sprinkles all have names!
Let’s take a look into the types of sprinkles you could choose to decorate your Christmas cookies and cakes:
Nonpareils
This type of sprinkle is the one most of us grew up with! Tiny multi-colored balls of sugar, which add crunch and color to your desserts, cakes, and ice-cream.
Did anyone else used to sneak a handful from the tub when you were a child, or just me?!
Nonpareils are typically added as a final decoration after baking and icing. They will stick to icing before it sets, however the color may bleed slightly if it is too wet.
These tiny balls also have a tendance to roll everywhere, so if you’re letting your kids put them on be prepared to find them in nooks and crannies for days afterwards!
If you’ve ever been tempted to add nonpareils to a cake batter or cookie dough mix, then be aware that this is a bad idea!
The delicate sugar shapes will dissolve, losing their shape and bleeding color into the mix.
And we all know what happens when you mix all the colors together – yep, all those beautiful bright colors will create a brown cake mix!
Quins – Also Known As Sequins Or Sugar Shape
These sugary sprinkles are larger than nonpareils and come in many different shapes and colors.
As with nonpareils, they should not be used prior to baking, as they will lose their shape and color.
The great thing about quins is that they can be cut into different shapes. So, as well as balls, you can get stars, butterflies, candy canes, and even Christmas tree quins!
Jimmies
The best thing about Jimmies is the huge range of color combinations available! These tiny rod-shaped sugar strands aren’t just for decoration either.
Their color bleeds less than other sprinkle options, so they can be baked into recipes as well as sprinkled on top.
Dragees – Also Known As Edible Pearls
Dragees are little candy balls, coated in a metallic glaze. This gives them a shiny metal coating, perfect for adding sparkle and bling to your baked creations!
Although they may look like little metal balls, dragees are perfectly edible and easy to crunch.
They come in a variety of sizes and different metallic effects, making it easy to find dragees to suit every theme.
There are a couple of things to be careful of with dragees. Firstly, many of them are labelled as not for human consumption, so check carefully before purchasing!
You don’t want to decorate your cakes with hundreds of beautiful balls which need to be removed before eating.
Secondly, it is not advisable to use dragees for cakes intended for small children. Toddlers and babies may find the balls difficult to chew, and there is a risk of choking.
It is not advisable to add dragees to the cake mix before baking either, as the crunchy balls will become hidden within the cake.
Sanding Sugar
Sanding sugar consists of medium-sized crystallized pieces of sugar, available in a variety of colors.
These delicate sprinkles add sparkle, color, and crunch to cakes, giving an almost glittery finish.
The best thing about sanding sugar is that it can be added before baking. It will not melt in the oven and will add a lovely finish to a wide range of festive goodies.
Pearl Sugar – Also Known As Course Sugar And Sugar Crystals
This sugary sprinkle is larger than sanding sugar but can be used in exactly the same way.
Ingredients And Nutritional Requirements
When buying sprinkles, it is easy to get carried away with the wonderful colors, shapes, and sizes, and forget to take a peek at the ingredient list!
Now we’re not suggesting that you need to look for a healthy option – after all, we’re sprinkling sugary decorations onto a very indulgent cake – but there are some things you might want to look out for.
Look at the additives, flavorings, and colorings of your sprinkles. It is very likely that these bright and sparkly treats will have lots of artificial additives, but you might want to steer clear of these and opt for a more natural version.
There are also sprinkles available with natural colors and flavorings.
If you are catering for anyone with special nutritional requirements, check out the sprinkle’s ingredient list carefully.
Most will say if they are suitable for vegetarians, vegans, or those on a gluten-free diet. If they don’t say it on the packaging, then they most likely are not suitable!
The final thing to watch out for is any small print which might say that your sprinkles are not intended for human consumption.
This is very common in dragees, where in some countries the metallic covering is not licensed as safe to eat.
The 13 Best Christmas Sprinkles
From shimmering pearl sugar to tiny little Christmas trees, the key to choosing the perfect sprinkle is to find one which fits your theme like a glove.
Below are our top picks for the 13 best Christmas sprinkles.
1. Sweets Indeed Christmas Sprinkles Mix, 6-Cell Jar
Six compartments, six sprinkle styles, one jar.
You get jimmies, nonpareils, sugar pearls and shaped quins in red, green and white, so a single purchase covers a whole week of baking.
Buy this one if you decorate a lot of different things and do not want six separate bottles rolling around the cupboard. It sits at 4.7 stars across 2,160 reviews.
2. Sprinkle Deco Happy Christmas Reindeer & Snowflakes Sprinkles
Looking for something for a kids Christmas party?
These Sprinkle Deco Happy Christmas Reindeer & Snowflakes Sprinkles fit the bill perfectly!
We love the fun shapes and mix of colors, great for a festive party or Christmas eve treat.
This sprinkle mix contains a mix of jimmies and quins and would look great topped off with a reindeer cupcake topper.
3. DecoPac Sparkling Gold Sanding Sugar
Gold sanding sugar is the fastest way to make a plain cookie look finished.
The crystals are coarse enough to catch the light, so a dusting over royal icing reads as glittery instead of gritty.
Use it on shortbread edges, gingerbread stars, or around the rim of a hot chocolate mug. 4.6 stars across 1,629 reviews.
4. Sweets Indeed Christmas Tree Sprinkle Mix
How cute are the little Christmas tree shapes in this Sweets Indeed Christmas Tree Sprinkle Mix?!
Tiny little green trees, with a hand blended mix of jimmies, nonpareils, sugar pearls and sugar shapes in bright, festive colors.
These Christmas sprinkles are gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, and dairy-free; however, they are not labeled as suitable for vegans.
5. Wilton Holiday Sprinkles Assortment
Struggling to choose a sprinkle mix? Well, why pick one when you can have six!
This great multipack gives you a choice of Christmas-themed sprinkles, all in festive red, green, and white colors.
The lovely Wilton Holiday Sprinkles Assortment means you can decorate all your different festive goodies exactly how you want, with an individual twist on each one.
Nothing looks better than a tray of colorful cupcakes, each with a unique design!
This sprinkle pack includes the following:
- Red and green sanding sugars
- Red, green, and white nonpareils
- Red, green, and white jimmies
- Red, green, and white confetti sprinkles
- A medley of green trees, white stars, and red jimmies.
6. Manvscakes Natural Snowflake Sprinkles (No Artificial Dyes)
If artificial colors are off the table at your house, this is the holiday option that still looks like Christmas.
Snowflake shapes, colored from plant sources rather than dyes, at 4.3 stars across 652 reviews.
The colors come out softer than the supermarket stuff. That is the trade-off with natural coloring, and against white icing they still show up clearly.
7. Unpretentious Holiday Jimmies
Plain red, green and white jimmies in a 12 ounce jar that will outlast the season.
Jimmies are the workhorse sprinkle. They hold their shape in buttercream instead of bleeding the way nonpareils do, which makes them the safer choice on frosted cookies.
4.5 stars across 1,522 reviews.
8. McCormick Candy Cane Finishing Sugar
This one is peppermint flavored sugar rather than a plain decoration, so it adds taste as well as crunch.
Shake it over brownies, hot chocolate or a cheesecake and you get the candy cane hit without chopping up actual candy canes.
It is a limited edition run, so grab it early in the season. 4.7 stars across 2,334 reviews.
9. Wilton Edible Gold Glitter Stars
Whoever invented these shimmering little stars is an absolute genius!
Whether you’re looking for a simple way to add some sparkle to your cakes, or going for maximum blink, a scattering of Wilton Edible Gold Glitter Stars will create an amazing Christmassy effect.
This sprinkle variety also carries over well for any treats you might want to prepare for a New Year’s Eve party.
10. India Tree Bright White Sparkling Sugar Sprinkles
If you’re looking to add some sparkle into your baked goods, then give India Tree Bright White Sparkling Sugar Sprinkles a try.
As they can be added before baking, they work well when you want to decorate without using icing.
This is the perfect sprinkle to combine with other large festive-shaped sprinkles!
Plus, they come in a 3-pack, so you’ll have plenty of snowy sparkle to dust onto whatever you’d like.
11. A Great Surprise Christmas Sprinkles, 1.6 lb Bulk
A 1.6 pound bag, which is the right call if you bake for a crowd or host a cookie decorating night.
Red, green and white holiday jimmies. Nothing fancy, just a lot of them.
4.6 stars across 2,520 reviews, and the bag reseals so the rest keeps until next year.
12. Atkinson’s Mint Twists Crushed Peppermint
Crushed peppermint candy rather than a sugar sprinkle, so it brings real mint flavor and a proper crunch.
This is what you want on peppermint bark, brownie tops, and the rim of a frosted glass.
It softens once it sits on wet frosting, so scatter it right before serving. 4.7 stars across 2,932 reviews.
13. A Great Surprise White Nonpareils
Tiny white beads that read as snow on anything dark.
Chocolate cupcakes, gingerbread, a dark ganache tart, all of them look finished with a scatter of these.
Nonpareils are the ones that bleed color into wet icing, but white ones have nothing to bleed, which makes them the safest of the bunch. 4.4 stars across 930 reviews.
