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Seeded At The Table

Sharing joy through food, community and travel.

December 9, 2014

Jingle Bell Bites

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Jingle Bell Bites are miniature shortbread Christmas cookies with green and red nonpareils speckled throughout for fun holiday cheer!  These Jingle Bell Bites are perfect for a Christmas treat bag!

Jingle Bell Bites (Holiday Shortbread Cookies)You saw these during Halloween, and now I’m introducing them again for Christmas.  Jingle Bell Bites!  It took me up until just five seconds ago to finally decide on what I would name these this time around.  I started with “HO! HO! Bites” to keep in line with the “BOO! Bites“, but then I changed to “Holiday Bites” and then finalized with “Jingle Bell Bites”.

Ah, the life of a food blogger trying to figure out the perfect name when all I really want is to share a fantastic recipe idea with you!  Name it what you want!  😉

Jingle Bell Bites (Holiday Shortbread Cookies)You should add this to your Christmas basket list because it makes quite a bit!  It’s a nice palette cleanser from the other very sweet things you may be including in your baskets, giving your gift recipients a little taste buds break!  They’re also super easy to whip up and hold up for days.  You can even freeze them!

Jingle Bell Bites (Holiday Shortbread Cookies)So, tell me, what would you name them?

Jingle Bell Bites (Holiday Shortbread Cookies)

Other “Bites”:
BOO! Bites
Cupid Bites
Leprechaun Bites

5 from 1 vote
Jingle Bell Bites (Holiday Shortbread Cookies)
Print
Jingle Bell Bites
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

These Jingle Bell Bites are miniature shortbread Christmas cookies with green and red nonpareils speckled throughout for fun holiday cheer!

Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American, Scottish
Keyword: Jingle Bell Bites, Shortbread Cookies
Servings: 12 -18 servings
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (plus more to butter the pan)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons Christmas colored nonpareils
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch pan, then line with parchment paper, pressing the sides and corners to stick.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and extract at medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a dough forms. It will be crumbly for a while, but keep beating. Stir in the nonpareils until evenly distributed.

  3. Transfer the dough to the lined pan and press evenly into the bottom. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch square pieces (a pizza cutter works well). Place the squares 1/2-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet; discard parchment paper. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until bottoms just begin to brown.
  4. Recipe Source: Adapted from Land O Lakes

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Related Posts

  • 10 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies10 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
  • BOO! BitesBOO! Bites
  • Leprechaun BitesLeprechaun Bites
  • Chocolate Chip Treasure CookiesChocolate Chip Treasure Cookies

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Christmas, Cookies, Holidays and Special Events, Kid Favorites

Previous Post: « Saturday Seeds: Live Video Chat with Santa Claus!
Next Post: Gingerdoodles (Gingerbread Snickerdoodle Cookies) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    December 9, 2014 at 1:01 PM

    They look lovely! Do you or any of your readers know if I could possibly directly substitute the AP flour with the gluten free AP flour blends (I use King Arthur GF AP)? Cookies made with GF flours are generally more crumbly but I’m wondering if these might hold up instead of become a pile of crumbs.

    I may try them anyway, but I just wanted to know if anyone else knew before I experiment.

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 9, 2014 at 1:46 PM

      Hi Jennifer! Good question! I do not know the answer, but hoping another reader who does will pipe in! 🙂

      Reply
      • Sheena says

        December 10, 2014 at 11:49 AM

        Hi Nikki, these little bites look super cute! I love the colored sprinkles, very festive 🙂

        Jennifer – I eat and bake gluten free and have found that sometimes you can sub directly but you often need to add other ingredients or tweak it in some way to make it work. The main problem with simply subbing out the flour based on volume (cups) rather than weight is that 1 cup of wheat AP flour doesn’t weigh the same as a cup of gluten free flour, and to further complicate the issue your cup of gluten free flour blend will very likely vary in weight from my gluten free blend because the combination of flours contained in it is probably different, unless we happen to be using the same brand.

        King Arthurs All Purpose Baking Mix looks like it is the same weight as their wheat based AP flour, so I would try with that (rather than their A P flour for this recipe, which weighs more according to their website) it also has xanthan gum already added so that should stop if from turning into a pile of crumbs.

        That said, my attempts to change a regular recipe to gluten free don’t always work, but I’ve learned a lot by trial and error!

        Reply
        • Nikki Gladd says

          December 10, 2014 at 1:20 PM

          Thank you, Sheena! 🙂

          Reply
          • Mary Addington says

            December 20, 2015 at 8:52 PM

            How do I order these? I don’t have time to bake them

          • Nikki Gladd says

            December 27, 2015 at 2:08 PM

            Hi Mary! Ha! I wish I could take orders! 🙂

  2. Karly says

    December 9, 2014 at 2:18 PM

    I remember your boo bites! I pinned it and it’s still one of my most popular pins! Haha! I would call these jingle bell bites, but I bet they’re fabulous no matter what you call them! 🙂 Pinning!

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 9, 2014 at 7:39 PM

      LOL! Well, I welcome any pins, that’s for sure! 😉

      Reply
  3. Stephanie @ Macaroni and Cheesecake says

    December 9, 2014 at 3:23 PM

    Love these! I have definitely got to make them because my husband is crazy for shortbread!

    Reply
  4. Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says

    December 9, 2014 at 5:10 PM

    I think Holiday Bites are the perfect name! So cute 🙂

    Reply
  5. Sheri says

    December 14, 2014 at 5:29 PM

    Delicious! I made these this afternoon for a school/division get together!

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 14, 2014 at 8:02 PM

      Thanks, Sheri! Glad you were able to share these!

      Reply
  6. Samantha says

    December 19, 2014 at 5:13 PM

    These look so yummy! About how little squares does it make? I’m trying to make enough, about a handful of these per co worker I have, about 18 people. I’m making them holiday stockings with treats! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Jenna says

    December 31, 2014 at 12:14 PM

    Hi! I’m currently making these but they are turning out very crumbly and dry. What do you think I can add to stop this?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 31, 2014 at 2:57 PM

      Hi Jenna, The dough is very crumbly at first, but should come together after a couple minutes of mixing. If it just doesn’t come together, try adding another (very small) drop of extract or a little milk (a very very small amount should make a big difference). Hope this helps! Happy new year!

      Reply
    • Missie says

      November 23, 2016 at 2:57 PM

      Mine did the same thing.. I need help

      Reply
  8. Katelyn Twigg says

    August 14, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    I made these and currently have them in the oven now. i followed the recipe but mine were crummy and i couldnt get them to stick together enough to roll them out or use a cookie cutter at all. i am wondering what i did wrong.

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      August 15, 2015 at 8:23 AM

      Hi Katelyn,
      Sorry for the difficulties. How long did you let it mix. It is very crumbly but after you keep mixing it eventually comes together to form a dough. It takes a few minutes. If it still doesn’t come together, splash in a very tiny amount of milk and keep mixing.

      You do not use a rolling pin or cookie cutter with these. Instead, press the dough with your hands into the pan and then remove from the pan to cut into squares with a cookie cutter. 🙂 Hope this helps!

      Reply
  9. Tracey says

    November 28, 2015 at 10:18 AM

    Hey Nikki,

    These look fantastic! I was wondering if they can be frozen? I have lots of goodies to make for a cookie exchange at work so I’d like to get started soon!

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      November 28, 2015 at 2:14 PM

      Hi Tracey!
      I think that would be fine, although I haven’t tested it to know for sure. 🙂

      Reply
    • Anonymous says

      December 14, 2015 at 6:27 PM

      Did you try freezing them? I made these last Christmas and they were just incredible. I’d love to freeze some as well. I just don’t know if I should freeze the dough or the baked cookie. I usually freeze the dough and thaw before baking.

      Reply
  10. Laurie says

    November 29, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    My first batch was also very crumbly, they didn’t turn out so well. Today I doubled the recipe and added an extra 1/4 cup of butter and they turned out excellent !! I also used salted butter by mistake and it didn’t seem to hurt them at all. Melt in your mouth !!!

    Reply
  11. Raylene says

    December 8, 2015 at 11:07 PM

    they look good and very easy you could call them santa (s) snacks just a thought

    Reply
  12. Denise says

    December 11, 2015 at 11:50 AM

    Would the size of the pan be 8″ X 8″? Which extract do you normally use, almond or vanilla? Do you keep mixing until it comes into a ball so it won’t be too crumbly? How many bits does one recipe make? How long would these keep?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 11, 2015 at 1:20 PM

      Hi Denise,
      Yes, 8×8-inch pan. I normally use vanilla, but have also used almond to switch it up. Yes, keep mixing until it comes into a ball and no longer crumbly. Keeps about 1 week. 🙂

      Reply
  13. kassidy says

    December 12, 2015 at 8:56 PM

    Hi i was wondering if these could be cut while raw and then baked in squares? Or if my 9×9 pan would work?

    Reply
  14. Cassidy says

    December 12, 2015 at 9:42 PM

    Would a 9×9 pan work? Can they be cut raw and then baked?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 14, 2015 at 9:23 PM

      Hi Cassidy, I haven’t tried a 9×9 but it would turn out a thinner cookie and may require less baking time. I’m not sure I understand your second question? The recipe does state to cut raw and then bake… 🙂

      Reply
  15. Nathalie says

    December 15, 2015 at 10:41 AM

    I’m unable to find Christmas colored nonpareils! Fresh out everywhere I go – I was able to scoop up red and green sugar sprinkles – do you think those would have the same effect?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 16, 2015 at 7:43 AM

      Oh, wow! Hmmmm… the sprinkles might melt more easily and spread in color. But, maybe you would end up with a neat tie-dye or stain glass effect?

      Reply
  16. Lauren says

    December 15, 2015 at 9:53 PM

    How many does this recipe make? I saw the 12-18 servings, but how many are in a serving?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 16, 2015 at 7:42 AM

      Hi Lauren,
      Every time I make these, I forget to count how many bites! It’s a lot!

      Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    December 21, 2015 at 5:28 PM

    This recipe is HORIBLE it was crummy literally

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 27, 2015 at 2:07 PM

      Hi Anonymous,
      I’m sorry you had problems. It sounds like you did not mix it long enough to get past the crumbly stage. You can add a drop of milk or vanilla if need be. I’ve made these countless times with great results. Maybe try again now that you had a first time to practice. 🙂

      Reply
  18. Jen says

    December 23, 2015 at 10:17 AM

    Hi! I was so excited to make these to add to my Christmas cookie tins, however, I’ve been really disappointed with the way they are turning out. They taste delicious, it’s the presentation that’s disappointing. They do not hold their shape and I’m frustrated by what I could be doing wrong! I’ve baked them from frozen, and alternatively just straight from the refrigerator and in both cases they lose their shape. I’ve even adjusted my oven temperature and they still look like cookie blobs. They start out like perfect little squares as in your picture…

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 27, 2015 at 1:59 PM

      Hi Jen,
      I’m sorry to hear you’re having problems! Are you at a higher altitude by any chance? Baking can vary in every kitchen, so there are also possibilities of humidity interfering, or oven temperature, different brand of ingredients, type of pan, parchment, etc. Are you using real butter, and not margarine or another alternative?

      Reply
  19. Laura B says

    August 21, 2016 at 11:58 AM

    Delicious! By no means is this a “horrible” recipe….if they came out wrong, try again because nikki, these are yummy! I actually added a heaping tsp full of peanut butter and a little extra flour and they are to die for. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  20. Elizabeth says

    November 4, 2016 at 10:15 PM

    We did a test run on these for a before holiday treat idea. My kid’s couldn’t stop eating them. So delicious. This will be our new favorite bite sized cookie ☺

    Reply
  21. Sarah says

    December 7, 2016 at 2:38 PM

    Just made these and couldn’t wait until they cooled off! 🙂 So delicious! I’ve made them as a gift for my kid’s tutors! I’m not sure how many will make it out of my house if my husband tries them! Great treat!

    Reply
  22. pretty pissed says

    December 20, 2016 at 11:55 PM

    This shortbread recipe is rubbish and needs revision. I don’t know what enchanted mixer you’re using, but my dough never came together and from the looks of it neither did many other’s.
    There are better shortbread recipes out there. I just used my old tried and true and added the sprinkles. It worked fine.

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 21, 2016 at 4:14 PM

      I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe. We use it all of the time and haven’t had issues. Others here have commented they’ve made this recipe with great results. If yours isn’t coming together, you can add more liquid just a few drops at a time. Please remember, too, it takes quite a while of mixing before the dough comes together.

      Reply
  23. Tanya says

    December 5, 2017 at 7:55 PM

    How flat do you press the dough in order for it to come out looking like a cube?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      September 28, 2018 at 4:51 PM

      Hi Tanya, Press until it fits the 8×8 pan.

      Reply
  24. Janis says

    December 18, 2017 at 3:52 PM

    Do you think it would be ok to double the recipe?

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      September 28, 2018 at 4:50 PM

      Yes, you can double the recipe.

      Reply
  25. Nikkip says

    December 6, 2018 at 5:01 PM


    I make these every year in mass production multiple times during the holiday season. Everyone loves them. I make them in both the almond and vanilla flavors. I use pure cane sugar which makes for a not as sweet cookie as white granulated sugar. These are wonderful and so easy my son loves helping!
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nikki Gladd says

      December 7, 2018 at 12:13 PM

      Thank you, Nikkip! I love that you get your son involved, too!

      Reply

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