Chocolate Sprinkles Recipe

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit a piping bag with a very small round tip (1–2 mm) or prepare a plastic sandwich bag and cut a tiny corner for piping. Alternatively, have a silicone mat and an offset spatula ready if you will shape sprinkles manually.

Cream butter and sugars

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with the granulated sugar until mostly combined and slightly fluffy (about 1–2 minutes) using a hand mixer or whisk.

Incorporate cocoa and dry ingredients

Sift together the powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder into the bowl. Add the cornstarch and the pinch of fine salt. Fold the dry mix into the creamed butter with a spatula until a stiff, crumbly but workable dough forms.

Add chocolate and liquids

Melt the chopped dark chocolate gently (double boiler or short bursts in microwave, stirring frequently) until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla extract, and whole milk (start with 2 tsp) to the bowl. Mix until the mixture comes together into a thick, pipeable paste. If the dough is too stiff, add milk very sparingly, 1/4 tsp at a time. If too soft, add a little more powdered sugar (1–2 tsp). If desired for sheen and slight looseness, add up to 1 tsp neutral oil and mix.

Fill piping bag

Transfer the chocolate paste into the prepared piping bag (use a coupler if preferred). Remove air pockets by pressing the paste down toward the tip.

Pipe thin ropes

On the parchment-lined baking sheet, pipe long, continuous thin ropes about 1.5–2 inches (4–5 cm) long and roughly 1–2 mm thick. Leave a small gap between ropes. If using a plastic bag, snip a very small corner (start small; you can enlarge if needed).

Alternative shaping

If you don’t have a piping setup, spread the paste as a very thin sheet (about 1–2 mm) between two sheets of parchment using an offset spatula, then chill until firm and cut into thin matchstick strips with a sharp knife or a pizza wheel.

Let the piped ropes sit at room temperature on the parchment until they are set to the touch (about 30–60 minutes). For faster setting, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15–25 minutes. The goal is to dry them enough to hold their shape but not become rock-hard.

Once set, use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to chop the ropes into sprinkle-sized pieces roughly 3–5 mm long. If you piped short ropes instead of long ones, you can leave them as-is or trim tips for uniformity.

Optionally, toss the finished sprinkles with a light dusting (about 1/2 tsp) of extra cocoa powder to remove any residual stickiness and enhance matte appearance.

For best shelf stability, lay the sprinkles in a single layer on a baking sheet and let them air-dry at room temperature overnight (8–12 hours) or until thoroughly dry. You can also dry them in an oven at the lowest temperature (around 170°F / 75°C) with the door cracked for 30–60 minutes—check frequently to avoid melting.

Store completely cooled and dry sprinkles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze up to 3 months in a sealed container separated by parchment to avoid clumping.