The 10 Best Baking Sprinkles
Special Honors
Fancy Sprinkles Frequent Baker Subscription For the true enthusiast, the Fancy Sprinkles Frequent Baker Subscription delivers three new four-ounce jars per month. Premium blends typically include a themed combination of various toppings, custom candy shapes, and edible glitters. fancysprinkles.com
Wilton Recipe and Decorating Tutorials With a wide range of instructional videos, Wilton Recipe and Decorating Tutorials help boost the confectionery skills of professionals, novices, and children alike. Learn how to make icing roses, experiment with marbling fondant, and browse a large catalog of decorating ideas. wilton.com
Editor's Notes
June 24, 2020:
There's something about sprinkles that just makes us happy, so choosing the best ones to include on this list was fun but also a bit difficult to do. There are nearly endless topping options, particularly when you take into account deluxe party mixes, but we whittled things down by staying focused on taste, variety, and wide-ranging appeal.
We started by taking a look at the best jimmies, or decorettes, often considered the most traditional option. A Great Surprise Rainbow Topping is an excellent choice for people who bake often, as it provides an economic bulk supply without sacrificing quality. India Tree Chocolate Vermicelli is another classic that stands out because, unlike imitations, it's made from real cocoa and has a rich flavor.
Other highly recognizable selections include Wilton 710-4065 Nonpareils, which are crunchy, vibrant, and excellent on whipped cream, and Olive Nation Pastel Quins, which boast a saturated color palette and hold up well when added to batter.
We also thought it important to include options for people with allergies and dietary restrictions, like Good Dee's Sugar Free Rainbow, which offers classic taste but is sweetened with erythritol, and Supernatural Into The Woods, which is naturally made from vegetables, without soy or artificial dyes.
Since interest in cake decorating has exploded in the past several years, plenty of non-traditional options have become widely available as well, including edible glitters, like Fancy Sprinkles Prism Powder, which comes in bright jewel tones and can even be added to cocktails. But perhaps the most exciting category of all are the deluxe mixes, like Sweets Indeed Happy Unicorn Sparklefetti, which features a charming blend of whimsical colors and unicorn candy shapes. People drawn to these premium options might also be interested in our ranking of cake decorating sets and cupcake toppers.
One popular option we chose not to include on this list is silver pearls, or dragees. While high end and attractive, the metallic coloring can be toxic when consumed in larger amounts, and in fact the FDA does not recognize these toppings as food. Most sprinkle bottle labels will say "edible" if they qualify as such under federal guidelines, and "for decoration only" if they do not. Note that you may find many deluxe mixes that include silver dragees. If you choose to bake with these toppings, the best advice is to instruct guests to pick them off their dessert before taking a bite.