Sprinkles vs. Nonpareil — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 13, 2024
Sprinkles are tiny sugar rods used as a decorative topping; nonpareils are round, tiny sugar balls often used for texture and color on desserts.
Difference Between Sprinkles and Nonpareil
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Sprinkles, often colorful sugar rods or strands, are a popular choice for decorating cakes and ice cream. Nonpareils, while similar in use, consist of small, round sugar beads and are typically uniform in color per type. These are ideal for detailed decoration.
Sprinkles are available in a variety of colors and can sometimes include a mixture of shapes, providing a festive, confetti-like appearance. Nonpareils, on the other hand, are more often used to give a subtle elegance with their singular color and round shape, providing a textured effect.
Sprinkles tend to be softer to bite into due to their elongated shape and less dense composition. Nonpareils offer a slight crunch, making them a favorite for contrasting textures in soft desserts like cupcakes or frosted cookies.
Sprinkles are versatile in terms of usage, easily topping various desserts without altering the flavor significantly. Nonpareils are specifically chosen for their visual appeal and slight crunch, enhancing the sensory experience of desserts. While sprinkles are often seen in a casual, fun setting like birthday parties, nonpareils are chosen for more formal or precise decorative purposes.
Comparison Chart
Shape
Rods or strands
Round beads
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Texture
Softer, less dense
Crunchy, denser
Usage
General decoration
Detailed, precise decoration
Visual Appeal
Colorful, confetti-like
Elegant, often monochromatic
Sensory Contribution
Minimal texture contrast
Significant texture contrast
Compare with Definitions
Sprinkles
Small pieces of colored sugar used as a decoration on desserts.
She topped the frosted cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles.
Nonpareil
Often used to add a decorative and textural element.
Nonpareils added a crunchy texture to the otherwise smooth frosting.
Sprinkles
Edible decorative elements that are elongated and thin.
For the party, we bought ice cream and different flavored sprinkles.
Nonpareil
Ideal for detailed and precise dessert decorations.
For the wedding cake, the chef meticulously applied silver nonpareils.
Sprinkles
Commonly used as a topping on ice cream, cakes, and cookies.
The chocolate ice cream looked more appealing with colorful sprinkles on top.
Nonpareil
Having no equal; peerless
The Yankees' nonpareil center fielder.
Sprinkles
Available in multiple colors, often in mixtures.
He chose the blue and green sprinkles to match the theme of the ocean.
Nonpareil
Designating the smallest, most flavorful variety of pickled caper.
Sprinkles
Made primarily from sugar, cornstarch, and food coloring.
Sprinkles are essentially sugar, making them a sweet decoration.
Nonpareil
A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon.
Sprinkles
Sprinkles, which are known in some countries as hundreds and thousands, are very small pieces of confectionery used as an often colourful decoration or to add texture to desserts such as brownies, cupcakes, doughnuts or ice cream. The tiny candies are produced in a variety of colors and are generally used as a topping or a decorative element.
Nonpareil
A small pellet of variously colored sugar used to decorate or give texture to sweets.
Sprinkles
To scatter in drops or particles
Sprinkled sugar on the cereal.
Nonpareil
A small, flat chocolate drop covered with these pellets.
Sprinkles
To scatter drops or particles on
Sprinkled the buns with flour.
Nonpareil
Unequalled, unrivalled; unique.
Sprinkles
To intersperse with something as if by scattering
Sprinkled his speech with quotations.
Nonpareil
(countable) A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon.
Sprinkles
To distribute or intersperse at random
Sprinkled jokes throughout the speech.
Nonpareil
The blue underwing or Clifden nonpareil (Catocala fraxini), a species of moth distributed across the Palearctic; also (obsolete) any of a number of moths of other species.
Sprinkles
To scatter something in drops or particles.
Nonpareil
In full nonpareil parrot: the eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius), a species of rosella (parrot) native to southeastern Australia.
Sprinkles
To fall or rain in small or infrequent drops.
Nonpareil
The painted bunting (Passerina ciris), a brightly-coloured finch native to North America.
Sprinkles
The act of sprinkling.
Nonpareil
(archaic) In full nonpareil apple: a variety of apple tasting both sweet and tart which ripens very late in the season; also, the tree producing this fruit.
Sprinkles
A light rainfall.
Nonpareil
(archaic) Any of various types of small sweets.
Sprinkles
A small amount; a sprinkling.
Nonpareil
A small pellet of white or coloured sugar used as decoration on baked goods and candy.
Sprinkles
Sprinkles Small particles of candy sprinkled on ice cream as a topping.
Nonpareil
(by extension) A small, flat chocolate drop covered with such pellets of sugar, similar to a comfit.
Sprinkles
Plural of sprinkle
Nonpareil
(by extension) A bud]] of the smallest size.
Sprinkles
Small candy or sugar pieces that are sprinkled over other confections.
He had a double ice cream cone, with sprinkles.
Nonpareil
The size of type between ruby and emerald (or, in the United States, between agate and minion), standardized as 6-point; (countable) a slug of this size.
Sprinkles
Bits of sweet chocolate used as a topping on e.g. ice cream
Nonpareil
Something of unequaled excellence; a peerless thing or person; a nonesuch; - often used as a name.
Nonpareil
A size of type next smaller than minion and next larger than agate (or ruby).
Nonpareil
A beautifully colored finch (Passerina ciris), native of the Southern United States. The male has the head and neck deep blue, rump and under parts bright red, back and wings golden green, and the tail bluish purple. Called also painted bunting and painted finch.
Nonpareil
A small sphere, less than 1 mm diamter, of colored sugar, used to decorate confections; - usually used in the plural as though the name of a substance; as, sprinkled with nonpareils.
Nonpareil
A type of candy chocolate consisting of a small flat disk of chocolate, less than one inch diameter, having nonpareils{4} sprinkled on the top; as, she ate a box of nonpareils at the movie.
Nonpareil
Having no equal; peerless.
Nonpareil
Model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Nonpareil
Colored beads of sugar used as a topping on e.g. candies and cookies
Nonpareil
A flat disk of chocolate covered with beads of colored sugar
Nonpareil
Eminent beyond or above comparison;
Matchless beauty
The team's nonpareil center fielder
She's one girl in a million
The one and only Muhammad Ali
A peerless scholar
Infamy unmatched in the Western world
Wrote with unmatchable clarity
Unrivaled mastery of her art
Nonpareil
Tiny, round, sugar-coated candies used for decorating sweets.
She decorated the chocolate truffles with white nonpareils.
Nonpareil
Typically uniform in color, enhancing visual appeal.
The baker used red nonpareils to add a pop of color to the white icing.
Nonpareil
Composed of sugar and starch, often with a hard outer shell.
Nonpareils, though hard, dissolve pleasantly in the mouth.
Common Curiosities
What are sprinkles made of?
Sprinkles are made from sugar, cornstarch, and food coloring.
What are nonpareils?
Nonpareils are small, round sugar balls used for decorating desserts.
What is the primary use of sprinkles?
The primary use of sprinkles is to add a colorful, festive decoration to desserts.
How do nonpareils enhance dessert presentations?
Nonpareils add elegance and a crunchy texture, enhancing both the visual appeal and sensory experience of desserts.
Are sprinkles available in different colors?
Yes, sprinkles come in a variety of colors, often mixed together.
What is the typical shape of nonpareils?
Nonpareils are round and bead-like.
Do nonpareils come in different sizes?
Typically, nonpareils are uniformly small but may vary slightly depending on the brand.
What texture do sprinkles add to desserts?
Sprinkles generally add a minimal textural contrast due to their softer composition.
What texture do nonpareils add to desserts?
Nonpareils provide a noticeable crunch, contrasting with softer dessert components.
Can sprinkles be used in baking?
Yes, sprinkles can be baked into cookies and cakes or added after baking as a decoration.
Can sprinkles be used on any dessert?
Yes, sprinkles can be used to decorate a wide range of desserts, including cakes, cookies, and ice cream.
Are nonpareils suitable for all types of desserts?
Nonpareils are best suited for desserts requiring precise, detailed decorations, such as cupcakes and truffles.
What is the typical shape of sprinkles?
Sprinkles are typically rod-shaped or strand-like.
Are nonpareils used in baking?
Nonpareils are usually added after baking as they can melt under high temperatures.
Are there any dietary considerations with using sprinkles or nonpareils?
Both contain sugar and artificial colors, which might be considered in dietary choices.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
