I don’t go in for topping my ice cream with candy. It’s sweet enough for me as it is. But, I’m the exception! You can’t have an ice-cream shop without an assortment of sprinkles or jimmies, those little sweet candy pieces that ice cream lovers use to adorn their scoop or cone. But what’s the difference between sprinkles and jimmies? It depends on where you live and who you ask.
Jimmies vs. Sprinkles: The Quick Comparison
To understand the difference, you have to look at both shape and geography. While the terms are often used interchangeably, they technically refer to different things depending on where you are standing.
The Verdict: In the Northeast, “Jimmies” are the long chocolate rods. Everywhere else, “Sprinkles” is the umbrella term for all tiny sugar decorations, including the rod-shaped ones (also known as hundreds and thousands).
What are Jimmies?
Let’s start with jimmies. Jimmies are, technically, if I may use the term, the name for little chocolate sprinkles. Even more specifically, jimmies are the small chocolate rod-shaped, chocolate candies people put on ice cream. However, the same term might be used for the multi-colored candy pieces or for any flavor or type of small sprinkles you might put on ice cream.
💡 Did You Know? That “brain freeze” you get from eating ice cream too fast actually has a scientific name: Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia. It’s not actually your brain freezing, but a fascinating survival reflex in your mouth.
Learn the Science (and the cure) Of the Braine Freeze
Origin of Ice Cream Jimmies
The term jimmies is said to have started with Just Born. This iconic candy company is responsible for Marshmallow Peeps, Mike & Ikes, Hot Tamales, and Good N’ Plenty candies. They started in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1923. The company’s founder, Sam Born, is often credited for inventing those little chocolate sprinkles for ice cream. He is also said to have pioneered hard coatings on ice cream. Pretty radical!
During the 1930s, Just Born manufactured chocolate ice cream sprinkles and, according to the story, a fellow named Jimmy was in charge of the machine that made them. So, people at the company started calling the little candies jimmies, and the name stuck. Jimmy’s last name may have been Bartholomew, but I haven’t confirmed this. Nor have I been able to confirm whether he actually existed.
Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but chocolate jimmies (or sprinkles) taste only vaguely of chocolate. They are mostly sugar, corn starch, and a bit of fat. Some cocoa powder is thrown in for a nice brown color.
The Dutch have a version of these called Hageslag. They like to put them on buttered bread. In the Netherlands, they are crazy for hagelsag sandwiches and eat over 700,000 of them a day. Unlike chocolate jimmies, hageslag has flavor. To make them, they make chocoate in into a past by adding powdered sugar. If this sounds like chocolate cake icing, well, that’s pretty much what it is.
Sprinkles Versus Jimmies
Sprinkles are any small candy-like pieces you put on ice cream or, whatever else you like (yes, people put sprinkles on buttered bread). But, the term usually refers to the small multi-colored candy pieces used for topping. These are made in much the same way as chocolate sprinkles, except those colors are only there for decoration. They have no flavor. None. Nada. They are mostly sugar, and whether chocolate or flavorless, they are coated with a wax or confectioner’s glaze to make them shiny. Chocolate or not, they are used to add texture, not taste.
These vibrant colors are strictly for decoration, but the technical reality of how they get that color has changed. Historically, rainbow sprinkles relied on synthetic FD&C dyes. However, the modern ‘clean label’ movement has shifted toward Plant-Based Colors. Premium sprinkles now utilize Spirulina Extract for blues and greens, and beet or turmeric for reds and yellows. To maintain that classic crunch without being synthetic, these artisanal versions are still finished with a Confectioner’s Glaze (shellac) or a carnauba wax coating to keep the colors from bleeding into the ice cream
What you call these ice cream toppers depends on where you’re from. People in Philadelphia and Boston call chocolate sprinkles jimmies. However, New Yorkers tend to call them sprinkles. You may hear the term jimmies way up North in Michigan or Wisconsin. Then again, you may not.
In summary, jimmies are chocolate sprinkles. Sprinkles are any small candy pieces used for a topping. And, sometimes sprinkles that are not chocolate are called jimmies.
I mentioned Philadelphia. According to the Jimmies vs. Sprinkles article at BillyPenn.com, they actually fight over the proper name for a flavorless, crunchy candy thing people put on ice cream? I guess everybody needs their hill to climb.
Planning an Ice Cream Social?
Whether you call them jimmies or sprinkles, the presentation of your toppings can change the entire “forensic” profile of a dessert. If you’re setting up a DIY sundae station at home, these professional-grade tools help keep your toppings organized and your scoops perfect:
- Stainless Steel Condiment Server: Using a chilled condiment tray with individual compartments is the best way to keep your jimmies, sprinkles, and fruit toppings organized and fresh during a party.
- Professional Heavy-Duty Scoop: A high-end stainless steel ice cream scoop with with plenty of heft will retain heat when you run hot water over it and a nice thick handle and sharp(ish) edges will allow for a perfect spherical scoop sphere every time, preventing the ice cream from sticking.
- Glass Topping Jars: For a more classic look, Apothecary-style glass jars allow the vibrant colors of rainbow sprinkles to serve as part of the decor.
- Silicone Ice Cream Spoons: These are a favorite for families because they are gentle on the mouth and allow you to scrape every last bit of melted ice cream from the bottom of the bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions: Jimmies and Sprinkles
Are “Jimmies” a racist term? There is a popular urban legend that the name “Jimmies” has a racial origin. However, most food historians and the Just Born candy company maintain that the name was simply an homage to a man named Jimmy, who operated the first sprinkle machine in the 1930s. No credible evidence exists linking the name to racial slurs.
What are sprinkles called in other countries? In the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, sprinkles are commonly called “hundreds and thousands.” In the Netherlands, where they are eaten on buttered bread for breakfast, they are known as “hagelslag.” This is not the exact same confection, though.
Why are they called “Jimmies” in Boston and Philly? The term gained a foothold in these specific regions due to the distribution patterns of the Just Born company (based in Bethlehem, PA) and early marketing efforts in the mid-Atlantic and New England areas during the early 20th century.
What is the difference between chocolate jimmies and rainbow sprinkles? Beyond the color, the main difference is the ingredient list. Chocolate jimmies usually contain a small amount of low-grade cocoa powder for color and a mild waxy flavor, whereas rainbow sprinkles are purely sugar, cornstarch, and artificial food coloring with no distinct flavor of their own.
📚 Further Reading: Frozen Favorites & Candy Science
- Slurpee vs. ICEE: Is There Really a Difference? — If you think the Jimmies debate is heated, wait until you see the breakdown of these two iconic frozen carbonated beverages.
- The History of “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream” — Take a deep dive into the 1920s novelty song that gave us the most famous catchphrase in dessert history.
- When Was Candy Corn Invented? — Sprinkles aren’t the only small candies with a long history; discover the agricultural roots of this polarizing seasonal treat.
- Why Do Wintergreen Lifesavers Spark in the Dark? — After learning about the “Brain Freeze” reflex in this post, explore the fascinating science of triboluminescence.