The flavors of Funfetti and yellow cake batter are paired in these sweet and easy blondies, complete with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, and plenty of sprinkles. The blondies are dense, soft, ultra-moist, and Fun.
The recent tragedy that’s been all over the news has served as a reminder that no matter how busy my life is, and how many different directions I’m being pulled in, that my almost six-year old daughter is my greatest gift and to savor and appreciate each day I have with her even more, stop and smell more roses, give more hugs, and eat more blondies. I made these for my pink-loving princess and wanted her eyes to light up upon seeing them.
I combined two of my favorite flavors, Funfetti and yellow cake batter, for these sweet and easy blondies, complete with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, and plenty of sprinkles. Sprinkles put the fun in Funfetti.
Many cake batter-flavored recipes that I read online use cake mix, which isn’t a shocker since cake mix is a logical ingredient in cake batter. However, I wanted to create cake batter-flavored without using a mix, just because I like to complicate things.
The from-scratch batter comes together quicker than if cake mix was used, can be mixed by hand in less than five minutes, and the blondies are ready from start to finish in thirty minutes. So take that, boxed mix.
Make the batter by melting one stick of butter, add brown and granulated sugars, an egg, and a healthy dose of vanilla. There’s a higher ratio of brown to granulated sugar, which keeps the blondies extra moist and they stay moist for days. Brown sugar draws in moisture from the air as time passes, and helps to keep baked goods soft over time. Unlike my other blondie recipes that strictly rely on brown sugar, a bit of granulated is used here to provide more authentic yellow cake flavor.
The secret ingredient that provides that telltale yellow birthday cake meets Funfetti flavor quality comes from the vanilla. If you think I’m going to say I used high-end, expensive, real vanilla extract, you’re wrong. This is a rare situation in baking where imitation vanilla extract, specifically clear, is preferred to real.
I learned from the Momofuku Milk Bar
cookbook that imitation vanilla provides a nostalgic, classic Americana flavor. Taking a whiff of clear imitation vanilla is akin to burying my nose in a box of yellow or Funfetti cake mix crossed with a white grocery-store bakery cake, complete with inch-thick white frosting. I grew up with white sheetcake birthday cakes and clear imitation vanilla brings me right back to 1986, the roller rink, blowing out my birthday candles, and it’s perfect in the blondies.
Clear imitation vanilla is typically sold next to real vanilla extract for a fraction of the cost. Real vanilla extract may of course be used here, but for $2.99 clear imitation is fun to keep around, especially for white cakes or white frosting. It lends a comforting flavor profile and doesn’t impart any twinges of brown in frosting I want to keep bright white. This reminds me of the butter extract discussion.
After adding one tablespoon of vanilla, flour, white and semi-sweet chips, or mix-and-match as desired because there’s no wrong way to do Funfetti, I added a heaping quarter cup of sprinkles to the batter. After pouring the batter into the pan, I sprinkled with an additional tablespoon, mostly for a visual pop of color. Being skimpy with sprinkles is never good.
Bake the blondies just until the top has set, taking care not to overbake. They’re meant to be soft and tender.
They’re moist, dense, and taste like Funfetti birthday-cake cake batter. The vanilla adds a special touch and gives the blondies that luscious cake-batter scent. They remind me of all the beaters coated in cake batter I ever licked.
The chocolate chips and white chocolate chips add just enough chocolate and their presence is nice and noted, but they don’t overpower the more delicate cake batter flavor. And having little bits of sprinkles between my teeth in each bite adds welcome texture to the soft, doughy blondies.
My job was done when I saw the smile on my daughter’s face as she bit into this.
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Funfetti Cake Batter Blondies {Without Cake Mix}
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract, real vanilla extract may be used, see note below
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- ½ heaping cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup rainbow-colored sprinkles, for batter
- 1 tablespoon rainbow-colored sprinkles, for sprinkling top surface
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 90 seconds. To the melted butter (allow it to cool slightly so you don't scramble the egg), add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Note regarding vanilla extract - clear, imitation vanilla extract helps provide classic Funfetti cake batter flavor in a nostalgic, classic, Americana birthday-cake kind of way. It's sold in clear bottles next to real vanilla extract, for a fraction of the cost. Real vanilla extract may be used, but it will darken the batter slightly and isn't quite as spot-on for flavor, but is acceptable.
- Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix or the bars will be tough. Fold in white and semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a combination of your favorite kinds of chips) and 1/4 cup (or more) sprinkles. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula or offset knife if necessary. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon additional sprinkles for a nice visual pop of color.
- Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until center is set and golden or until edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of pan, or a toothpick comes out clean; do not overbake. Allow blondies to cool completely in pan before slicing and serving, at least one hour. Blondies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To keep gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free flour blend, taking care that all other ingredients used are acceptable for your dietary needs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I wrote a post called 15 Things to Do with Cake Mix (and none of them actually make a cake) – It’s one of my most popular pins on Pinterest
Do you like Funfetti flavors? Sprinkles? Cake batter-flavored treats?
Who can say no to any of those things and I couldn’t resist surprising my little girl with these.
Thanks for the Heilala Gourmet Vanilla Giveaway and the Handmade Luxury Chocolate Giveaway entries
Hi Averie! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR BLOG. Okay, so, I have a quick question about these delicious-looking blondies. Could I make the batter and bake them as cookies? Have you tried that and had any success? Do you have any idea if that would work or not? Thanks so so much! :)
I actually have a recipe for funfetti cookies and they are amazing! Make these! https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/07/softbatch-funfetti-sugar-cookies.html
Thanks for the compliments and LMK how they turn out!
Hi Averie!
Can I use a pyrex 9x7x2.5 dish for these blondies? Or maybe an 8×11.5×2 pan will be better? These two are the only ones I have on hand. What do you suggest?
A 9×7 is closer to an 8×8 so I’d use that. Watch them because glass bakes at a different rate than the avg metal pan (usually very crisp around the edges and it happens fast) so just bake until done, whatever that means – likely less than baking in a metal pan.
Averie, I just found out that I have a 9x6x2 pyrex pan instead of the 9x7x2.5 one! Will this be better? :)
Hi Averie!
Just wondering, can we sub the brown sugar for white instead? Want mine to come out a little bit on the whiter side for looks :) how much white sugar do we have to add to make up for the packed brown sugar indicated in the recipe?
Thank you and love your blog xx
You won’t get the same results in terms of texture or taste and while you could *maybe* use half and half, white and brown sugar, I would not exceed more than 1/2 cup of white to the 1/2 cup brown. Honestly though, these were baked in an oven while I was on vacation and I used darker than normal brown sugar. Under more normal circumstances, my blondies are never this dark so I wouldn’t necessarily go by these photos. Try it as I wrote it first and then remake for the event or occasion with the tweak and see how it goes.
Made these for my family, 5 sisters and 3 brothers and they loved them! Thanks Averie! P.S. I made your white chocolate snicker doodles and maple brown sugar cookies and boy were they a HIT!!!! :)
Thanks for trying so many of my recipes & glad they’re a hit! And between all your siblings, I bet these were gone in like…an hour :) Thanks for trying the recipe! And the cookies, too!
Can you double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan?
I haven’t personally tried it but I think you’d be fine. If you try it, LMK!
Mine didn’t end up looking nearly as nice as yours because the chocolate chips melted and didn’t keep their shape but they still tasted great!
Chocolate chips are so variable in how they melt. I use Trader Joe’s for almost all of my baking; however I made these while I was in Aruba and probably used Nestle Tollhouse since that’s what I can get when I’m there. Glad you liked the bars!