Funfetti Cookies — These funfetti cookies are essentially sugar cookies from scratch that have been loaded with sprinkles. They have that nostalgic boxed cake flavor but are 100% homemade!
Funfetti Cookies From Scratch
Who can say no to super soft cookies with sprinkles baked in? I sure can’t.
It’s been on my bucket list to come up with a softbatch-style sugar cookie recipe that’s soft, and not at all cakey, with just hints of chewiness around the edges. And I wanted to make these from scratch, not from Funfetti cake mix. I have nothing against it, and once upon a time used cake mix a whole lot more, but these sugar cookies with sprinkles are 100% from scratch.
I wanted cookies with less cakiness than Lofthouse Cookies, and I wanted drop rather than roll out cookies recipes. I didn’t want to have to frost them, so baking in sprinkles was my solution. I definitely didn’t want hard or crispy cookies, which are words that should never describe cookies.
I know people love sugar cookies and decorated Christmas cookies, but I think they’re tasteless and way too hard. I would never waste my calorie budget on cardboard cookies with frosting that’s crunchy. No way.
I made these Chewy Sugar Sprinkles Cookies previously and while I like them I felt like I could improve on them, so I did just that. For these funfetti cookies, I worked cornstarch into the dough. It’s my secret weapon for creating softbatch-style cookies. I’ve written about it before so many times and swear by it.
I also included both almond and vanilla extracts in the cookies to really play up the Funfetti cake batter taste.
And you can’t have Funfetti without sprinkles, and the abundance of them adds texture and flavor. Everything is better with sprinkles. The more the merrier.
These birthday cake cookies make a smaller batch, just 15 cookies, perfect when you don’t want or need dozens of cookies laying around tempting you. Feel free to double it if you’d like.
The cookies are pillowy soft and tender with just a tiny bit of chewiness around the edges. They’re lightweight without being airy or dry. They’re moist with a rich buttery flavor. If you’re a ‘dough’ person, rather than an add-ins person, and can appreciate the simple pleasures of a really good, flavorful dough, this dough will be your new best friend.
I have no willpower around super soft and tender sugar cookies from scratch like these. Especially when sprinkles are involved.
What’s in Funfetti Cookies?
For these homemade funfetti cookies, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sprinkles
Note that I used clear imitation vanilla extract rather than real vanilla extract. This is a recipe where using the cheap stuff is preferred to the real thing because imitation provides a classic, bakery-cake, nostalgic flavor. It’s found in the baking aisle next to real vanilla and it’s a fraction of the cost.
How to Make Funfetti Cookies From Scratch
To make these birthday cake cookies, you first need to cream together the butter, sugar, egg, and extracts for about 5 minutes. Do NOT shortcut the creaming process — you need to make sure the butter mixture is very light in color and fluffy before adding the other ingredients.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined, making sure to not break apart the sprinkles. Then, scoop the cookie dough onto a plate and roll into balls before flattening them slightly with your hands. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking the cookies.
Once the dough has chilled, bake for 8 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. These cookies should not turn golden or brown at all and should stay white.
How to Store Funfetti Cookies
You should store these homemade cookies in an airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you freeze the cookies, you can reheat them in the oven or set them on the counter to thaw.
Can I Make These Cookies in Advance?
Absolutely! I make the dough, scoop into balls, cover and refrigerate them for up to 5 days, before baking. You can also freeze the cookie dough (after you’ve scooped it) and bake these sugar cookies with sprinkles directly from frozen.
Can I Omit the Almond Extract?
If you have a nut allergy or are simply out of extract, I’d add extra vanilla extract to make up for the lack of almond extract. Your funfetti cookies won’t taste exactly like mine without the almond extract, but they’ll still be delicious!
My Cookies Came Out Flat, What Happened?
Sometimes these things happen! But this funfetti cookie recipe always turns out perfectly for me. If you need help troubleshooting this cookie recipe, check out this chocolate chip cookie recipe for all of my best tips and tricks to making cookies from scratch (scroll to the bottom of the post for the list of tips).
Can I Double This Recipe?
Most definitely! These sugar cookies with sprinkles can be doubled or even tripled to feed a crowd.
Can I Make These Into Cookie Bars?
I haven’t tried that myself, so I can’t say for sure how they’d turn out. However, I have lots of cookie bar recipes on my blog already! If you’re looking for inspiration, try out my Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars, M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, or Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Does it Matter What Type of Sprinkles I Use?
Nope! But I’d steer clear of the sprinkle balls if I were you, just because they’re fairly hard.
Can I Roll Out These Cookies and Cut Them Into Shapes?
I haven’t tried that myself, so I’m not sure that’d work. If you roll out these cookies, I’m afraid they wouldn’t turn out soft and chewy at all.
Can I Make These with Whole Wheat Flour?
I haven’t tried that myself, but my gut says no. Whole wheat flour would majorly alter the texture and flavor of these funfetti cookies.
Can I Make These Gluten-Free?
I’ve never made these with a GF flour, but if you find one that works please leave me a comment below!
Tips for Making Funfetti Cookies
You absolutely must chill this dough before baking, no exceptions. The cookies will spread and bake flat and thin if you don’t chill the dough.
And don’t over bake! The cookies will look quite raw and underdone at 8 minutes, but they firm up while they cool. Don’t be tempted to bake them longer because they’re not meant to be browned, golden, or crisp. They’re meant to be white and soft.
Also note that the cornstarch in these birthday cake cookies can’t be substituted. It’s the secret ingredient and they wouldn’t turn out properly without it.
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Softbatch Funfetti Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract, real vanilla extract may be substituted
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ¾ cup sprinkles, jimmies
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, egg, extract, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes). Do not shortcut the creaming process; make sure dough is very light in color and fluff, stop to scrape down the sides of the mixer as necessary.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the sprinkles and beat momentarily to incorporate, less than 1 minute, or fold in by hand.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two tablespoon mounds (I made 15). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line two baking sheets with Silpats, or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. These cookies should not turn golden or brown at all and should stay white. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes for soft cookies because they firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
- Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cookies From Scratch:
The Best Soft & Chewy M&M’s Cookies — These bakery-style M&M’s cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and LOADED with M&M’s and chocolate chips. No one can resist these cookies!
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft batch cookies are made with a combination of butter and cream cheese, which makes them extra rich and delicious!
Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies – Super SOFT sugar cookies that just melt in your mouth!! If you’ve ever thought that sugar cookies can be boring or dry, this EASY recipe with frosting and sprinkles will change your mind!
Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — These cookies are soft, moist, and oh-so chewy. They taste like banana bread and chocolate chip cookies rolled into one dessert!
The Best Snickerdoodles – Soft, pillowy puffs that are so irresistible! The closest recipe to Mrs. Fields snickerdoodles that you’ll find!
One-Bowl, No-Mixer, No-Chill, Extra-Large Chocolate Chip Cookie For One – An incredibly FAST and EASY recipe that produces ONE extra-large soft and chewy cookie that’s loaded with chocolate!
Funfetti Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies — The cookies are loaded with Oreos, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and are adapted from my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
Do you have any recommendations for baking these in high altitude?
I’m sorry I don’t personally but you may want to reference this
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html
For those who are experiencing flattening….
you may want to try substituting half the butter with an equal amount of butter flavor crisco. This will stop the spreading and flattening, and does NOT change the flavor of the final product.
These look so good – I can’t wait to give them a try! I also love the fact that you can make these so far ahead of time and have them ready to bake in the fridge!
Enjoy – glad you like the recipe!
Dearest kitchen genius,
I have made these cookies and am most thrilled with the results!! I gave the link to a friend. I also got to thinking that multi-coloured chocolate chips might just be fantastic in these. I did use less sprinkles as that was all I had, but it was plenty!! I love how huge these cookies are!!
Awww what a great comment! Thanks and glad you love them and told your friend about them, too!
I just posted another similar version of them here, just this week!
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/10/lofthouse-soft-sugar-sprinkles-cookies.html
And yes, some multi colored choc chips would be fun! Cannot go wrong with chocolate :)
I made these cookies tonight and they came out very flat. I refrigerated them overnight in 2″ balls and baked them as stated. In fact, the 1st batch I baked right out of the refrig. and the 2nd batch I let sit at room temp. for 15 min. before baking. Both versions came out of the oven slightly mounded but flattened immediately as they cooled. The centers of the cookies did not firm up and look like the photo of your cookies.
I am at a loss to why these did not stay puffy. I am a very experienced baker(40+ years). The ONLY thing I can think of is the measuring of the ingredients. I measured all my dry ingredients by spooning the ingredient into the measuring cup and leveling off. Is this how you measured your ingredients or did you use the “scoop and sweep” method?
PLease comment. Thanks!!!
Hi Karen
Ok thanks for trying these and I honestly don’t know why things didn’t turn out for you with these. I use King Arthur brand flour (all purpose) and I swear by it as ‘insurance’ because it has a slightly higher protein content than others, which will give anything a better rise and better structure from collapsing or falling. Maybe try with King Arthur. You could also try adding about 1/2 tsp baking powder to the recipe; I personally did not need it but sounds like you need something to help give them some puff.
I measure my flour like you do, rather than the scoop & sweep (the later will tend to add more flour to a recipe than the former). If I am ever on the fence about calling for flour in a recipe, like 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp for example, I will always round up for readers and just say 2 cups. The pitfalls of not adding enough are worse. You could also try adding up to maybe 1/4 cup or so of flour.
I have another cookie recipe similar to these that I am posting tomorrow. Stay tuned and LMK what you try with this recipe & your results.
I was wondering if I could substitute the rainbow sprinkles for the black and orange ones they have out for Halloween cookies?
Sounds fun! Try it and I’m sure they’ll be a hit! I kind of want to, too :)
Beautiful cookies that look yummy! I plan on making these this week to surprise my kids. Just wondering, is there a certain brand of sprinkles you use or do you just get whatever the store has? Our stores don’t seem to have the lively colors, maybe Amazon will have some?
Thanks!
I use storebrand but here’s the thing…I stalk 3 different groc stores plus Target for them. Albertson’s in CA is my best bet, Vons is so-so, and Ralph’s is bad for selection. Target is hit and miss. Spring time, pre-Easter and Mother’s Day, etc it’s awesome. They have big tubs of really pretty sprinkles in their dollar bins! I know, crazy right, that I know this – but it’s HARD to actually find cute sprinkles! I agree! Wilton brand is sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and sometimes you can get lucky there, too. LMK what you end up with!
Can you refrigerate the dough and then .use the refrigerated dough or do tjey have to be refeigorates as cookies?
Refrigerating the dough cookie ball shapes is easier than refrigerating a big hunk of dough b/c then you have to chisel out rock hard dough.
I just made these today for my kids’ UnBirthday party, and they flattened. (Definitely my error. I flattened them too much before cooling and didn’t reshape. Not to mention the fact that I’m lucky if my baking attempts just TASTE good, much less look as GORGEOUS as yours do.) They’re super cute and delicious anyway. Not to mention my first use of almond extract. (I’m in love.)
Adorable recipe, and I’ll definitely re-try with a more careful hand.
<3
PS. These were a bit of a surprise for my daughter, and she FLIPPED out. Loves them. Thanks so much for this recipe.
With the flattening, just BARELY flatten or else that can spread. Also make sure the dough was well chilled and there is nothing better than a Silpat for baking cookies. Worth it’s weight in gold if you’re not a confident baker. The cookies get ‘traction’ from the mat and spread way, way, way less. It will be the best $20 bucks you’ve ever spent on baking stuff. I promise. I am not one to tout products unless I feel super strongly they work. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008T960/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00008T960&linkCode=as2&tag=lovvegyogruna-20
And so glad your daughter loved them :) The best, isn’t it!
Hi,
I’m making these my 4 year old daughter today and just wondering……can I freeze the raw cookie dough? I was thinking of baking some today and then freezing some to bake later.
Thx!
Yes you can do that – with these, or any of my cookie recipes. Just cook about 1-2 mins longer, if necessary. No need to even thaw it. Just put on baking sheets while oven preheats and bake as directed. LMK how you like the cookies!
These cookies were amazing! I made them for my daughter but couldn’t resist eating them myself as well!!! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
So glad both you and your daughter found them irresistible and that they turned out amazing for you! Wonderful!
These cookies are absolutely gorgeous! Love!!!!
Thanks Melissa! And I love all your EASY fun recipes!
I threw a batch of these together this evening, and man, are they ever good. And a great homemade version of the Funfetti cookies I love so much :)
Thanks for trying them and so glad you’re loving them! Thanks for coming back to LMK!
Yeah because of that I now go to the gym basicly every day lol :) There;s no way I can give up all these goodies!!! It’s a pleasure to try all you recipes! :) x x
Hi Averie, I just made these into one big cookie, I have divided the amount of ingredients of course and it turned out amazing!!!! I looooove the after taste of almonds, that’s possibly one of my favourite flavours! Next time I will make them into normal cookies though cause they are more easy to control how much you eat! lol :)
Almond extract is just so heavenly – I love the stuff, too! And I like your idea of a biggie cookie. Makes it easier/faster, actually :) So glad you loved these and had amazing results! You’re the best for trying almost every single recipe I post! xo
Hey Averie! Your cookies always turn out so beautifully, it got me wondering – what brand of butter do you use?
Trader Joe’s unsalted 95% of the time. Otherwise Kerrygold unsalted on rare occasion. I think it has more to do with chilling the dough and baking on a Silpat than the butter to be honest though!
Hello! My name is Jess, and I run a food blog called Floptimism where every week I write a post called “Weekend Wrap Up.” Basically, it’s where I highlight some of my favorite web finds from the past week to share with my readers. I loved your recipe so much (I seriously used to LOVE those bakery cookies!) that I featured it on this week’s wrap-up, and wanted to let you know. Thank you for such a great idea and blog post! I’ve included the link below in case you’re interested. I hope you had a great weekend!
https://floptimism.blogspot.com/2013/07/weekend-wrap-up-short-sweet.html
Jess thanks for the feature and I will pop over and check it out!