Funfetti Cookies (Soft, Chewy, Homemade)
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Sometimes you want the fun of birthday cake without baking, cooling and frosting an entire cake. These soft and chewy funfetti cookies are my answer: buttery sugar cookies filled with rainbow sprinkles and plenty of sweet vanilla flavor.
They’re made completely from scratch—no cake mix or powdered sugar needed—and you can bake the dough right away. If you prefer a thicker, puffier cookie, chill it for an hour first, but that part is completely optional.
One Of My Favorite Cookies!
I personally love this type of cookie. Chocolate chip cookies will always have my heart, but funfetti cookies feel a little more special and unexpected. They’re colorful, cheerful and different from the traditional cookies we tend to bake over and over again.
I wanted these to taste like a classic sugar cookie, just with a funfetti twist. That meant using only granulated sugar—no brown sugar to add a molasses flavor—and plenty of vanilla with a small splash of almond extract for that familiar birthday-cake taste.
The first batch had the soft and chewy texture I wanted, but they tasted slightly floury and a little too much like cookie dough. They were good, but not quite there yet. I reduced the flour, increased the sugar and vanilla and baked them until the centers were soft but no longer wet or shiny. Those little changes gave the cookies much more flavor without losing their melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The cornstarch keeps them tender, while an extra egg yolk adds richness and chewiness. I shared a batch with our neighbors, and they loved them—which was good news for everyone because I had to get them out of my house before I ate them all.
These are perfect for birthday parties, bake sales, lunchboxes or an after-school treat. They make an ordinary day feel a little more fun, ya know?
How to Make Funfetti Cookies
Please note that these pictures are meant to provide a helpful visual overview of the recipe. Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
A Few Tips Before You Bake
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour can make the cookies taste dry or floury. I suggest spooning the flour into the measuring cup and level the top.
- Use softened—not melted—butter. It should give slightly when pressed but shouldn’t look greasy. Butter that is too warm can make the cookies spread excessively.
- Use rainbow jimmies. The longer sprinkles hold their shape and color better in cookie dough. Tiny round nonpareils are more likely to bleed and can add an overly crunchy texture.
- Stop mixing once the flour disappears. Overmixing can make the cookies tougher instead of soft and tender.
- Watch the first pan closely. Every oven bakes differently. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the centers no longer look wet, even if they still feel very soft.
- When in doubt chill. Chilling cooking dough is a little hack that helps cookies keep their shape.
If you love a soft sugar cookie but want to pile on the frosting, try my Lofthouse sugar cookies. They’re soft, pillowy and a perfectly reasonable excuse to add even more sprinkles!!
You Have Options
These funfetti cookies are already party-ready, but there are a couple of easy ways to use them to make celebrations even more special.
One reader turned them into ice cream sandwiches and loved how they turned out. Let the cookies cool completely, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies and gently press them together. You can even roll the exposed ice cream in more sprinkles if you’re really leaning into the funfetti theme—which, at this point, you might as well. Enjoy right then and there or store them away in the freezer for a midnight treat.
You can also frost the cooled cookies with some vanilla buttercream frosting and finish them with extra sprinkles. The frosted cookies would be such a fun alternative to cupcakes for a birthday celebration.
A Little Cookie Confetti Never Hurts
There’s something about rainbow sprinkles that makes an ordinary day feel a little more fun. These homemade funfetti cookies are soft, chewy and full of buttery vanilla flavor, but they still feel a little more special than your everyday cookie.
Bake them right away when you need cookies now, or chill the dough for a thicker, puffier result. Serve them as they are, add frosting for a birthday or turn them into ice cream sandwiches for a really fun treat.
If you make these cookies, leave a comment and let me know how you served them. And if chocolate is more your kind of celebration, my bakery-style chocolate chip cookies are one of my most-loved cookie recipes for a reason – classic never gets old!
Funfetti Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
These soft and chewy funfetti cookies are made from scratch with rainbow sprinkles, plenty of vanilla and a hint of almond extract. Bake the dough right away for chewy cookies, or chill it for a thicker, puffier birthday treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1⅛ cups (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup rainbow jimmies, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you plan to bake the cookies immediately, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- Add ¾ cup softened unsalted butter and 1⅛ cups granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon almond extract. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low just until no visible streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
- Gently fold in ½ cup rainbow jimmies.
- For a slightly flatter, chewier cookie, bake the dough immediately. For a thicker, puffier cookie, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Chilling is optional.
- Scoop the dough into 1½-tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently press a few additional sprinkles onto each one.
- Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops no longer look wet or shiny. The centers should still feel soft but shouldn’t appear raw.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
The cookies will continue to set as they rest on the warm baking sheet, so don’t wait for the centers to feel firm before removing them from the oven.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
Freeze baked cookies or portioned cookie dough for up to three months. Frozen dough balls can be baked without thawing; add approximately 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 217Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 87mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
