Funfetti Cookies

Funfetti cookies are a colorful, fun twist on classic sugar cookies. My recipe is flavored with vanilla and almond and filled with crunchy rainbow sprinkles. They are soft, chewy, and incredibly easy to make!

Overview

• Skill Level: Beginner

Who doesn’t love a sprinkle cookie? They are fun and so delicious! My funfetti cookies start with a delicious sugar cookie base flavored with vanilla and almond. They are chewy, soft, and melt-in-your-mouth. The colorful rainbow sprinkles add a burst of color and crunchy texture.

Funfetti cookies aren’t just for kids! The adults in your life will be equally impressed by these incredible cookies.

What makes these funfetti cookies so good?

• My favorite twist on sugar cookies is adding super fun and colorful sprinkles!
• I like to use rainbow sprinkles but you can use any color scheme you like. Have fun with it to create endless colorful cookies. For Christmas, try a red and green mix. For Halloween, try purple and orange.
• These cookies are easy and quick to make. It takes under 20 minutes to whip up the dough and only about 12 minutes to bake.
• The texture of these cookies can’t be beat. They are soft and chewy on the inside while slightly crisp on the edges.
• The flavor! Vanilla plus almond flavor makes a delicious sugar cookie.

Ingredient functions

Dry Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour: Some recipes call for using a boxed cake mix as the dry ingredients in funfetti cookies, but for my version, a boxed mix isn’t necessary. You just need simple all-purpose flour and a handful of other ingredients.

Flour provides the main structure for the cookies and helps them hold their shape. All-purpose flour is recommended for best results.

Cornstarch: Whenever you see cornstarch in cookie recipes, it’s used to help prevent them from spreading too much in the oven. In this recipe, it also helps the cookies stay soft and gives them an almost fudge-like center.

Baking Powder: Baking powder is used as the chemical leavener in these funfetti cookies. This recipe only calls for a small amount because these cookies are more chewy than they are fluffy.

Salt: Salt rounds out the flavors and offsets the sweetness. Salt is an extremely important ingredient in baked goods.

Wet Ingredients

Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my recipes so that I can control the amount of salt in my baked goods. If you only have salted butter on hand you can still use it. Either reduce or omit the extra salt in the recipe.

No need to soften the butter at room temperature before you start baking. This recipe calls for melted butter so you can melt it in the microwave or on the stovetop directly from the refrigerator.

Sugars: This recipe calls for both brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar creates a chewy cookie and also adds depth of flavor. The reason I’m also calling for granulated sugar is so the cookies aren’t too chewy like an oatmeal raisin cookie. The combination of the two sugars create the perfect texture for these cookies.

You can use light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will add even more chew and flavor. 

Eggs: Eggs help to leaven the cookies and binds the ingredients together. The combination of one whole egg plus an additional egg yolk creates the perfect texture for these delicious funfetti cookies.

Vanilla and Almond Extract: Both of these extracts are used for flavor. Almond extract isn’t a common ingredient in funfetti cookies but I love the subtle flavor it adds. You can leave it out if preferred.

Solid Mix-Ins

Rainbow Sprinkles: I’m using these fun rainbow sprinkles to tie in with the funfetti theme but you can use any color sprinkle mix.

I recommend only using small rod-shaped “jimmie-type” sprinkles as they are best for baking. They stay crunchy and won’t melt as much as other types of sprinkles. Avoid sanding sugar and nonpareils in these cookies as they tend to disappear while baking.

How to make Funfetti Cookies

These funfetti cookies are incredibly simple to make. Instead of room temperature butter, which is what is called for in the creaming mixing method for cookies, I am using melted butter. By using melted butter, we don’t have to cream together the butter and sugars. They are simply stirred together to combine.

There are a few steps to complete in making these delicious cookies. Let’s get started!

Combine the Butter and Sugars

For the sugar in this recipe, I am using a combination of both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. You can choose between dark or light brown sugar, but my preference is always dark brown sugar for added molasses flavor.

Combine the melted butter and both sugars in a bowl. The butter does not need to be fully cooled or solidified, it can still be warm. I like to use a stand mixer but since we aren’t creaming them together it’s not essential. You can also use a hand mixer or a large wooden spoon.

Add the Wet Ingredients

Once the butter and sugars are mixed together, add the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

These cookies can be made without the almond extract but I highly recommend it. It adds an extra depth of flavor to the cookies.

Add the Dry Ingredients

Mix in the baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. 

I always add these dry ingredients to the batter before adding the flour. I find if you mix them in before adding the flour it will evenly distribute them without needing to dirty an extra bowl to mix dry ingredients together.

Next, add in the flour and mix together again just until absorbed. This should only take 15-20 seconds. Do not over-mix at this point or you will have dense cookies.

Add the sprinkles

Add the sprinkles into the dough and mix together using a rubber spatula or large spoon. You can use any color of sprinkle mix. I’m using these fun rainbow sprinkles to tie in with the funfetti theme.

Rest the dough

Let the dough sit out at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. This helps the flour to be absorbed into the dough making it easier to scoop.

If you’re letting it rest for only 20-30 minutes, then you don’t need to cover it. If you plan to rest it longer than that then you need to cover the dough and store in the refrigerator. This is a great way to prep your cookies ahead of time.

Scoop and bake

I like use a medium cookie scoop that is 3-4 tablespoons in size but you can make them any size. You may need to adjust the baking time depending on how large or small you scoop the dough.

If you do not have a scoop you can use a measuring cup and slightly flatten out the bottom of the cookie, keeping the top rounded, and place them on the cookie sheets.

Only place 8 cookies per sheet pan. Too many cookies will not allow them to bake evenly and will cause the cookies to spread out more when they are baking.

Optional: Sprinkle additional rainbow sprinkles and granulated sugar over the top of each cookie mound. The granulated sugar gives the cookies a sparkly effect while the extra rainbow sprinkles adds additional fun color.

You can also dip the top of each cookie dough into a shallow bowl of sprinkles.

Bake one sheet pan at a time until the edges are set and the centers look slightly under baked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pans before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Storage

Unbaked Cookies: After scooping the cookie dough, place the sheet pan in the freezer to freeze until rock solid. Move the dough balls into a zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Baked Cookies: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious cookie recipes!

• Triple Lemon Cookies
• Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Baker Bettie’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Also be sure you try my Funfetti Blondies!