This recipe combines chewy, buttery funfetti cookies with creamy buttercream frosting and even more sprinkles for birthday cake cookies that are even more delicious than the real thing!
If funfetti cake is your idea of a good time then say hello to your new favorite cookies!
These funfetti sprinkle cookie recipe combines all the fun and delicious flavor of funfetti cake into one delightly chewy, perfectly frosted, sprinkle-topped birthday cake cookie.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This cookie dough recipe is adapted from my beloved no-chill chocolate chip cookie recipe, so you know it's delicious. It's made from scratch with simple and common baking ingredients and without mixes or artificial flavorings. Plus the dough is quick and easy to make, and doesn't need to be chilled before baking.
The vanilla buttercream frosting is what elevates these chewy sprinkle cookies from really excellent cookie to mouth-watering birthday treat level amazing. The buttery cookies paired with the rich and creamy frosting brings the best of both worlds to one scrumptious dessert.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Brown Sugar - Brown sugar adds both moisture and flavor to the cookie dough. I recommend light brown sugar to keep the color of the cookies and the level of molasses flavor in the cookie on the lighter side.
Vanilla Extract - Vanilla extract adds a complex vanilla flavor to both the cookie dough and buttercream. We're going a little bit heavy handed with the vanilla in the cookie dough for a robust vanilla flavor that's reminiscent of birthday cake.
Cornstarch - Adding a little bit of cornstarch to the cookie dough helps to create a chewy cookie texture.
Sprinkles - Sprinkles are what make these cookies so much fun! I recommend jimmies (rod-shaped sprinkles) for baking in the cookies, since they're the classic that's used in funfetti cakes and most jimmies don't bleed their color when mixed into dough and baked. For decorating the cookies, use any type of sprinkle you like best. Jimmies, nonpareils (tiny ball-shaped sprinkles), and quins (flat, round sprinkles) work especially well for decorating these cookies.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and wooden spoon), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A stand mixer or electric hand mixer, for mixing the frosting.
- A piping bag and large round tip, for piping frosting onto cookies. This is optional, and you could choose to simply spoon or scoop a dollop of frosting onto each cookie.
- A small offset spatula, for spreading frosting on top of the cookies.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Whisk together melted butter, both sugars, and vanilla. Whisk in egg until the mixture is glossy. Let stand for about 5 minutes while you prepare the next ingredients.
Step 2: Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Gently stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture just until mixed.
Step 4: Add sprinkles and stir just until blended.
Step 5: Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon balls of dough, form each dough ball into a tall ball, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 6: Bake the cookies for at 350°F for 8 to 9 minutes. The cookies will still appear pale and puffy when you remove the tray from the oven.
Step 7: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round metal biscuit cutter over each cookie and carefully and quickly swirl it around to form the cookie into a smaller perfect circle.
Step 8: Make the frosting. Beat butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth and blended. Add sugar slowly – one cup at a time – beating well and scraping the bowl often. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 9: Decorate cookies. Pipe or spoon frosting onto each cookie. Use a small offset spatula to spread the frosting around the cookie, creating an edge of frosting that will help to keep the sprinkles contained.
Step 10: Add sprinkles onto frosting and gently push them down with your fingers to ensure they stick in the frosting.
Recipe Tips
To help ensure the cookies bake up thick without too much spreading, form the dough into tall balls before baking.
Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round metal biscuit cutter over each cookie and carefully and quickly swirl it around to "scoot" each cookie into a smaller perfect circle. This helps to reign in any spreading and fatten up the cookies.
Be thoughtful of the types of sprinkles you use for baking and decorating the cookies to avoid color bleeding. Don't skip over the note regarding sprinkles in the Ingredients section above or in the notes section of the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: These cookies stay fresh for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing: Want to make these cookies ahead of time? The dough can be pre-scooped, sealed in an airtight container, and frozen for up to 2 months. Baked and unfrosted cookies can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Check out my tips for freezing cookie dough and baked cookies for more details.
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Recipe
Birthday Cake Cookies
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 (50 grams) large egg
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup (57 grams) sprinkles
Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2 cups (227 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) whole milk
- sprinkles
Instructions
Make the cookies.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add melted butter, both sugars, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add egg and whisk well until the mixture is glossy and a bit lighter in color, about 1 minute. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes while you prepare the next ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
- Give the sugar mixture a quick whisk and then add the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Stir just until mixed.
- Add sprinkles and stir just until blended.
- Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon balls of dough, form each dough ball into a tall ball, and place onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes. The cookies will still appear pale and puffy when you remove the tray from the oven. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round metal biscuit cutter over each cookie and carefully and quickly swirl it around to form the cookie into a smaller perfect circle. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.
- Add sugar slowly – one cup at a time – beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry.
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Decorate the cookies.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, add frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cookie. Alternatively you can simple spoon a bit of frosting onto each cookie.
- Use a small offset spatula to spread the frosting around the cookie, creating an edge of frosting that will help to keep the sprinkles contained.
- Add sprinkles onto frosting and gently push them down with your fingers to ensure they stick in the frosting.
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