Oh my gosh, do you ever just need a cookie that screams *happy*? I live for those moments when I pull something vibrant out of the oven, and I swear, nothing beats the pure joy packed into these Confetti Sprinkle Cookies. Trust me when I say these are your new go-to; they’re so easy to whip up, cheerfully colorful, and absolutely celebration-ready.
I vividly remember the day my son came home from school with tales of a cookie party they had enjoyed. His eyes lit up as he described cookies bursting with color and flavor, but my heart sank—you see, his celiac diagnosis meant those cookies were off-limits. That evening, I decided to recreate the magic of those confetti cookies using gluten-free ingredients.
As I mixed the colorful sprinkles into the dough, the kitchen filled with laughter and the promise of something special. When we took that first bite together, it felt like a huge victory, not just for the cookie but for the joy it represented. Now, Confetti Sprinkle Cookies are our go-to for birthdays and celebrations, reminding us that every sweet moment can be shared, no matter the dietary differences. You can read a bit more about my baking journey over at my About Page!
Why You Will Love These Confetti Sprinkle Cookies (Easy Dessert)
Honestly, why wouldn’t you love these? They are the perfect dose of happiness you can bake in under an hour, not counting the essential chill time, of course. If you’re looking for an Easy Dessert that truly delivers on fun, stop scrolling right now. These bake up fantastically!
Here’s the quick rundown on why these cookies make my family’s rotation every single week:
- They are genuinely so simple to mix. Even if you’re just starting out, you can nail this recipe easily.
- They are incredibly Kid Friendly! Watching them help roll the balls and seeing their faces when the sprinkles go in is half the fun.
- The texture is pure magic—soft, slightly chewy centers that just melt!
- They instantly elevate any occasion, whether it’s a birthday or just a Tuesday that needs more color. I love sharing these great finds in my baking inspiration posts!
Gathering Your Ingredients for Perfect Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
Okay, shopping list time! Getting the right components is the first step to making sure these cookies turn out soft and colorful instead of flat and sad. Please, please heed my warnings about preparation; especially the temperature of your butter and eggs. If you’re planning on making the gluten-free version, you’ll want to swap your regular flour for a good 1:1 GF blend here, but the rest is pretty much the same! You can check out my favorite GF baking tips if you need a refresher on blending!
Dry Ingredients for Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
We mix these first so everything is accounted for. That little bit of cornstarch you see? That is your secret weapon for that amazing, tender bite. Don’t skip it!
- 1.5 cups (180g) all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients for Soft Confetti Cookies
This is where temperature matters! If your butter is cold, it won’t cream properly, and that’s how you lose the fluffy texture we are aiming for. Make sure your egg is also sitting out for a bit!
- 0.5 cup (113g) unsalted butter, nice and soft (room temperature)
- 0.75 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
The Essential Add-ins: Sprinkles
This is the fun part! When I made these for my son, I made sure to use jimmies—those long, skinny sprinkles—because they don’t bleed their color into the dough as easily as the round nonpareils do. We want bright spots of color, not a pale pink mess!
- 0.5 cup sprinkles (jimmies, preferably!)
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions for Festive Cookies
Alright, let’s get messy! These instructions look like a lot, but I promise you, once you get the rhythm down, these Festive Cookies come together so quickly. We are building layers of flavor and texture here, so stick with the order! If you want to see what other great recipes I’ve developed, feel free to browse my collection of recipes!
Preparing the Dry Mix and Wet Base for Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
First things first, we organize. Grab one bowl and whisk your flour, salt, baking soda, and that vital cornstarch together until they look homogenous. That mixture is ready to wait patiently!
Now, the star of the show: creaming! In your stand mixer, beat that room-temperature butter with the sugar until it’s pale, really fluffy, and looks like light whipped clouds. Then, mix in the egg and that beautiful vanilla. You want to stop, scrape down the sides—seriously, don’t skip scraping!—and give it one final quick mix until everything is incorporated. This aeration step is why the cookies won’t be dense rocks, so take your time here! I came across this version by Preppy Kitchen, which is also fantastic inspiration for funfetti flavors, too: Funfetti Cookies.
Mixing in Sprinkles and Shaping the Confetti Sprinkle Cookies Dough
Time for the color explosion! Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix only on low speed until you *just* start to see them disappear. If you overmix flour, you get tough cookies, and we absolutely do not want that today; we are aiming for tender!
Once it’s almost combined, toss in all those gorgeous sprinkles. Mix this final addition on low until they are evenly distributed. My personal trick here is to give it one last fold with a spatula to make sure any dry spots hiding at the bottom get taken care of. Then, scoop out balls that are about two tablespoons worth—I weigh mine to 40g each, which keeps them uniform—roll them gently, and pat a few extra sprinkles onto the top. Looks so much better that way!
The Crucial Chill Time for Round Confetti Cookies
Hold your horses! This is the step that separates the perfect, puffy, round cookies from the sad, flat puddles they become if you rush. We need to chill these beauties for a minimum of one hour. You can even put them in the fridge overnight if you want to prep ahead of time. Why chill? Simple physics: cold fat melts slower in the oven, which gives the cookie structure time to set before the butter melts completely, stopping that unnecessary spreading. Trust Marco on this one; chilling is non-negotiable for perfectly round Confetti Sprinkle Cookies!
Baking and Cooling Your Soft Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
When that hour (or more!) is up, set your oven to 350F (175C). Line those baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper—no sticking allowed! Bake the dough balls for about 11 minutes. You are looking for the edges to look set and maybe just slightly golden, but the centers should still look a tiny bit soft or puffed. They are *always* underbaked when you pull them out!
This next part is also critical for texture: let them cool right there on the hot baking sheet for 5 full minutes. They continue baking gently, and that resting period allows the center structure to firm up just enough so they don’t immediately fall apart when you pick them up. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success When Making Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
Baking is fun, but baking cookies perfectly requires a little bit of insider knowledge, right? I’ve learned a few tricks over the years—especially since crafting my own gluten-free versions—that guarantee these turn out soft every time. You want to treat this dough gently, especially after the flour comes out!
The absolute number one tip: Don’t overmix once the flour goes in! Once you see those dry streaks vanish, stop the mixer immediately. Overmixing develops gluten (even in standard recipes) and it makes your cookies tough instead of tender. We want soft, not crunchy, friends!
Secondly, you simply cannot cheat the chill time. I know you’re excited to eat them, but that one hour of chilling guarantees they spread just right. Plus, rolling the dough when it’s cold is so much cleaner. For more insights on making GF baking work perfectly, check out my thoughts on gluten-free baking here.
Finally, remember that vanilla quality matters! It sounds silly, but that teaspoon of pure vanilla extract really shines through in a simple cookie like this. Use the good stuff!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
Now, let’s talk about how we make these shine for *everyone*. Remember how my son needed a gluten-free version? That’s super easy here! You just need a nice, high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of the all-purpose flour listed. Make sure your blend has Xanthan gum already included, often labeled as a “Cup-for-Cup” type. Keep that cornstarch in there, though—it helps the GF flour stay softer!
If you are out of butter, yes, you *can* use a high-quality vegan butter stick, but the flavor won’t be quite as rich. Skip the liquid oils, please; they make cookies flat! The vanilla is another place you shouldn’t skimp. A pure extract lifts the whole flavor profile above just ‘sweet.’ If you want to dive deeper into making sure your substitutes work well, I talk about my go-to GF substitutions here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Confetti Cookies
When you’re baking something this cheerful, naturally you’re going to have questions! I always find people are most concerned about texture and storage, especially when dealing with fun additions like sprinkles. Don’t worry, I’ve got the answers for you so these Festive Cookies come out perfectly every time. If you need to reach out with more cooking dilemmas, my contact info is handy right here!
Can I skip chilling the dough for these Confetti Sprinkle Cookies?
Oh, I know the temptation is huge—you want those colorful treats *now*! But please, don’t skip the chill time for these Confetti Sprinkle Cookies. If you bake the dough right away, the butter is too soft, and bam! You’ll end up with flat, greasy discs rather than nice, thick rounds. The cold sets the structure beautifully.
What is the best way to store leftover Sprinkle Cookies?
These Sprinkle Cookies actually stay wonderfully soft for days, which is part of why I love them so much. Just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Stack them with parchment or wax paper in between layers so the frosting (if you chose to make any!) doesn’t stick together. Seriously, one day on the counter and they are still perfect for dipping in milk.
Are these Kid Friendly Confetti Cookies easy to adapt for dietary needs?
Yes, absolutely! This recipe is super accommodating. As I mentioned in my story, they are wonderfully simple to make gluten-free just by substituting a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour, making them truly Kid Friendly for everyone at the party. You can also easily swap the recipe for dairy-free butter sticks if anyone has an allergy. The sprinkles are the star, and they carry the flavor regardless of the base flour!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Your Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
The best part about these vibrant Confetti Sprinkle Cookies is that they stay soft for days! You don’t need the fridge at all, which is great because cold cookies can sometimes seize up and get a little firm. Just pop them into a sturdy airtight container here on the counter. They keep beautifully for almost a week. You can definitely find more tips on making cookies perfect for special times over on my occasions page!
If you want that just-out-of-the-oven warmth, which I totally recommend, just pop one or two cookies on a microwave-safe plate for about 10 to 15 seconds. It brings that butter right back to life. Seriously, it’s magic for reviving that soft, chewy texture!
Serving Suggestions for Your Festive Cookies
These beautiful Festive Cookies are designed to be the star of the show, but they still need a good sidekick! Since they are already bursting with sweetness and fun, I keep the pairings simple. Nothing beats dunking a warm confetti cookie into a tall glass of cold milk—it’s the perfect contrast.
If you’re serving these at a grown-up gathering, a strong black coffee works beautifully to balance that sugary pop. Honestly, these cookies really don’t need anything extra, but check out my suggestions for pairing comfort food favorites when you’re planning a whole menu over on my comforting dinner inspiration page!
Estimating the Nutrition for Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
So, let’s talk numbers for a minute, because I know some of you are tracking everything! I’m happy to share the basic nutritional breakdown with you, but you have to take this next part with a grain of salt—or maybe a grain of sugar, ha!
The information I’ve compiled below, listing things like calories, carbs, fat, and protein, is based on standard ingredient calculations using the quantities listed in the recipe above. Think of it as a helpful rough guide!
Important Disclaimer on Nutrition Accuracy
Listen, I’m Marco, the baker, not a certified nutritionist, right? Because we are all using different brands of butter, different types of flour (especially if you are using a good GF blend like I do), and measuring sprinkles by eye, your final numbers are going to vary a bit. These figures are estimates intended for general guidance only.
If you are baking these for someone with very specific dietary requirements, I always recommend calculating the exact values for your specific ingredients. You can review my policy on data use if you have any concerns about how I handle information, but for the cookies, just remember these are happy estimates!
Here is what we are looking at per one 40g cookie, based on 24 servings:
- Calories: 158
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Protein: 2g
- Sugar: 14g
Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the flour, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on high until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low until almost combined. Scrape down the bowl, then add the sprinkles and mix on low until just combined.
- Use your spatula to fold in any extra flour. Portion out two tablespoon-sized pieces of dough (40g each), roll into balls, and top with more sprinkles.
- Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper. Chill the dough balls for at least one hour.
- Towards the end of your chill time, preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Bake for about 11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are puffed. They will continue baking after removal from the oven, so allow them to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Gluten-Free Chef & Latin Cuisine Innovation Specialist
My youngest son’s celiac diagnosis at four changed everything. Suddenly, all those traditional Brazilian and Portuguese recipes from my avó needed to be completely reimagined without losing their soul.
After graduating from Johnson & Wales and working Miami’s Latin fusion scene, my son’s diagnosis became my calling. How do you make gluten-free empanadas that taste like childhood? Over eight years, I’ve developed 320+ gluten-free recipes celebrating authentic Latin flavors using cassava flour and plantain alternatives.
My gluten-free empanada recipe won “Best Appetizer” at the 2023 Miami Gluten-Free Food Festival. I ran “Sabores Sin Gluten,” a catering business serving Miami’s Latino community—quinceañeras, family gatherings, all the celebrations that matter.
Food is culture, and everyone deserves to experience the joy of sharing traditional family meals, regardless of dietary restrictions.