Birthday Cake Cookie Recipe
This Birthday Cake Cookie Recipe is filled with sweet white chocolate, colorful rainbow sprinkles, birthday cake sandwich cookies and a swirl of vanilla frosting. Soft and chewy and perfect for birthdays or any celebration!
We all need a little bit of sunshine in our life and this Birthday Cake Cookie Recipe will definitely brighten up your day. They’re the perfect funfetti cookie, flavored with sweet vanilla, pure almond extract and lots of delicious add-ins. They taste just like a birthday cake, but in cookie form!
For more delicious birthday treats, try Strawberry Filled Cupcakes, 6 Inch Chocolate Cake Recipe, and Candy Bar Cookies.
Why You’ll Love These Funfetti Cookies
- Best texture- These cookies have soft and tender centers with crisp and chewy edges. They are the perfect cookie!
- Sprinkles- Who doesn’t love sprinkles? They make these cookies extra fun and so colorful. The kids will LOVE them!
- Freezer-friendly- You can freeze the cookie dough and bake them as needed. Freezing baked cookies is a great way to extend their shelf life and have a ready-to-eat treat whenever you want.
- Perfect for birthdays- These cookies taste just like funfetti cake and are perfect to serve at birthday parties.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Unsalted butter- Softened at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Sugar- Good ol’ classic white granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar- I use light brown sugar.
- Vanilla- Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Eggs- I use 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Pull from the refrigerator 2 hours before mixing.
- Flour- Always use the spoon and level method to get the most accurate amount of flour. Learn more about this in my expert tip section.
- Sprinkles- I prefer to use rainbow jimmies. They hold up to the heat and do not bleed into the cookie dough.
- Birthday cake sandwich cookies- I use these.
- White chocolate chips- Use a good quality brand. For this recipe, I use Ghirardelli.
- Powdered sugar- Always sift to remove any clumps.
- Almond extract- I use this brand.
Ingredient Note Substitutions
- If you don’t have light brown sugar, replace with dark brown sugar.
- Don’t have white chocolate chips, grab yourself some white chocolate and chop into small chunks.
- Don’t want the frosting, just omit it. These cookies taste delicious either way.
- Use Golden Oreos or Nilla Wafers if you can’t find birthday cake sandwich cookies.
Step By Step Instructions – Birthday Cake Cookies
STEP 1: Chop the cookies. You can use a knife or place the cookies in a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into small bite-size pieces.
STEP 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
STEP 3: Cream the butter. Beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
STEP 4: Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk. Then, beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 5: Add the dry ingredients. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until combined. Do not over mix.
STEP 6: Fold in add-ins. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sprinkles, white chocolate chips and chopped cookies.
STEP 7: Scoop. Use a 1 1/2 oz cookie scoop and scoop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking pan.
STEP 8: Chill. Place the cookie dough balls inside the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes or until cold.
STEP 9: Bake. Preheat oven to 350°. Place the cookies onto a parchment lined sheet pan, 2″ apart (6 cookies per sheet). Then, bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. Once the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers slightly puffed, remove them from the oven.
Step By Step Instructions – Frosting and Decorating
STEP 1. Frosting. While the cookies are baking, start the frosting. Beat the butter on high speed for 1 minute. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix on a low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Next, mix in the powdered sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
STEP 2. Decorate. Once the cookies finish baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. Then, take a spoonful of frosting and make a swirl on top of each cookie. Add additional sprinkles and chopped cookies.
Expert Baking Tips
Make sure to measure your flour correctly. Never scoop your flour directly from the flour canister. The will compact the flour and make your cookies dry and not spread properly. Start by fluffing the flour with a spoon. Then, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level the flour with the back of a butterknife.
Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the cookies. This makes equal proportions and the same size cookies once they are done baking.
Chill the cookie dough. Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much. Bake the cookies in batches and keep the cookie dough in the refrigerator as the cookies bake.
Use the cookie scoot. To make cookies more round and uniform, use a round biscuit cutter to scoot the edges back into a round shape. Make sure to do this once the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still warm. This easy step will give you perfect round cookies.
Once the cookies finish baking, make sure to let them cool completely before you add the frosting. If the cookies are even a little warm, this will cause the butter to heat up and the frosting melt.
FAQ
Yes, you do! Chilling the dough allows the fats to cool, which will allow the cookies to hold their shape and develop a richer chewier texture. If you skip this step, the cookies will spread and become flat.
These cookies are meant to be large, bakery-style cookies. You want a big surface area to spread the frosting and garnish with additional toppings. I suggest using a 1 1/2 oz ice cream scoop.
I recommend using rainbow jimmies. These type of sprinkles hold their shape and color best when baked. Do not use nonpareils (the little balls). They will bleed their color as you fold them in.
Bake the cookies until they are just set in the center and lightly golden around the edges. I tend to slightly underbake my cookies to ensure they keep their soft and chewy texture.
Recipe Variations
- Dip half of each cookie into dark chocolate and decorate with extra sprinkles.
- Skip the frosting and serve these cookies with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Also, these cookies make the best ice cream sandwiches!
- Crumble up the cookies and use them as a topping for your ice cream sundae bar.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Hand-held mixer or electric-stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Sifter
- Measure cups and spoons
- 1 1/2 oz ice cream scoop
Storing and Freezing
Not only is this Birthday Cake Cookie Recipe delicious out of the oven, but they stay crisp and chewy for several days. Store the unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Frost when you are ready to serve.
Freezing
For baked cookies: Once cool, freeze the baked cookies inside an airtight container up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour at room temperature.
For unbaked cookies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop and arrange cookies onto the baking sheet. Then, flash freeze them by placing them in the freezer for 1 hour.
Once the cookies are frozen, package them in a ziplock freezer bag or an airtight storage container.
More Cookie Recipes To Try
Try These Sweet Tooth Recipes Too!
- French Creme Brûlée
- Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
- Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
- Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
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Birthday Cake Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Birthday Cake Cookies
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup Light brown sugar , packed
- 1 Egg, room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup White chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup Rainbow jimmies , plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup Birthday cake sandwiches , roughly chopped, plus more for topping
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 2 3/4 cup Powdered sugar
- pinch Salt
Instructions
Birthday Cake Cookies
- Chop cookies into bite size pieces. You can use a knife or place them inside a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
- In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk. Then, beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sprinkles, white chocolate chips and chopped cookies.
- Use a 1 1/2 oz cookie scoop and scoop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking pan.
- Place the cookie dough balls inside the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes or until cold.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place the cookies onto a parchment lined sheet pan, 2" apart (6 cookies per sheet). Then, bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The edges will be lightly golden brown and the center will be slightly puffy.
Buttercream Frosting
- While the cookies are baking, start the frosting. Beat the butter on high speed for 1 minute. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix on a low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Next, mix in the powdered sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Once the cookies finish baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. Then, take a spoonful of frosting and make a swirl on top of each cookie. Add additional sprinkles and chopped cookies.
Notes
- Topping the cookies with frosting is completely optional. If you choose not to frost the cookies, top them with extra sprinkles and chopped cookie pieces as soon as they come out of the oven.