• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Lemons + Zest logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe
  • Our Adoption Story
  • Privacy Policy
  • Follow me!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Desserts / Birthday Cake Cookies

    Birthday Cake Cookies

    Last Updated October 8, 2021. Published February 17, 2020 By Lorie 40 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cookie scoops with funfetti sprinkles on cookie sheet.

    These Birthday Cake Cookies are better than your average sugar cookie because they bring the party with every colorful bite. Birthdays don't have to be just about the cake--why not do cookies? Birthday Cake cookies are most certainly the new way to celebrate!

    Stack of sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles with milk.

    It's a proven fact that if you add sprinkles to any treat, it is automatically 100 times more delicious. Not to mention fun to eat too.

    I have a thing for rainbow sprinkles, but honestly who doesn't? So adding them to one of my favorites, sugar cookies brought these babies to a whole new level.

    My Lemon Sugar Cookies have been a long standing favorite in our household, but now that these funfetti filled Birthday Cake Cookies are a thing, it looks like it may be a while before I get a request for the lemon.

    And so so much more. Really, there aren't many occasions I can think of that wouldn't be better with these sprinkle filled cookies.

    Cookie dough scooped on baking sheet.

    What you need to make this recipe:

    • flour: too much, too little--both can have an impact. If you want to measure out your flour by weight for these birthday cake cookies, you will need 217 g.
    • vanilla: good vanilla is what makes a delicious sugar cookie in my opinion. I try to stay away from imitation vanilla and go for extract especially for sugar cookies.
    Ingredients to make cookie recipe

    How to make these Birthday Cake Cookies:

    Steps to make birthday cake sugar cookies.
    • Cream the butter and sugars. Creaming the butter and sugars seems like such a simple task, but it is so important to do it right. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and fully incorporated. This will take about 2-4 minutes. Don't skimp on this step! (steps 1 and 2)
    • Photo 2 shows creamed butter and sugar if you need a good visual.
    • Add the egg and butter and only beat to incorporate fully. Don't overbeat here. (steps 3 and 4)
    Steps to make cookie recipe.
    • In a separate bowl whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. This is important to do versus just tossing all of the flour and dry ingredients in separately as you want all of the leavening agents equally dispersed. (step 5)
    • Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat. This should be a small amount at a time, not more than one cup. Take it slow--you don't want flour blowing up in your face, right? Step 6 shows fully incorporated flour into the dough.
    • Fold in the sprinkles. Do this gently to keep sprinkles from breaking up as they can be delicate. After mixed, chill for about 30 minutes. (steps 7 and 8)
    Birthday cake sugar cookies with milk.

    Should I chill this sugar cookie dough before baking?

    I find sugar cookies come out best when the dough is chilled. Even if all you have is 15 minutes, do it! I suggest chilling the dough at least 30 minutes and ideally an hour. Chilling allows the fats to harden and in turn, the cookies cook at a slower rate and don't spread out too much or become too thin.

    Pro-Tips and Notes:

    • I mentioned this above, but I also always say it at least twice in a cookie post: MAKE SURE YOUR BAKING SODA AND BAKING POWDER ARE FRESH. This is a huge reason for issues with cookies. We have three year old baking soda we forgot about and toss it in thinking it will all be ok. Not so much, my friends. Keep both of these fresh.
    • Make sure to cream the butter and sugars well. This is a necessary step to make amazing cookies. Cream for about 2-4 minutes ideally.
    • I love making these with special sprinkles based on occasion. You can adjust the color of the sprinkles for whatever you may be celebrating: red and green for Christmas, red/pink/purple for Valentine's Day, your favorite team colors and more.
    Close up of birthday cake cookies with rainbow sprinkles.

    My cookies are very thin, what should I do?

    This is typically one of several things:

    • The dough is too warm. Pop it in the fridge for a bit and allow it to chill and give it another shot.
    • There is not enough flour. Flour can be tricky. Just a touch too much or too little can really have an impact on baking cookies. Try adding a tablespoon or two of flour to see if that helps. (This is what happened when I was testing the recipe on the first batch.)
    • Leavening agents are expired: check your baking powder and baking soda. Make sure they are fresh and up to date. If they are fresh but were not sealed tight that can cause issues as well.

    Possible Variations:

    • Ice cream sandwiches: spoon some vanilla ice cream in between two of these funfetti cookies and then roll the outer ice cream edge in even more sprinkles, because sprinkles are everything and there is never ever too much.
    • Dip half of each cookie into white chocolate or drizzle some extra white chocolate over top of each cookie.
    • Crumble up the cookies and sprinkle on top of an actual birthday cake.
    • Spread buttercream frosting in between two of the cookies for another type of birthday cake cookie fun.

    Any other ideas?? I want to hear them!

    I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we have!

    Birthday cake Cookie dipped in milk with sprinkles.

    Birthday Cake Cookies--Something worth celebrating!

    Just because these cookies have the word "birthday" included in the name does NOT mean you have to wait for the next birthday to enjoy them. There are plenty other occasions to enjoy these sugar cookies:

    • just because
    • snow day baking
    • graduation celebration
    • school's out!
    • a thinking of you gift
    • celebrating a big milestone
    • holiday cookie exchange

    CHECK OUT THESE OTHER DELICIOUS BAKED GOODS:

    • LOADED COOKIES AND CREAM COOKIES
    • CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX REESE CUP COOKIES
    • SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
    • MINI EGG CHEESECAKE COOKIE BARS
    • LUCKY CHARM COOKIES
    • GLUTEN FREE BLONDIES
    • CREAM CHEESE SNOWBALL COOKIES
    • DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES
    • LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

    HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest!

    Birthday Cake Cookies

    Nothing says Happy Birthday like made from scratch birthday sugar cookies with lots and lots of sprinkles! This simple funfetti cookie recipe is fun for all occasions, not just your birthday! Birthday Cake cookies are most certainly the new way to celebrate!
    4.90 from 39 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Chill dough at least: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 114kcal
    Author: Lorie Yarro

    Ingredients 

    • ½ c unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1 c sugar
    • 1 T brown sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ c flour (217 g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ c rainbow sprinkles

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to combine and set aside.
    • In a separate medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Add in egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate fully.
    • Slowly add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat just to incorporate (do not over mix!) Gently fold in sprinkles. Chill for at least 1 hour for best results. Roll the dough into balls before chilling to make it easy to pop them on the pan.
    • While cookie dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Place cookie dough balls/scoops two inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes, cookies will be puffed up and may not look 100% done, but pull them just before you think they are done. Allow to cool completely and enjoy. Store in an airtight container for about 3-5 days.

    Notes

    After feedback about cookies coming out too thin, I have adjusted the recipe to include slightly more flour and leavening agents. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe? I would love to see it! Mention @LemonsAndZest or tag #LemonsAndZest!
    « Baked Cashew Chicken
    Peanut Butter Chocolate Avocado Mousse »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nora says

      January 04, 2023 at 11:14 pm

      Hi, can I add chocolate chips? If so, how should the recipe be adjusted? Can't wait to try this out! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        January 05, 2023 at 11:56 pm

        Hi! You certainly can! No major adjustment should need to be made!

        Reply
    2. EC says

      November 15, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      Hi I haven't tried these cookies yet, I am attempting to except it doesn't say how large the dough balls are supposed to be. I get that they're meant to be 24 equal sizes, but let's say some of us don't feel like weighing out their dough and also each individual cookie?

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        November 15, 2022 at 4:49 pm

        Hi! The cookies will be roughly one inch balls. Hope that helps and you enjoy them!

        Reply
    3. Happy Camper says

      September 27, 2022 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      This cookies are amazing. I weighed my flour and measured everything else. Cookies came out with crispy edges and gooey centers. Definitely recommend this recipe!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        September 29, 2022 at 11:03 am

        So so happy to hear this!!! Glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    4. Elle says

      May 03, 2022 at 5:12 am

      Hi what’s the exact metric conversions for the unsalted butter, sugars and rainbow sprinkles please? I am from the UK and we do not use cup measurements here. I find conversion systems online can vary and I would like to get this right! Thanks in advance.

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        May 03, 2022 at 10:43 am

        Hi! From what I have, the butter is 113 grams, 12.5 grams brown sugar, 200 grams sugar, 104 grams for the sprinkles but you can add whatever amount around that for the sprinkles--they may vary in weight depending on the size. Hope this helps!!

        Reply
    5. Sandy says

      May 01, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      What about using Birthday cake extract instead of the vanilla extract?

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        May 01, 2022 at 10:24 pm

        If you like it, you can absolutely use it!

        Reply
    6. Victoria says

      September 26, 2021 at 1:16 pm

      Hello - I think I figured out why some peoples cookies are too flat etc.. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of flour or 217 grams. Those in America will probably go to the 1 1/2 cups vs weighing the flour. I did both and what I found out is 217 grams of flour is more like 1 3/4 cups of flour. It is ONLY 1 1/2 cups of flour if you shake it - to settle it down - thus packing the flour down more... So I would change it to 1 3/4 cups of flour - spooned - not settled if that makes sense!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        September 26, 2021 at 10:44 pm

        Thanks Victoria! It’s tricky for sure when not using the weight when it comes to flour. Everyone measures slightly different. Thanks for your input and I will test these using your strategy and see how it goes. I appreciate you taking the time to add this!!

        Reply
      • Anne says

        December 11, 2021 at 8:38 pm

        I wish I saw the 1 3/4 measurement before I made the dough. I will post my cookie pictures when baked. I think they will be fine!!

        Reply
        • Lorie says

          December 12, 2021 at 12:08 pm

          Hope they turned out well for you!

          Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to lemons + zest!

    Hello! I’m Lorie, welcome to lemons + zest! If you love to eat, and you love delicious, simple recipes, then you are in the right place. When it comes to cooking these days, I firmly believe that if it takes too long, or too much work to make, then it’s not for me. Read More…

    30 Minute Meals

    Chicken taco casserole in white dish topped with sour cream, green onions and other toppings.

    Chicken Taco Casserole

    Teriyaki ground pork stir fry in bowl with white rice and chopsticks.

    Teriyaki Ground Pork Stir Fry

    Grilled lemon pepper chicken on white plate with lemon slices and salad.

    Lemon Pepper Grilled Chicken

    Pan with green chicken enchiladas topped with chopped cilantro.

    Green Chicken Enchiladas

    Skillet with chicken thighs and fresh parsley on top.

    Our Favorite 30 Minute Dinners

    Shrimp taco salad with cheese, beans, avocado, corn, onion, and other ingredients.

    Shrimp Taco Salad

    White plate with air fried chicken thighs breaded and with chopped parsley on top.

    Parmesan Crusted Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

    Bowl with Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with fresh cheddar on top and spoon in bowl.

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    More 30 Minute Recipes →

    Cozy Soups + Chili

    Easy Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

    Creamy crockpot chicken rice soup in bowl with spoon and fresh parsley.

    Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

    Bowl of sweet potato chili with toppings and spoon beside.

    Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

    Tomato tortellini soup.

    Tomato Tortellini Soup

    Pot of chunky Vegetable Soup.

    Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup

    Creamy white chicken chili with cream cheese in bowl with jalapeño, fritos and cheese.

    Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

    Pumpkin Quinoa Chili

    Bowl of soup with Italian sausage and gnocchi pasta with spoon.

    Sausage Gnocchi Soup

    Butternut Squash White Bean Soup

    Bowl with Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with fresh cheddar on top and spoon in bowl.

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    Copyright © 2023 · lemons + zest