Some things you never grow out of. Things like cotton candy at Walt Disney World and flannel on Christmas morning or even treats like these funfetti cookies remind me that there’s a childlike nostalgia in all of us that will never die. Some things are relevant forever.

HBD, JESS!

My best friend Jesse turned 30 yesterday. We met as self-conscious 6th graders back in the late 90’s (cough, what?), and since then we’ve celebrated nearly 20 years of irthdays as BFFs. That length of time does something to a relationship. After a while, you start feeling less like a friend and more like a sister, or maybe a crazy aunt who is terribly overbearing but loyal enough to throw eggs at your ex-boyfriend’s house. Our friendship has evolved over the years and it’s rarely presented itself perfect and shiny like a new penny. But after 20 years, it’s one that is worn in and fits snug in all of the right places of my story. She’s the present that has meshed with nearly ever part of my past, the instant classic that I’ve never grow out of.

“In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.”

When Jesse and I get together, it’s like we’re in middle school again. Instead of sentences, we speak in strings of inside jokes and outlandish “What If?” scenarios. There’s laughter and sarcastic banter, full freedom to say or do whatever feels right, even if that means absolutely nothing at all. There’s a certain vulnerability that comes with spending time with a person who has known you through nearly every season of your life. And there’s safety to share secrets and expose the hidden parts you think no one else will understand, because you’re confident that, ultimately, that person is there for keeps.

So I find myself from time to time, even as a wife, mother, and almost 30 year old woman, crawling like a child into the lap of my dear friend who I know will always make room for me, no matter what I bring to the table. That, my friends, is irreplaceable.

I feel obligated to embarrass Jess (and myself) with a few photos from years past. If a girl will stick by you through a half-dozen or so break-ups, braces, AND the unibrow phase, you know she will forgive you for a few old photos. Happy Birthday, Jess. Ride or die forever.

Funfetti Cookies

Like an old friend, these funfetti cookies give me all the feelings. You never grow too old for cookies, sprinkles, or the nostalgic delight that comes with the taste of box mix cake batter. These cookies are a simple, a one bowl recipe that bake up chewy, crinkled, and colorful every time.  Perfect for the kids you love and the kid in you.

Making the Cookies 

To make them, first cream a little room temperature butter with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Eggs are added for moisture and fluff, and a splash of clear vanilla ensures that the cookies have that delightful bakery taste that we all know and love. Flour and a few other dry ingredients get just barely mixed in before we toss in loads of sprinkles- totally fun and incredibly necessary.

These funfetti cookies bake into perfect little rounds. The cream of tartar helps to achieve those pretty little cracks on the tops, and the high ratio of granulated sugar to brown sugar makes for a crisp-edged, chewy cookie. This recipe requires less than 10 minutes of prep work, so you can spend less time baking and more time enjoying these hot little numbers with the ones you love.

Give these funfetti cookies a try this weekend. Bake them with your kids, your bestie, or even on your own. There’s no shame in enjoying some cookie dough solo. On another note, the SAVEUR blog awards are underway and I would LOVE if you would consider nominating this sweet little site. Follow the link, type in thewoodandspoon.com and consider nominating it for the “Best New Voice” and/or “Best Baking and Sweet” category. I’d adore your support. Be sure to nominate your other favorite sites too! Have a terrific weekend and happy baking!

If you like these funfetti cookies, consider making:

Funfetti Scones

Confetti Ice Cream Cake

Trail Mix Cookies

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Painted Sugar Cookies

Print

Funfetti Cookies

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

These funfetti cookies are chewy, crinkle topped sugar cookies with loads of sprinkles and box mix cake batter flavor.

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 30
• Category: Cookies

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (140 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 gm) sugar
• ½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar
• 2–1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups (260 gm) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup (160 gm) rainbow sprinkles

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare sheet pans by lining them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and egg, beating on low until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar, and beat on low speed just until the dry ingredients are combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the sprinkles. Beat just until combined.
3. Scoop out 1-1/2 tablespoon sized scoops (I use a medium cookie scoop) and roll each dough ball briefly in your hands to smooth out the rough edges of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies have just begun to crack and the edges are set. Allow to cool on the sheet pans for about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to complete cooling.

Notes

• Clear vanilla extract give these cookie that classic funfetti box cake mix flavor that we all know and love. Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste can be substituted, however, the flavor will differ.
• I used 1-1/2 tablespoon sized balls of dough for this recipe. If you use larger or smaller balls of dough your baking time will differ. Bake until the tops have small cracks running throughout.
• If at any point in time you dough gets too soft (or if it gets too hard in the fridge), the baking time and final appearance of the cookies may differ. If your cookies don’t spread enough, it could mean that your dough is too cold. If they spread out too thin, try cooling the rest of the dough briefly in the fridge.