Easy Funfetti Cookies (gluten free)
Easy funfetti cookies are loaded with sprinkles and taste like birthday cake! These fun cookies are gluten free + allergy friendly so all can enjoy.
This funfetti cookie recipe makes cookies that are soft, pillowy, and full of sprinkles! They taste just like a vanilla cake but are in a cookie.
I love how tasty these cookies are, they are dangerous because you can’t eat just one! These homemade funfetti cookies are ready to become your new favorite. They are a perfect treat for birthday parties, holidays, and anytime you feel like celebrating.
Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy (option), casein (option), soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn (option), sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
Why You’ll Love these Funfetti Cookies
They are so fun! I mean, who doesn’t love a funfetti cookie? They are basically soft sugar cookies loaded up with sprinkles. I love them.
Freezer friendly. Make them ahead of time and freeze them so you can always have cookies whenever you want.
They make perfect ice cream sandwiches. What is better than a funfetti cookie? A funfetti ice cream sandwich.
Ingredients
Sprinkles – The star of the show for funfetti cookies! Rainbow sprinkles are traditional, but you can use any colorful sprinkles you like. Even customize them for different holidays. I love using these from Sweetopolita as they are made gluten free. They also have sprinkles that are dye free, vegan, kosher, and so many more. I’ve been using them for this past year and love them.
Egg + Egg Yolk – Why use both? The extra egg yolk adds so much moisture, tenderness, and fat to the recipe, helping the gluten free flour stick together and taste more cake-like.
Cornstarch – Not just for thickening pies and sauces, the cornstarch helps to keep things light and fluffy in this cookie. Plus, it does help the eggs bind the cookie together since we are making these gluten free.
Gluten Free Flour – Different blends have different ingredients which may give you different results. I love using King Arthur Measure for Measure in most of my recipes, and this is the one I recommend for this recipe for the best results.
You will also need: Baking powder and salt, butter, cream cheese, white sugar, and pure vanilla extract.
Allergy Substitutions
To make this corn free, replace the cornstarch with an equal amount of either tapioca flour or arrowroot powder. Make sure that your sprinkles are free from corn. Use a corn free vanilla extract. I like Singing Dog Vanilla.
To make this dairy free, substitute a non-dairy butter and cream cheese of your choice. Make sure that you use a stick dairy free butter as the kind from the tub has different water:fat ratios.
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with measurements, please see the recipe card below.
Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together your gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. After a quick mix set this aside while you mix up the wet ingredients.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese for about 3 minutes on medium speed. When they are combined, add the sugar and mix on medium-high for about 3 more minutes. You want the mix to get really light and fluffy so don’t skip this step!
Now, turn the speed down to low and add the egg and egg yolk. Let it mix in on low speed and don’t speed it up. The fats and the proteins are mixing together making the cookie have the fluffy and soft texture.
Tip! To bring your eggs to room temperature quickly, place the eggs in a warm water bath and let them sit for 3 minutes. Your eggs will be warm and ready to mix into the batter!
After the eggs are mixed in, add the vanilla extract. Give the bowl a scrape with a rubber spatula and add the dry ingredients. Let them mix together until the dough is smooth.
Now add the dry ingredients to the wet. Slowly mix them together, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed so all the ingredients are incorporated. Don’t over mix this. Even though its gluten free so gluten can’t develop, you want this to keep light and fluffy.
Finally, add the sprinkles! Mix them in.
Using a cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Each cookie should be about the size of 1-inch balls. If you want to add a few more extra sprinkles on top to the cookies go ahead and do so.
Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes, but 60 minutes is best. This gives the dough time to rest and to let the gluten free flours hydrate.
Baking the Cookies
After they have chilled, preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes until you see a soft golden edge developing on the crust of the cookie and they no longer look wet.
Let the cookies rest on the hot cookie trays for 10 minutes before letting them cool on a wire cooling rack.
Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Cookie
Fold in the sprinkles by hand. Mixing them into the dough with a spatula helps them from breaking on a paddle attachment.
Don’t forget to chill the dough! This is what helps them keep their shape.
Use good quality ingredients. Since this recipe is so simple, it’s important to use your favorites. I love using Singing Dog Vanilla extract not only because it’s allergy friendly, but tastes good!
How to Store
Countertop: These cookies can be kept in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 5 days.
Freezer: To store baked cookies, wrap the cookies in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw for a few hours on the kitchen counter top before enjoying.
To freeze unbaked cookie dough: After chilling the dough for 1 hour in the fridge, transfer the cookie dough balls to a freezer safe container (I use a freezer safe plastic bag) and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake them, take the cookies directly from the freezer and bake. Add an additional 2 minutes to cook time if needed.
More cookie recipes
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Equipment
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Cookie trays
- Cookie scoop
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- ¼ cup cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare two baking trays with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients: 1 ½ cups of gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Set this aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the room temperature ½ cup butter and ¼ cup cream cheese until fully blended. Add 1 cup of white sugar and mix on medium-high speed for 4 minutes. This is making the cookie light and fluffy.
- Turn the speed to low and add the egg and egg yolk. Slowly mix the egg into the batter. Then, add the vanilla extract.
- With the speed on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix until the batter is just come together.
- Now add the sprinkles and mix until the sprinkles are distributed throughout the batter. I like to mix mine in by hand so as not to break any sprinkle.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, make 1-inch balls (about 1 rounded tablespoon) of cookie dough and place onto the prepared cookie sheets. Add more sprinkles on top of the cookies if desired.
- Chill dough for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake each cookie tray for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a light golden color develops along the edge of the cookie. Remove from the oven and let rest on the hot cookie tray for 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
