These Birthday Cake Cookies pack all the fun of a birthday celebration into a handheld treat, complete with frosting and plenty of fun and colorful sprinkles.
These Birthday Cake Cookies bring the fun of a celebration to your cookie jar, with sweet cake-inspired flavor and colorful sprinkles in every bite. They’re a cheerful addition to birthday parties, bake sales, or an afternoon baking session when you want something a little more festive.
I love birthday themed treats because it usually means there are colorful sprinkles which are my favorites! For more colorful and fun birthday recipes you have to check out my Funfetti Cookies, Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake, and Birthday Cake Blondies.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Birthday Cake Cookies
- Classic birthday cake flavor – Vanilla and almond extracts give these homemade cookies their sweet, cake-inspired flavor without needing a boxed cake mix.
- Loaded with white chocolate chips – Two cups of white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness throughout the buttery cookie dough, making every bite packed with chocolate.
- Colorful sprinkles in every bite – Rainbow jimmies are folded directly into the dough, giving these cookies a festive appearance that’s perfect for birthdays and celebrations.
- Optional homemade vanilla frosting – A simple buttercream-style frosting adds another layer of vanilla sweetness, while extra rainbow sprinkles make the finished cookies look like miniature birthday treats.
- Perfect for parties and making ahead – This recipe makes a large batch, and the dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking, making party preparation easier.
Recipe Ingredients
Rainbow Jimmies: These colorful, elongated sprinkles hold their color well when mixed into cookie dough.
White Chocolate Chips: Add creamy sweetness and little pockets of white chocolate throughout the cookies.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Also called powdered sugar, this is the main sweetener in the homemade buttercream frosting.
Almond Extract: Just a small amount adds that classic bakery-style birthday cake flavor and complements the vanilla extract. If you prefer, you can omit it for a more traditional vanilla cookie.
For a full list of ingredients and amounts see the recipe card below.
How to Make Birthday Cake Cookies
Step 1: In the large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Next add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl add the all purpose flour, salt, and baking soda and whisk together.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
Step 5: Next add in the white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles and gently fold into the batter until evenly distributed.
Step 6: Then chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours.
Step 7: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 8: Scoop 1 Tbsp of cookie dough and roll into balls and place them on your prepared baking sheet. Top with additional sprinkles and white chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough balls if desired.
Step 9: Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden edges. Set aside to cool.
Step 10: Once cookies have cooled, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. About a minute.
Step 11: Next, add the confectioner’s sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix until a frosting forms.
Step 12: Spread the frosting over the cookies, if desired, and top with additional rainbow sprinkles.
Step 13: Finally serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Mix the dough gently – Once you add the flour mixture, mix just until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles gently to avoid overworking the dough or breaking up the colorful sprinkles.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough – Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before baking. Chilling firms up the butter, helps control spreading, and makes the dough easier to handle.
- Watch for lightly golden edges – Since these cookies are made with a small 1-tablespoon scoop, check them toward the beginning of the baking time. The edges should be lightly golden while the centers may still appear slightly soft. Let them rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Cool completely before frosting – Make sure the cookies are completely cool before spreading on the vanilla frosting. Frosting warm cookies can cause the buttercream to melt and slide off. Add extra rainbow sprinkles immediately after frosting so they stick.
FAQs
Rainbow jimmies, the long, thin sprinkles, are the best choice for mixing into the cookie dough. They generally hold their color better during baking than small, round nonpareils, which can bleed into the dough. You can use additional jimmies to decorate the frosting.
No, the vanilla frosting is completely optional! The cookies already contain white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles, so they’re delicious on their own. For a sweeter, more decorated birthday treat, spread the cooled cookies with homemade frosting and finish with extra sprinkles.
Yes! You can omit the almond extract if you prefer a more traditional vanilla flavor. The cookies will still have plenty of sweetness from the vanilla extract and white chocolate chips, although the birthday cake-inspired flavor will be slightly different.
Storage Information
You can store any unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can store frosted cookies in your fridge for 4-5 days.
For longer storage you can freeze these unfrosted cookies in a freezer-safe bag in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Birthday Cake Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup butter - softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup rainbow jimmies - plus more for topping
- 2 cups white chocolate chips - plus more for topping
For the Frosting
- ½ cup butter - softened
- 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Next add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl add the flour, salt, and baking soda and whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Next add in the white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles and gently fold in until evenly distributed.
- Then chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1 Tbsp of cookie dough and roll into balls and place them on your prepared baking sheet. Top with additional sprinkles and white chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set. Begin checking at 10 minutes to avoid overbaking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies have cooled, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. About a minute.
- Next, add the confectioner’s sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix until a frosting forms.
- Spread the frosting over the cookies, if desired, and top with additional rainbow sprinkles.
- Finally serve and enjoy!
