Funfetti? Confetti? Sprinkle cookies? Whatever you call them, these are simply the easiest and most satisfying cookies to make. These are no spread, no chill vegan funfetti sugar cookies that need a basic few pantry items and take just 36 minutes from prep to baked.
Why I Made This Recipe
I had honestly never tried sprinkles in cookies until I moved to Canada and I have to say that I am hooked. I love the way that they jazz up the cookie dough with tiny pops of colour. And how they add that extra dimension of crunch that is so satisfying against a soft, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookie.
Why You Need to Make These
These no spread funfetti sugar cookies are quick and easy to make, especially if you follow my cookie dough tricks that will guarantee that your cookies look amazing every time you make them. More on that as we dig into the recipe details below. These are perfect for any occasion but especially Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To ensure that this recipe is allergen-friendly, I am using plant-based butter and vegan sprinkles. And before we start, let’s talk about sprinkles. Did you know that the vast majority of sprinkles that are available have dairy in them?
Usually, they contain whey which is a big no-no if you can’t eat dairy. Sprinkles also occasionally contain shellac (which is made from insects) or gelatin so you will need to double-check the ingredients of your sprinkles to ensure they are safe if you have dairy allergies or follow a vegan diet. I have been able to find bulk sprinkles at a local store which has been a real saver for me. There are also specialist vegan sprinkle suppliers online if you can’t find anything in your local store.
Let’s dive into the ingredients we’ll be using. For more questions about this recipe, check out my FAQ section.
Dry Ingredients
Flour: I’m using all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried this with gluten-free flour but would recommend using a 1-to-1 GF flour substitute if you want to experiment. I have had great success using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF flour in this recipe and highly recommend it.
Sugar: I am using regular white sugar in this recipe. You could jazz it up and use golden or even brown sugar instead but that will change the flavour profile of the cookies and you won’t get a true funfetti flavour. You can substitute with coconut sugar although I haven’t tested it with this particular recipe.
Wet Ingredients
Plant-Based Butter: As a rule of thumb, I always use unsalted plant-based butter in my recipes and tend to add salt if the recipe is too sweet. But these are meant to be sweet so I didn’t add salt this time.
My go-to plant-based butter is soy-free and is a block-based butter – not a spreadable one that you find in tubs as those tend to have a higher water content which you want to avoid in sugar cookies. More water equals a great chance of spread and this recipe DOES NOT spread.
Flavourings: I use a combination of vanilla bean paste and almond extract in this recipe to give that distinctive birthday cake flavour. There are various different types of almond extract available. Some use pure almond oil in them and others are nut-free as they use the pit of a peach or apricot to replicate the flavour.
Due to this and to avoid confusion, this recipe is NOT tagged as nut-free but of course, if you avoid nuts you can still make these cookies. Just use an artificial extract. That’s actually what I use as it’s cheaper than the real deal and still has a great flavour profile. Plus I have a very mild almond sensitivity and avoid them whenever possible.
And for that pop of colour
Sprinkles: I used nonpareils (balls) in this recipe as they are my absolute favourite. Regular sprinkles (the long thin ones) will work equally as well.
FUN FACT – I used to call sprinkles ‘hundreds and thousands‘ when I was growing up in the UK. I remember asking for some at a local store when I first moved to Canada and they had no idea what I was talking about. I love learning about all the different names for products and still slip up and use British terms every so often AND have a good chuckle to myself at the same time.
How to Make Funfetti Cookies
For this particular cookie, I follow the 1-2-3 principle of a basic shortbread recipe. If you’re not familiar with this principle, it is essentially 100g of sugar (1/2 US cup), 200g of butter (14 tbsp) and 300g (2.5 cups) of flour.
Flavouring is optional but to get the full funfetti experience, I highly recommend including them. And you HAVE to add sprinkles as well or else they’re just regular cookies. And besides, sprinkles make everything taste good.
Making the Dough
With 3 simple ingredients as the base for this recipe, it won’t take you long to pull out everything you need from your pantry. Preheat your oven to 325℉ (165℃) and gather up all of your ingredients, ensuring that your butter is at room temperature before you start. I usually take mine out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before I’m ready to bake.
I recommend using a stand mixer to make these cookies so you can easily add in some of the ingredients while the mixer is running. This helps to incorporate everything evenly and also reduces the amount of time that the dough is being mixed.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand whisk or even mixing it by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula will work just as well. Just remember that it will take a little bit longer so factor that in if you are making these cookies on the spur of the moment for a quick snack.
Uneven cookie dough?
Here are my three top tips for avoiding uneven cookie dough because there is nothing more satisfying than perfectly flat cookies.
TOP TIP 1: Using guide rings or paint stirrers will guarantee that your dough is rolled out evenly every time. This will prevent uneven baking times and also just gives an overall more appealing look to your finished cookies. So why paint stirrers?
I like saving money where possible (because we all know that baking tools aren’t exactly cheap!). Paint stirrers are perfect to use in place of expensive guide rings or guide strips. These stirrers are 7mm or 1/4 inch thick. They don’t come into contact with the dough when you use the method shown below so are perfectly safe to use. Next time you’re in the hardware store, pick some up to add to your baking toolkit. They usually hand them out for free in the paint section.
TOP TIP 2: Roll your dough on parchment paper with another piece of parchment paper on top. This will prevent your dough from sticking to your rolling pin. And also avoid the need to flour/dust your surface, which can dry out your cookie dough.
TOP TIP 3: I also like to keep a bowl at the side of my workspace for any offcuts. Rather than re-rolling all of the offcuts as I go along, I wait until the end. Then I reroll them once. This cuts back on adding extra air to your dough and also reduces the likelihood of spread from overworking the gluten.
Let’s Bake
Let’s take a look at these beauties before they head into the oven to be baked. I am literally obsessed with all those little pops of colours. Remember that we do not need to chill these cookies before they head into the oven. Simply roll, cut and bake.
Avoiding Cookie Spread
If you regularly make cookies, you are probably aware that some cookie recipes tend to spread more than others. Your cookies may even end up slightly bigger than you expected. There are a few scientific reasons why cookie dough spreads. Some recipes use baking soda which causes spread (remember S (soda) for Spread, P (powder) for Puff). Many recipes include eggs. Some need chilling and some can simply just spread from overmixing the dough.
My top tips to avoid spread include not using any leavening/raising agent in your dough, stopping mixing your dough as soon as it clumps together, avoiding using butter with a high water content, and ensuring that you have the correct ratio of dry ingredients to wet (this is actually the most important point).
I actually ran a test where I chilled some of the cookies and it made no difference to the cookies as the ratio of fat to flour is perfect and who doesn’t love a recipe that skips the need to chill before baking.
So I’m happy to confirm that this is a NO SPREAD, NO CHILL cookie recipe. Yay for quick and easy. Look how wonderful they look and when you hold the cutter over them, you can see how well they’ve retained their size and shape. Perfect!
Storage and Freezing
My funfetti cookies are best enjoyed on the day of baking. That being said, they will still taste great for up to 7 days after baking as long as they are stored correctly.
On the counter: I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. If you have decorated them, either seal in food safe bags or in a cookie box or airtight container out of direct heat and sunlight. Properly sealed cookies can last for several weeks but I do recommend eating sooner rather than later.
In the freezer: These cookies can be frozen as well, either before baking or afterwards. If unbaked, wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Allow to come to room temperature before unwrapping and rolling out. If baked, place in an airtight container. This is a great way to always have cookies on hand for sweet cravings. Bring out onto a plate to defrost at room temperature. Decorate if required.
Cookie Questions
This recipe makes approximately 18 no spread funfetti sugar cookies but the overall yield will depend on how thick you roll your dough and the size of the cutter that you use. I rolled my dough to 1/4 inch thickness and used a 3.5 inch heart shaped cutter.
Absolutely. These cookies are firm enough to decorate with royal icing, glaze, buttercream or fondant. Check out my Top 15 Cookie Decorating Tips for ideas and decorating tutorials.
As this recipe follows the 1-2-3 ratio for the base, you can easily scale it up to double, triple etc the quantities. Use the handy buttons in the recipe card below to increase the recipe by 2 and 3 times.
This recipe DOES NOT require chilling. Make up the dough, roll out then cut your shapes and bake.
My funfetti cookies are best enjoyed on the day of baking. That being said, they will still taste great for up to 7 days after baking as long as they are stored correctly. I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for 7 days. These cookies can be frozen as well, either before baking or afterwards.
My top tips to avoid your cookies spreading are to omit any leavening/raising agent in your dough, stop mixing your dough as soon as it clumps together, avoid using butter with a high water content, and ensure that you have the correct ratio of dry ingredients to wet. Ratios play an important part in avoiding spread and this recipe works every time.
Cookie Decorating Tips
Want to make these cookies even more appealing? Check out my Top 15 Cookie Decorating tips where I cover everything from baking tips to icing options and a few basic decorating ideas.
And if you love cookies, check out my Cookie Category page for more of my cookie recipes such as:
- Small Batch Strawberry Lemonade Cookies (Dairy Free)
- Menorcan Pastissets – Spanish Sugar Cookies (Dairy Free)
- Red Velvet Drop Cookies (Vegan)
Funfetti Cookies
Equipment
- Paint Stirrers (get these from your hardware store)
Ingredients
- 100 grams White Sugar (1/2 US cup)
- 200 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted) (14 tbsp)
- 300 grams All Purpose Flour (plain flour – 2.5 US cups)
- 0.5 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 0.5 tsp Almond Extract
- 50 grams Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325F (165C) and gather all of your ingredients. Ensure that your butter is at room temperature before starting this recipe. Line baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment.100 grams White Sugar, 200 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted)
- Add the vanilla and almond flavourings while the butter and sugar is creaming.0.5 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste, 0.5 tsp Almond Extract
- Add the flour in thirds (to avoid a huge puff of flour) and mix to combine.300 grams All Purpose Flour
- Add the sprinkles while the mixer is still running, scraping down the bowl at least once to ensure everything is incorporated.50 grams Sprinkles
- Place parchment paper on the counter and roll out the dough, using another piece of parchment on top of the dough to avoid it sticking to your rolling pin.
- Cut out shapes and place on lined baking pan.
- Bake at 325F (165C) for 16-18 minutes until cookies are lightly golden on the edges and have a matte appearance.
- Allow to cool and then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes approximately 18 cookies but the overall yield will depend on how thick you roll your dough and the size of the cutter that you use. I rolled my dough to 1/4 inch thickness and used a 3.5 inch heart shaped cutter.
- As this recipe follows the 1-2-3 ratio for the base, you can easily scale it up to double, triple etc the quantities.
- Decorating: These cookies are firm enough to decorate with royal icing or fondant. Check out my Top 15 Cookie Decorating Tips for some ideas and tutorials.
- Gluten Free: sub the all purpose flour for your preferred 1-to-1 GF Baking Blend.
- Chilling? This recipe DOES NOT require chilling. Make up the dough, roll out then cut your shapes and bake.
- Storage: Best enjoyed on the day of baking. Cover and store them at room temperature for 7 days. These cookies can be frozen as well, either before baking or afterwards.
Love me some funfetti cookies! These look delicious.
Thanks – they’re so good. Hope you enjoy them!
So glad I found this recipe. Thanks for the spreading tips as well. Makes so much sense!
Perfect no spread recipe and tasty! Thank you. Got to learn from you at the cookieathon event this summer.
Thanks so much Nancy! I’m so happy you love this recipe and you enjoyed Cookie-A-Thon.