Funfetti Christmas Cookies Are Taking Over December: 17 Sprinkle-Loaded Holiday Treats Even First-Time Bakers Nail

Funfetti Christmas cookies are the cheerful bake everyone seems to be searching for this season, and it is easy to see why. They are soft, buttery and packed with red, green and white sprinkles that make a plain cookie look like a party. Better still, they forgive almost every beginner mistake: a slightly lopsided cookie still looks festive once it is covered in color. This week, searches for sprinkle-filled holiday cookies and easy Christmas cookies for beginners jumped sharply, so we gathered 17 treats that deliver big color with very little stress. You will find scratch sugar cookies, three-ingredient cake mix cookies, bars, sandwiches, truffles and even a giant skillet cookie for sharing. Each one comes with a short story, a simple shopping list and easy steps, so you can bake a full holiday tin in one cheerful afternoon..

Soft Funfetti Christmas Cookies From Scratch

This is the cookie that started the craze, and it is far easier than it looks. A soft sugar cookie dough gets a big handful of red, green and white sprinkles folded in at the very end, so the colors stay bright instead of bleeding. A little cornstarch keeps the centers thick and tender, and pulling them from the oven while they still look slightly underdone gives that bakery-soft bite. Kids love the bright crumb, and grown-ups keep sneaking back to the cooling rack for just one more..

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2/3 cup red, green and white sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla. 2. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. 3. Fold in sprinkles. 4. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls and chill 20 minutes. 5. Bake at 350F for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges just set.

3-Ingredient Cake Mix Funfetti Christmas Cookies

If you have never baked a cookie in your life, start here. A box of white or confetti cake mix, two eggs and a little oil turn into a soft, chewy dough in about two minutes, with no mixer and no chilling. Roll the balls through a bowl of holiday sprinkles and they come out looking like they came from a bakery case. These are the funfetti Christmas cookies teachers, neighbors and coworkers always ask about, and only you will know how simple they were.

You will need: 1 box white or confetti cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup red and green sprinkles for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Stir cake mix, eggs and oil into a thick dough. 2. Scoop tablespoon balls and roll them in sprinkles. 3. Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. 4. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving.

Sprinkle-Rolled Shortbread Bites

Buttery shortbread is one of the oldest holiday cookies, and rolling the dough log in sprinkles before slicing gives every bite a festive, crunchy edge. There is no egg and no leavening, so the dough is almost impossible to ruin, and the small bites bake evenly in a single pan. They keep for weeks in a tin, which is why shortbread shows up in nearly every classic Christmas cookie collection and makes a smart early bake for gift boxes and swaps.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup nonpareils or sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. 2. Mix in flour and salt. 3. Shape into a log and roll it in sprinkles. 4. Chill 30 minutes, slice 1/4 inch thick. 5. Bake at 325F for 12 to 14 minutes.

Funfetti Christmas Cookies Baked as Chewy Bars

When you need to feed a crowd and do not have time to scoop dozens of cookies, press the dough into one pan instead. These thick bars bake up chewy in the middle and golden at the edges, and a final scatter of sprinkles on top makes them shine on any dessert table. Cut them into small squares for a party tray or big slabs for a bake sale. Bars are the fastest way to make funfetti Christmas cookies for a crowd, and they hold their shape beautifully for travel.

You will need: 1 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 cup sprinkles, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Whisk butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. 2. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. 3. Fold in half the sprinkles and the chips. 4. Spread in a lined 9×13 pan and top with remaining sprinkles. 5. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes and cool before cutting.

Double Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

Chocolate lovers get their own version of the trend with these dark, fudgy cookies dotted with red, green and white sprinkles. The deep cocoa dough makes the holiday colors pop, and pressing extra sprinkles on top while the cookies are still warm helps them stick and shine. A pinch of flaky salt keeps the sweetness in balance. Stacked high on a plate next to the classic vanilla funfetti Christmas cookies, they make the whole tray look twice as festive.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 2/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/3 cup red, green and white sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Cream butter and sugars, then beat in eggs and vanilla. 2. Mix in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 3. Fold in chocolate chips and half the sprinkles. 4. Scoop onto lined pans. 5. Bake at 350F for 10 to 11 minutes and press the remaining sprinkles on top while warm.

Sprinkle Snowball Cookies

Snowball cookies, also called Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, are tender nut-and-butter rounds rolled in powdered sugar. Adding sprinkles to the dough gives them a surprise burst of color when you bite through the snowy coating, making them the softest, snowiest cousins of funfetti Christmas cookies. They need only a handful of pantry ingredients and no special equipment, which is why so many grandmothers made them every December. Roll them twice in powdered sugar for the cleanest, whitest finish.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus more for rolling, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup tiny sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. 2. Mix in flour, pecans, salt and sprinkles. 3. Roll into 1 inch balls. 4. Bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes. 5. Roll in powdered sugar while warm, then again once cool.

Sprinkle Cookie Sandwiches With Vanilla Frosting

Two soft, thin sugar cookies with a thick swirl of vanilla buttercream in the middle turn an ordinary snack into a celebration. Pressing sprinkles onto the tops before baking makes them look like little holiday gifts, and they are a fun way to use leftover funfetti Christmas cookies dough. They are perfect for class parties and family movie nights, and you can freeze the filled sandwiches for up to a month, so a batch made now will still be ready on Christmas Eve.

You will need: 1 batch sugar cookie dough (from slide 1), 1/2 cup sprinkles for the tops, 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Roll dough into small balls, flatten slightly and press sprinkles on top. 2. Bake at 350F for 8 to 9 minutes and cool. 3. Beat butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until fluffy. 4. Pipe frosting onto half the cookies. 5. Top with the remaining cookies and chill 15 minutes.

Glazed Rainbow Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

A smooth white glaze is the perfect canvas for sprinkles, and laying them in a neat rainbow arc or a simple candy cane stripe turns a plain cookie into something you would see in a bakery window. The glaze sets firm, so these cookies stack and travel well in a gift tin. Of all the funfetti Christmas cookies here, this is the calm, satisfying decorating job for older kids, and even a slightly crooked stripe looks charming once the whole tray is finished.

You will need: 1 batch sugar cookie dough (from slide 1 without the sprinkles), 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 tbsp light corn syrup, long jimmies sprinkles in several colors.

How to make it: 1. Scoop and bake plain cookies at 350F for 9 to 10 minutes and cool completely. 2. Whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and corn syrup into a thick glaze. 3. Dip the top of each cookie and let the excess drip off. 4. Place sprinkles in an arc or stripe right away with tweezers or fingertips. 5. Let set 1 hour.

Funfetti Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are a New England and Amish country favorite, two soft cake-like cookies with a creamy marshmallow filling and a dusting of powdered sugar. For the holidays, bakers swap the classic chocolate cakes for a vanilla confetti batter loaded with red and green sprinkles. The batter is thick and scoops easily, so even little helpers can portion it out. Fill them just before serving to keep the cakes soft and pillowy; they are the cake-lover’s answer to funfetti Christmas cookies.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup sprinkles, 1 jar marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup powdered sugar for the filling.

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and sugar, then add egg and vanilla. 2. Add flour, soda and salt alternating with buttermilk, then fold in sprinkles. 3. Scoop mounds and bake at 375F for 9 minutes. 4. Beat filling ingredients until fluffy. 5. Sandwich pairs of cooled cakes and dust with powdered sugar.

No-Bake Sprinkle Chocolate Drops

These little chocolate discs covered in tiny rainbow nonpareils are the no-bake treat that disappears first from every cookie tray. Spoon melted dark or white chocolate into small rounds on parchment, shower them with sprinkles and let them set; there is no oven involved, so this is the perfect job for kids. Pack a handful into a clear bag with a ribbon and you have a neighbor gift that costs very little and looks like it came from a candy shop.

You will need: 12 oz dark or white chocolate melting wafers, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 cup rainbow or red and green nonpareils, parchment paper.

How to make it: 1. Melt chocolate with coconut oil in 30 second bursts, stirring until smooth. 2. Spoon 1 inch rounds onto parchment. 3. Tap the pan so they spread evenly. 4. Cover generously with nonpareils and tip off the extra. 5. Chill 15 minutes until set.

Funfetti Christmas Cookies Turned Into Cheesecake Cups

These little cups combine two holiday favorites: funfetti Christmas cookies pressed into a muffin tin as a crust, and a creamy, no-bake cheesecake filling. A shower of sprinkles on top turns them into bite-size party desserts that look far fancier than the effort they take. Make the cookie cups a day ahead and fill them on the morning of your party, and they stay crisp at the edges and creamy in the middle.

You will need: 1 batch sugar cookie dough or 1 tube refrigerated dough, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup whipped topping, 1/4 cup sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Press 1 tablespoon dough into each greased mini muffin cup. 2. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes and press a dent in each center while warm. 3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, then fold in whipped topping. 4. Pipe into cooled cups. 5. Top with sprinkles.

Christmas Tree Cookies Without a Rolling Pin

Cutout cookies scare a lot of beginners, but this shortcut skips the rolling pin completely. Press the dough into a pan, bake it as one big sheet, then cut triangle trees while it is still warm. A quick swipe of green icing and a shower of sprinkle ornaments finish the look. Every tree is a little different, which is exactly the charm, and you will have a whole forest ready in under an hour. If you want crisp classic shapes too, try our Christmas sugar cookies that hold their shape.

You will need: 1 batch sugar cookie dough (from slide 1), 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, green gel food coloring, mixed holiday sprinkles, small pretzel sticks for trunks.

How to make it: 1. Press dough into a lined 9×13 pan. 2. Bake at 350F for 16 to 18 minutes. 3. While warm, cut into long strips, then into triangles. 4. Push a pretzel stick into each base. 5. Ice in green and decorate with sprinkles.

Three-Ingredient Christmas Sprinkle Fudge Squares

If cookies feel like too much work, this fudge is the easiest win of the season. Sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and a little butter melt together in one pot, then get poured into a pan and covered with a generous shower of sprinkles. There is no candy thermometer and no baking, and it sets firm in the fridge in about two hours. Cut it into small squares and tuck them between your funfetti Christmas cookies for a tray that looks like it came from a sweet shop.

You will need: 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 1/3 cup red, green and white sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment. 2. Melt condensed milk, chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. 3. Stir in vanilla and salt. 4. Spread in the pan and cover with sprinkles, pressing lightly. 5. Chill 2 hours, then cut into small squares.

Sprinkle-Rimmed Jam Dot Cookies

Jam thumbprints have been on holiday cookie trays for generations, and rolling the dough balls in sprinkles before pressing the centers gives them a fresh, colorful rim. Bright raspberry or strawberry jam in the middle looks like a little jewel, and they sit beautifully next to funfetti Christmas cookies on a tray. The dough is soft and easy to handle, so children can press the thumbprints themselves. For a cleaner look, fill the dents with jam after baking instead of before.

You will need: 1 cup softened butter, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sprinkles, 1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam.

How to make it: 1. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in yolks and vanilla. 2. Mix in flour and salt. 3. Roll 1 inch balls in sprinkles and set on a lined pan. 4. Press a dent in each center. 5. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes, then fill with jam.

Funfetti Cookie Dough Truffles

Edible cookie dough truffles are the no-bake treat that tastes like licking the spoon, made safe by heat-treating the flour and leaving out the eggs. Roll the sweet sprinkle dough into balls, dip them in melted chocolate and roll them in chocolate or rainbow sprinkles. They taste like funfetti Christmas cookies in candy form, look like fancy candy shop truffles, keep well in the fridge for a week and make a lovely homemade gift in a small box.

You will need: 1 cup flour (heat-treated: microwave to 165F, stirring every 30 seconds), 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp milk, 1/3 cup sprinkles, 12 oz dark or white chocolate, 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Cool the heat-treated flour. 2. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla, then mix in flour and milk. 3. Fold in sprinkles and roll into 1 inch balls. 4. Freeze 20 minutes. 5. Dip in melted chocolate and roll in sprinkles.

Giant Skillet Funfetti Christmas Cookies

Sometimes one huge cookie is more fun than a dozen small ones, and this skillet turns funfetti Christmas cookies into a shareable dessert. Press sprinkle cookie dough into a cast iron skillet, bake until golden at the edges and gooey in the middle, and bring it to the table warm with spoons and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is a fantastic last-minute dessert for family game night or a holiday movie marathon, and it takes about five minutes to put together.

You will need: 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sprinkles, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream.

How to make it: 1. Cream butter and sugars, then beat in egg and vanilla. 2. Mix in flour, soda and salt. 3. Fold in sprinkles and chips. 4. Press into a greased 10 inch skillet. 5. Bake at 350F for 20 to 22 minutes and serve warm with ice cream.

Decorating Funfetti Christmas Cookies With Kids

The best part of funfetti Christmas cookies is often decorating them together. Set up a simple station with plain baked cookies, small bowls of icing in two or three colors, spoons and plenty of sprinkles on rimmed trays to catch the spills. Let each child decorate a few cookies to keep and a few to give away. Expect a happy mess, take lots of photos and remember that the wonkiest cookies always become the family favorites.

You will need: Plain baked sugar cookies, 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tbsp milk, gel food coloring, small bowls, spoons or squeeze bottles, rimmed baking trays, assorted holiday sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Whisk powdered sugar and milk into a thick icing and divide into bowls. 2. Tint each bowl a different color. 3. Put cookies and sprinkles on rimmed trays. 4. Spread icing, then add sprinkles right away before it sets. 5. Let cookies dry 2 hours before stacking.