Make thick, soft-baked funfetti cake mix cookies bursting with nostalgic birthday cake flavor! These are the BEST funfetti cookies ever and the recipe is so quick and easy. I love mine smothered in creamy homemade frosting, just like a slice of cake.
If you love cake mix cookies, try these zesty lemon ones.
Easy Frosted Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
These easy funfetti cake mix cookies are soft, cakey cookies filled with sprinkles and topped with the creamiest homemade frosting. You’ll find a lot of cake mix cookie recipes that use just 3 ingredients (cake mix, oil or butter, and eggs). However, after a few rounds of testing, I found that a couple of simple additions take these funfetti cookies to the next level!
I love making variations of these funfetti cookies with different cake mixes. You can use chocolate cake mix, yellow cake, or any flavor you’d like, and simply add in sprinkles!
What Make This Funfetti Cookie Unique?
- Cake batter-flavored extract. I find this in my local grocery store baking aisle. It mimics the taste of a classic boxed cake mix and boosts the nostalgic cake flavor in these cookies. If it’s not something you have or want to buy, simply replace it with vanilla extract. You really can’t go wrong with vanilla for additional flavor.
- Extra sprinkles. Those boxed cake mixes never have enough, so I like to add a little extra.
- Vanilla frosting. The frosting on these cookies is optional, but it really adds to the texture and taste. I love that it makes the cookie more reminiscent of a slice of cake!
Recipe and Ingredient Notes
These funfetti cake mix cookies do, in fact, need only 3 ingredients if you don’t count the “bonus” add-ins like flavoring and extra sprinkles. Below are some quick notes. Scroll to the recipe card beneath the post for a printable list with the full amounts.
- Funfetti Cake Mix – I make these cookies using the 15-ounce box of funfetti cake mix from Pillsbury. See below if you’re working with another box size.
- Butter– Most recipes online use oil, but I found that butter has a better flavor and texture. In some instances, the cookies with oil spread to be too thin and soft. Butter also won out because of its flavor.
- Flavoring Extracts – As mentioned, these cookies use a combination of classic vanilla extract and cake batter extract to really make those birthday cake flavors pop.
- Sprinkles – I like my funfetti cookies jam-packed with sprinkles. If you’re adding extra sprinkles, make sure to use rainbow jimmies (rods) and not the tiny round balls, which tend to bleed color into the cookie dough.
- Add-ins. I sometimes toss a handful (about ¾ cup) of white chocolate chips into the cookie dough for good measure.
How to Work With Different Size Cake Mixes
This recipe is based on a Pillsbury cake mix that is 15.25 ounces. Other cake mix brands, like Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip, are sometimes 13.25 ounces. This means a difference of 2 ounces, or 56g, which equals about 7.5 tablespoons. To compensate for a smaller-sized cake mix, add 1/2 cup flour (8 tablespoons) to retain the same results.
I also tested this with a Pillsbury Gluten-Free cake mix, which was 17oz. In that case, I’d add 1 tablespoons milk to accommodate the extra dry ingredients.
How to Make Funfetti Cookies With Cake Mix
Here’s how to make these soft-baked funfetti cake mix cookies in just 3 simple steps:
- Make the cookie dough. This is as easy as beating the ingredients together until they’re well combined. The cookie dough will be nice and thick.
- Portion the cookies. Next, scoop out portions of dough and place them onto a lined baking sheet. These funfetti cookies will spread in the oven, so leave a couple of inches in between each cookie. If you plan to frost them, you can also push the top of the cookie down to be a little flatter, as they tend to stay a little puffier when baked.
- Bake. Pop your funfetti cake mix cookies into a 350ºF oven for 11-13 minutes.
How to Tell When These Cake Mix Cookies Are Done
I prefer my cookies slightly underbaked, so I pull them out when they’re soft in the center, just not gooey. While testing this cake mix cookie recipe, I found the difference between 11, 12, and 13 minutes is quite significant in my oven. Here’s a quick guide to baking times:
- 11 minutes: Fairly underdone in the middle, and they don’t quite set up as they cool (so the middle stays more raw- refer to the two cookies in the bottom of the photo).
- 12 minutes: This is the sweet spot in my oven. You can see in the photo below, but at 12 minutes, the cookies are a little more baked through (the top 2 cookies in the photo below)
- 13 minutes: The cookie is baked all the way through and seems to have a drier crumb. Perfect if you prefer a crispier cookie.
These cookies are thick, so you can use a toothpick to check for doneness. If a toothpick stuck in the center of the cookie comes out clean, the cookies are done!
Easy Vanilla Frosting
Once these cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, I like to give them a generous finish with homemade frosting, just like a cake! I use my classic vanilla buttercream frosting, made by whipping butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until it’s stiff and fluffy. Afterward, use a flat knife to spread frosting all over the cookies and then top them with more sprinkles. A quicker option would be to grab a can of funfetti frosting.
Other Frosting Ideas
Just like a birthday cake, you can frost these funfetti cake mix cookies with just about any frosting your heart desires. I also love this rainbow chip frosting and my brown butter frosting, or, you can try any of the ideas pictured here.
How to Store
- Countertop. Keep these funfetti cake mix cookies stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze. You can also freeze these cookies frosted or unfrosted. If they’re frosted, use a sheet of parchment paper to separate any layers. Freeze the cookies airtight for up to 1 month and defrost them at room temperature.
More Funfetti Recipes
Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 11-12 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft-baked funfetti cake mix cookies are jam-packed with colorful sprinkles and nostalgic birthday cake flavor. These are the best funfetti cookies and they’re super easy to make.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 box (15oz) Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Cake Batter Extract
- 3 tablespoons Sprinkles (optional)
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup, unsalted butter, cold
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon milk (only if needed, see notes)
- Sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and mix until well combined. The dough will be thick.
- Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop and place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookies should be slightly under-baked but not too gooey. Use a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie to check for doneness. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally, and beating until the butter is whipped and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until incorporated into the butter, then increase the speed and beat for about 3 minutes or until whipped and fluffy; scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Frost cookies with a flat knife and garnish with sprinkles.
Notes
- This recipe is based on a cake mix that is 15oz. If you have a 13-ounce cake mix, add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
- Pillsbury makes a Gluten-free Funfetti cake mix, which is 17oz. In that case add 1 tablespoon milk to accommodate the extra dry ingredients.
- If you don’t have cake batter extract, simply replace it with vanilla extract.
- These are large cookies made with 3 tablespoon size scoop, for a medium-sized scoop (1.5 tbsp) reduce the baking time by about 2 minutes.
- Frosting: Only add the milk if needed to think out the frosting
Storing
- Countertop. Keep these funfetti cake mix cookies stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze. You can also freeze these cookies frosted or unfrosted. If they’re frosted, use a sheet of parchment paper to separate any layers. Freeze the cookies airtight for up to 1 month and defrost them at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 268.6 mg
- Fat: 14.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.7 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 56.8 mg
