Birthday Cake Cookies are an easy way to enjoy that classic birthday cake flavor in a different way! Made with cookie ingredients, white chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles, these treats can be enjoyed as an everyday dessert, or as part of a birthday celebration.

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Birthday Cake Cookies
Ready In: 90 minutes
Serves: 28 Cookies
Main Ingredients: butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, ½ cups all purpose flour, cornstarch
Why You'll Love It: Birthday Cake Cookies are an easy way to enjoy classic birthday cake flavors in a different way! Made with cookie ingredients, white chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles, these treats can be enjoyed as an everyday dessert, or as part of a birthday celebration.

Easy and quick birthday cake cookies

If you love the flavor of classic birthday cake but want something a little more fun (and a lot easier to share), these birthday cake cookies are about to become your new favorite treat. Soft, chewy, and packed with colorful sprinkles, they capture all the nostalgia of a homemade birthday cake. They're basically a party in cookie form!

Best of all, these cookies come together with simple ingredients and kitchen tools. They’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for both kids and adults.

Ingredients in these easy birthday cake cookies

Before you dive into baking, here’s a quick rundown of everything you’ll need to make these soft, fun, birthday cake inspired cookies.

Butter: Use ¾ cup of softened butter as the base of your cookie dough. Softened (not melted!) butter will combine well with the sugars and help create that perfect soft, chewy texture. Salted butter is preferred. If using unsalted butter, adding some extra salt to the dough is recommended.
Sugar: This recipe uses a blend of ¾ cup brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-like sweetness, while the white sugar helps the cookies spread and stay light.
Eggs: You’ll need 2 eggs to bind the dough and keep the cookies soft. For optimal results, let the eggs reach room temperature before using in the recipe.
Extract: A combination of ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of almond extract gives these cookies their signature “birthday cake” flavor.
Flour: 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour creates the structure of the cookie dough.
Cornstarch: Next, 2 teaspoon of cornstarch will help the cookies acheive that classic "birthday cake" cookie texture.
Baking soda: ½ teaspoon of baking soda helps the cookies spread slightly while baking, giving you soft centers with lightly golden edges.
Baking powder: Follow the baking soda with ½ teaspoon of baking powder. This is going to make the cookies fluffier.
Salt: A simple ½ teaspoon of salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
White chocolate chips: Finally, it's time to add the chocolate! Use ½ cup of white chocolate chips for the most decadent, delicious flavor.
Rainbow sprinkles: Finish off the cookies with ¾ cup of rainbow sprinkles.

Below is everything you'll need to make this cookie dessert!

Large mixing bowl or stand mixture
Stirring utensil
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cookie scoop or spoon

For this recipe, you'll need the following measuring cup sizes: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ cup, ¾ cup, and 1 cup.

Photo of ingredients for Birthday Cake Cookies with labels.

Chocolate chips and sprinkles added to dough

How to make birthday cake cookies

These easy birthday cake cookies come together quickly with everyday ingredients. Here's how it's done!

First, in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until the mixture becomes creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and continue to beat. Set aside.

Next, grab a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until everything is well combined.

Fold in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until just slightly golden on the bottom edge. Let the baked cookies cool completely before serving.

Step-by-step instructions for how to make Birthday Cake Cookies

Storing leftovers

Leftover birthday cake cookies can be placed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for about 4-5 days. If refrigerated, they will keep for about a week. Optionally freeze for enjoying within 3 months.

Recipe Tips

What are birthday cake cookies?

Birthday cake cookies are a delicious treat that tastes like birthday cake, but in cookie form! They're made with standard cookie ingredients and are topped with rainbow sprinkles for that colorful birthday cake look.

What can I add to these cookies?

Birthday cake cookies are easy to customize. You can add other sprinkle types (nonpareils, jimmies, etc.) for extra color, dried fruit for a naturally sweet touch, coconut flakes, chopped pretzels or candy, or even chopped walnuts!

What do birthday cake cookies taste like?

Birthday cake funfetti cookies taste like a soft, chewy version of classic vanilla birthday cake. They're sweet, buttery, and loaded with nostalgic "funfetti" flavor.

If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!

Are you looking for some more recipes that fall into the birthday-cake-but-not-quite genre? Here are some tasty ideas!

All recipes by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Sierra Inn

Erin Antoniak