These Bakery Style Funfetti Cookies are soft, chewy, brimming with sprinkles, and loaded with that addictively sweet funfetti flavor!
When it comes to cookies, soft, gooey, and puffy are my specialty. However, there’s one specific type of cookie I had been longing for for quite some time. A sugar cookie that’s soft, yet chewy, flat, yet thick, and brimming with sprinkles. The ones you find in the bakery that are as big as your hand. Something like…..these!
I call these cookies bakery style because they’re large-and-in-charge. In fact, if I had it my way, I’d make all my cookies this size because one cookie never seems to be enough for me. What am I saying?? TEN cookies isn’t even enough for me.
I guess I just feel less guilty if I eat three of these big honkin’ cookies over ten normal-sized cookies. Another bonus to making extra large cookies is the fact that you have less of them to roll and less batches to bake. Score!
As I mentioned earlier, I love me some thick, puffy, soft, and gooey cookies. However, I had something different in mind when coming up with these cookies. I’m in love with those large, non-puffy, chewy cookies you find in most bakeries. They’re flatter, but still so very soft and chewy. These Funfetti cookies are exactly that.
So how were these sprinkle babes born? Well, looking back on my recipes, I wondered if there was a cookie similar to what I was visualizing for these cookies. That’s when I came across my Reese’s Peanut Butterscotch Pudding Cookies. They’re soft, chewy, flat (not too flat), and BIG, making them the perfect starting point to construct this Funfetti cookies from. All I had to do was make a few changes.
Instead of using 1/2 brown and 1/2 white sugar, I used all white sugar for more of a sugar cookie dough base. Then I replaced the butterscotch pudding mix with vanilla pudding mix. The pudding mix is what helps these cookies retain they’re soft chewiness for days. Not to mention, the wonderful vanilla sweetness it infuses into the dough.
To give these cookies that addictively sweet cake batter flavor, I added a little almond extract along with some clear imitation vanilla. For some reason, this specific type of vanilla gives baked goods more of that classic bakery-style taste that pure vanilla extract just can’t mimic. The clear vanilla also doesn’t dye/darken whatever you add it to, making it ideal for frostings or sugar cookies like these.
The final change I made was replacing the peanut butter candies with rainbow sprinkles. When it comes to baking sprinkles INSIDE of baked goods, I prefer to use the larger cylindrical rainbow “jimmies” over the tiny ball-shaped nonpareils. Their colors don’t bleed into the batter/dough when mixing which is usually what happens when incorporating nonpareils.
When I said these cookies were loaded with sprinkles, I meant it. Because not only did I mix them into the dough, but I also dipped the tops of the cookie dough balls into a bowl of sprinkles before baking. Speaking of, the dough needs to be chilled for at least two hours before baking to ensure that they bake up nice and soft. Also, to prevent any lumps from forming in the center, I like to press the dough balls down slightly (they should look like thick hockey pucks) before placing them in the oven.
These cookies turned out exactly how I wanted. They have just the perfect amount of thickness to give you that soft and chewy bite, and their flavor is so reminiscent of the giant sugar cookies you find in the best bakeries.
Bakery Style Funfetti Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)
- 1 cup multi-colored "jimmy" sprinkles divided
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together until combined; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined. Add in the vanilla and almond extract. Then stir in the pudding mix.
- With mixer set on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture into the wet mixture until everything has been incorporated. Stir in the 1/2 cup of sprinkles. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
- Once dough is properly chilled, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of sprinkles into a small bowl.
- Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or two spoons, scoop balls of chilled cookie dough onto lined baking sheet, placing them about 2 inches apart. Lightly press the top of each cookie--this will allow them to bake more evenly so you don't end up with a lump in the center. Dip the top of each cookie into the bowl of sprinkles, then return to the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 11 -13 minutes*, or until slightly browned around edges. The centers might look underdone at first, but they will finish baking up as they cool. Immediately top with more sprinkles, if desired. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.