Birthday Cake Cookies

Clear vanilla extract: This is also known as imitation vanilla and is required for achieving the classic birthday cake flavor! If you need to, regular vanilla extract can be used in equal parts.

Egg: This recipe uses both a whole egg and an extra egg yolk. Do not use two eggs or the dough will spread too much in the oven.

Unsalted butter: If needed, you can substitute it with salted butter. I recommend leaving out ¼ teaspoon of the salt from the recipe if you use salted butter.

Rainbow sprinkles: I specifically used natural rainbow jimmies, which have more of a pastel color compared to regular rainbow sprinkles. Either one will work! I do not recommend using any kind of colored sugar or nonpareil sprinkles because the colors will bleed into the cookie dough.

Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!

Before you start, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You will need a standard (two-tablespoon) cookie scoop and a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to make the cookie dough.

STEP 1: Cream the butter and sugar together. Cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for three minutes until it looks light and fluffy (image 1 below).

STEP 2: Mix in the wet ingredients. Mix in the room temperature egg, egg yolk, almond extract, and clear vanilla extract until just combined (image 2 below).

STEP 3: Mix in the dry ingredients. Mix in the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until almost combined (image 3 below).

Then fold in the rainbow sprinkles until everything is just combined and there are no more pockets of dry flour.

STEP 4: Scoop and chill! Using a standard cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll it between your hands. Dip the top into a shallow bowl of rainbow sprinkles and then place it on the prepared baking sheet (image 4 above).

Chill the cookie dough in the freezer for a minimum of two hours; overnight will give the best results in both flavor and texture!

Don't roll the whole cookie dough ball in the sprinkles. Any sprinkles on the sides or bottom of the ball will just melt in the oven!

STEP 5: Bake! Once the cookie dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Bake the birthday cookies spaced 2-3 inches apart for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown (image 5 above).

You will need to use at least two baking sheets if you plan on baking the entire batch. While the first tray is baking, keep the rest of the dough in the freezer!

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for 3-4 days. I do not recommend storing them in the refrigerator!

You can easily freeze the cookie dough balls for later! Once the dough has chilled in the freezer for at least two hours, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. They will stay fresh for up to three months and can be baked straight from the freezer.