Stuffed birthday cake cookies are a festive, sweet treat for any occasion. Soft and chewy cookie dough studded with sprinkles is stuffed with super simple buttercream for a fun surprise.
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Loaded with sprinkles, buttercream stuffed birthday cake cookies are worthy of a birthday celebration. They’re soft and chewy cookies with a vanilla frosting filling.
We all love celebrating with birthday cake and cupcakes, but these stuffed cookies, birthday cake brownies, and blondies are super fun alternatives.
Birthday cake cookies are a favorite in our household (I mean, what kid doesn’t love a funfetti cookie with buttercream in the middle). As a busy mom, I love making these cookies that don’t require any chill time and come together easily (I love prepping them in advance!).
But don’t wait for a birthday celebration to make these cookies. Bake a batch of these birthday cake cookies for a weeknight sweet treat, a family gathering, or even a hostess gift!
Why this recipe works
- Large-sized cookies. These birthday cake sugar cookies are made with 4 ounces of dough for large cookies that rival any bakery.
- Fun-filling surprise. The vanilla frosting gives these funfetti-stuffed cookies an unexpected surprise!
- Basic ingredients. Made using only 10 staple ingredients that you’ll find in your pantry and fridge.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Butter. Creates a moist and tender cookie and adds richness. Butter is creamed with sugar to add air into the dough, and when the butter melts, it helps the cookies spread. Butter is also the key ingredient in buttercream, adding flavor and creating a creamy consistency. Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt that goes into the frosting and cookies.
- Powdered sugar. Adds sweetness to the frosting and creates a smooth and creamy consistency when combined with the butter.
- Vanilla. Always use pure vanilla extract when possible for the best flavor.
- Salt. Enhances the sweetness of the frosting and cookies. Just a little bit goes a long way.
- All-purpose flour. Has the right amount of protein content to create the perfect cookie texture (not too dense or chewy).
- Baking soda. This leavening agent helps the cookies spread and adds chewiness.
- Sugar. Adds sweetness to the cookies. Brown sugar adds a slightly caramelized flavor and contributes to the cookies’ spread. Granulated sugar ensures the cookies hold their shape and don’t spread too much.
- Egg. Helps bind the cookie ingredients together and adds moisture and richness to the cookies.
- Sprinkles. A super fun mix-in for festive cookies. Use traditional rainbow sprinkles (aka jimmies). Avoid nonpareils, as they will bleed into your dough.
How to Make Easy Buttercream (Step-By-Step Instructions)
Mix ingredients. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until a creamy consistency.
Divide buttercream. Drop heaping teaspoons of buttercream on a parchment-lined plate and freeze for 5 minutes.
Roll buttercream. Remove the buttercream from the freezer and roll each frosting portion into a ball. Place in the fridge while mixing the cookie dough.
How to Make Sprinkle Cookies (Step-By-Step Instructions)
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Cream butter and sugars. Beat the butter and both sugars until light and creamy.
Add egg and vanilla. To the butter and sugar mixture, beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
Add dry ingredients. Mix in the flour mixture until completely incorporated. Mix in the sprinkles until just combined.
Portion cookie dough. Scoop dough into two-tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball.
Add buttercream. Make an indentation in half of the cookie balls and fill them with the frosting.
Seal cookies. Cover each frosting filling with an additional cookie dough ball and mold together, sealing the edges.
Bake. Arrange stuffed cookies 3 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes
Recipe Tips & Tricks
As a trained pastry chef, I have learned these tips will produce consistent cookies every time. They are simple but essential steps for the perfect cookie!
- Use room temperature ingredients. Doing this will allow your ingredients to blend together smoothly and bake evenly.
- Weigh your ingredients. Measuring ingredients using a kitchen scale produces the most consistent cookies. Using volume measurements can leave room for error (too much flour and you’ll have a crumbly dough; if not enough flour, the cookies spread too much!).
- Use a cookie scoop. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out even sized cookies.
- Creaming method. Don’t rush creaming the butter and sugars together. This step takes about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light and pale in color. It’s important to incorporate air into the mixture, so your cookies will be light and fluffy (not dense!).
- Cool cookies on the sheet pan. Allow your cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to begin to firm up.
Recipe Variations
Funfetti is a nostalgic flavor, and vanilla buttercream is my favorite pairing. But if you are looking for variations, here are some fun and tasty ideas.
- Chocolate frosting. Chocolate buttercream is decadent and a fun surprise filling. Add 2 tablespoons of sifted cocoa powder to the filling ingredients.
- Chocolate chips. Instead of sprinkles, mix mini chocolate chips into the dough (or split the cookie dough in half and make both flavors!).
- Ice cream sandwiches. Sandwich the cookies with strawberry, chocolate, or funfetti ice cream for a refreshing treat!
Storage Tips
- At room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- In the freezer. Store cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- Make-ahead. Mix the buttercream filling up to 1 week in advance, roll it into balls, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Refrigerate the cookie dough for up to 3 days before baking. When ready to bake, bring your cookie dough to room temperature, then fill and bake your cookies.
FAQ
No need to chill this cookie dough because it has the perfect consistency to spread evenly when baked at room temperature.
Too much baking soda or butter that’s too soft can result in overspread cookies. Softened to room temperature, butter should be slightly firm to the touch, yet leave the impression of your finger when you press into it.
Rainbow sprinkles (or any color sprinkles) are the best choice. Save nonpareils for decorating, not baking, since they bleed into the dough.
If You Love Funfetti, Try These Other Recipes...
Please leave a starred rating and comment below if you make these Stuffed Birthday Cake Cookies. I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!
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Stuffed Birthday Cake Cookies
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
Description
Stuffed birthday cake cookies are a festive, sweet treat for any occasion. Soft and chewy cookie dough studded with sprinkles is stuffed with super simple buttercream for a fun surprise.
Ingredients
Filling
- 56 g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Funfetti Cookies
- 350 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 220 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 55g (¼ cup) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 80 g (½ cup) rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Filling
- In a medium bowl, using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Drop teaspoonfuls onto a parchment-lined plate and place the filling into the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the filling from the freezer and roll each teaspoonful into a ball. Place the frosting into the refrigerator while preparing the cookie dough.
Funfetti Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- With a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the sugars and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the egg until combined, and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture until combined and there are no dry spots of flour. Add sprinkles and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion out the cookie dough and roll each into a ball. Using your thumb, make an indent into one cookie dough ball.
- Remove the frosting from the refrigerator and place one frosting ball inside the indentation. Cover with another cookie dough ball and mold the two portions of dough around the filling. Repeat with remaining cookie dough and filling.
- Place stuffed cookie dough 3 inches apart from each other on the prepared baking sheet pans. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are still soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. You can make the buttercream filling up to 1 week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing: Unbaked cookies filled with the buttercream can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow cookies to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as directed.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
Maddy Smith says
We followed the directions perfectly, and when it came time to form the balls, the dough just crumbled in our hands, and it was nearly impossible to form them into balls. We put the icing in and nothing made sense because they would just crumble and it wouldn’t work so we had to improvise and use cookie cutters to make them with the icing inside I honestly would not use this recipe again
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Maddy! I'm so sorry this didn't come out as expected. I always highly recommend weighing out your ingredients, especially the flour because it can affect a recipe. Over measuring flour using measuring cups can definitely result in a crumbled dough. If using a measuring cup be sure to fluff your flour and measure it into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife to avoid packing in. Hope this helps!
Marissa says
Such fun cookies! My kids especially loved these. They take a little bit of time to make and fill but absolutely worth it! I will be making these again for my kids' school bake sale. I'm sure they will be a hit!
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Marissa! So happy you and your family enjoyed these cookies! That'll be so much fun making for a bake sale. My kids always love helping me with these cookies 🙂 Happy Baking!