cookie recipes

Soft, chewy and so colorful, these funfetti cookies from scratch are perfect for Easter or any Springtime occasion. Made with only a handful of pantry ingredients, these cookies don’t require a boxed mix or any special ingredients.

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Easter funfetti cookies from scratch

Making these bright and colorful funfetti cookies from scratch is a snap. They are perfect for any occasion, and all you need are a few pantry basics.

No need for a boxed mix, just grab a few baking essentials and you’ll have these sweet Easter treats ready in no time!

Ingredients

Make Easter funfetti cookies from scratch with just a handful of pantry ingredients. No need for a boxed mix!

• Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in your baked goods.

• All-purpose flour – Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure.

• Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract, if possible. Avoid the imitation variety.

• Sprinkles – For best results, use jimmies in the dough. Nonpareils, while fine for topping the cookies before baking, will bleed into the dough and turn it an unappetizing color.

• Sugar + Brown sugar – This combination yields a cookie with a soft, chewy center and crisp edges.

Tools and equipment

You’ll need the basics to make these funfetti cookies from scratch. In addition to a whisk and a rubber spatula, you’ll need the following:

• I used this sprinkle mix to cover the cookies. The nonpareils are so shiny! You can also use the same jimmies that are in the dough. (See photo below)
• Electric mixer – I use a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand held electric mixer.
• Mixing bowls of various sizes – I like stainless steel because they are so versatile and they won’t crack or break.
• Baking sheets – Invest in commercial sheet pans. They will last forever and they won’t warp.
• Parchment paper sheets or silicone baking mats will prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan.
• Cookie scoop – this is the same one I used for the recipe.
• Jimmies sprinkles in Spring colors.

Use whichever type of sprinkles you prefer for the tops of the funfetti cookies.

How to make funfetti cookies from scratch

First, whisk dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Do this a little longer than you think is necessary – trust me. This is your only opportunity to make sure the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt are well combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Next, add the egg and mix until combined before adding the dry ingredients to the bowl.

Lastly, add the sprinkles and mix gently until just combined. Mix on low to avoid breaking the jimmies or overmixing the dough.

Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough, then chill the dough for at least one hour. Top the cookies with sprinkles, then bake on a lined baking sheet.

Perfect funfetti cookies from scratch every time! These cookies use Springtime colors for Easter, but you can easily swap the sprinkles for other occasions. Red, white and blue for summer holidays, autumn colors for fall holidays, red and green for Christmas, etc.

Chef’s tips for success

• The most important tip is to chill your dough. This is non-negotiable. If you skip this step, the funfetti sprinkle cookies will spread and you will be disappointed.

• Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to line the baking pan to prevent cookies from sticking.

• Use a cookie scoop to make sure all of the cookies are the same size. This makes even, round cookies that bake at the same rate.

Frequently asked questions

More cookie recipes from scratch

• Butter pecan biscotti
• Soft pumpkin cookies
• Classic sugar cookies
• Lemon ricotta cookies

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

I hope you love this from scratch funfetti cookie recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe (other than for personal use) without prior written permission. Thank you!

These buttery classic Christmas sugar cookies are the perfect roll out cookies for the holiday season. They bake up nice and tall with defined edges and a soft interior. Decorate with fluffy buttercream frosting or royal icing and lots of sprinkles. If you are serious about your cut out cookies, this recipe is for you!

Along with my easy rum balls recipe, the one Christmas classic that can’t be left out are sugar cookies. They are almost everyone’s favorite and decorating them is something everyone can take part in – whether you have lots of skill or not much at all, it doesn’t matter.

Try topping them with a marbled icing for an easy, fun design.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

So well tested and such a clear recipe. The perfect taste and texture. A new holiday classic for my family!

– Jenni

Perfect roll out sugar cookies

This is by far the most tested recipe on my blog. It’s been years in the making. The goal with this recipe was a sugar cookie that did not spread, held its shape perfectly with no “cookie bloat”, baked up nice and tall with golden edges, and also tasted good.

One would assume this is an easy task, but I’m here to tell you that it isn’t quite as straightforward as one might think. If you’ve ever been disappointed with your cookies for any reason, that’s about to end.

There are some tips and tricks to getting the perfect classic Christmas sugar cookies, so let’s get to it.

The effort you put into this beautiful cookies is apparent not just in your pictures but in every delicious bite of the batch I just made. Thanks for sharing your hard work and wisdom with us.

-Beth

Classic Christmas cookies recipe

This recipe for cut out Christmas cookies is a combination of the bakery-style sugar cookies and the type of roll out sugar cookies we all grew up eating.

The texture, or crumb, of these cookies is a bit more refined, but the flavor is exactly what you’d expect and want from this type of cookie.

Ingredients

To make classic Christmas sugar cookies, you’ll need the following 9 ingredients: all purpose flour, cake flour, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and milk or cream.

I used half and half for my cookies and it worked really well. I would not recommend low-fat milk. For the best results, use whole milk, half and half or cream.

What makes this recipe different from all the others?

This recipe is not like all of the other sugar cookie recipes out there. The biggest difference is the addition of cake flour. It gives the cookies a delicate, soft and crumbly texture that just can’t be beat.

I’ve adjusted the sugar and butter several times, baked with and without baking powder, with and without cream, without cake flour and with it – trust me when I tell you that this recipe works, and it will work for you.

The other big difference is freezing the dough, not just chilling it. I’ve tested this recipe more times than I can count to get it just perfect, and freezing the dough is key to getting nice, sharp, golden brown edges with no cookie bloat.

You can see on the sides of the cookie, they are nice and straight, not rounded. There is a defined line, or edge, on top – which is what you’d expect from a bakery cookie.

Dough for cut out Christmas sugar cookies

The first step is creaming the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, don’t rush it. If the color of your mixture has not lightened, you’re not done yet.

Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add in the eggs and beat until they are well incorporated.

Combine all of the dry ingredients, and add in two batches, alternating with the cream. Lastly, roll out the dough to 1/4″ thickness between two sheets of parchment paper, then chill or freeze the dough until it is firm enough to cleanly cut out shapes.

Tips and tricks for perfect classic Christmas sugar cookies

Follow these tips for perfect Christmas cut out cookies:

1. Chill the dough before cutting out cookie shapes – if the dough is slack (too soft), you won’t get nice edges.
2. Dip cookie cutter in flour before cutting dough – keeps the dough from sticking when you release the dough from the cutter.
3. Place cut out cookie dough shapes on baking mat (or parchment paper) on sheet pan, then place in freezer.
4. Bake cookies straight from the freezer.

My last tip is to make your own sanding sugar mix. You can get very creative for a fraction of the price of one small bottle at the store.

Tools, equipment and fun extras

You’ll need a few things to make this classic Christmas sugar cookies recipe, but the one item (aside from the mixer), that is imperative, is the scale. The luster dust is just for fun, but I really hope you get it, because it’s gorgeous.

• Food scale – An absolute must for bakers. Weighing ingredients is far more accurate than measuring with cups and spoons, and I cannot recommend owning a scale strongly enough.
• Silicone baking mat – This yielded the best results. I preferred baking on this over baking on parchment paper.
• Classic Christmas cookie cutter set – metal cutters with comfort grip, 8 different shapes.
• Gel food color – This is the brand that I have. Avoid liquid food coloring, it won’t give you the same results and it will make the icing runny.
• Luster dust is an edible food color that comes in powdered form. By mixing it with a drop or two of vodka, it becomes a “paint” to color the frosting or the cookie itself. It comes in every imaginable color and looks beautiful on iced cookies. It can deepen the colors of the frosting or just add a little shine or sparkle to give them an extra special look. 
• Stand mixer – This is the mixer that I’ve had for almost 10 years. It gets a TON of use and is worth every penny.
• Sheet pans – Invest in heavy duty, commercial baking sheets. They aren’t pretty, but they don’t warp and they last a lifetime.

More holiday treats

• Lemon ricotta cookies
• Citrus biscotti
• Gingerbread biscotti
• Gingerbread cake
• Peppermint rum balls
• Red velvet crinkles

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

I hope you love these classic Christmas sugar cookies as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!

Originally published 12/7/11, most recent update 11/30/21.

Lemon ricotta cookies are soft, fluffy, cake-like cookies. Topped with a sweet-tart lemon glaze, they are a great addition to holiday dessert platters. If soft, frosted cookies are your favorite, check out this pumpkin cookie recipe.

Lemon ricotta are one of my favorite cookies. They are perfectly lemony, soft and fluffy cookies. The lemon glaze on top is an absolute must.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

Lemon ricotta cookies

These are hands down, the best lemon ricotta cookies I’ve ever made. This recipe has been tested over and over to yield a perfectly fluffy cookie that does not spread.

There is something about the sweet-tart of lemon desserts that I honestly can’t get enough of. If you are not a fan of heavy desserts, these are the cookies for you. 

This recipe uses common pantry ingredients. The only items you may have to shop for would be the ricotta and possibly a lemon or two. I tend to like my lemon desserts very lemony, so I will get 2 lemons for that extra punch.

While I am most definitely a lover of chocolate, lemon has often usurped the crown.

I am NOT a baker, but I tried these for a cookie exchange and fell in LOVE! They are SO good!

– Taci

How to make this lemon-glazed ricotta cookie recipe

Sift your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, into a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy, then add eggs and ricotta.

Add dry ingredients and mix together until it forms a uniform dough. Scoop dough and refrigerate.

After dough has chilled, bake cookies and let them cool completely. While cookies are cooling, mix together all of the ingredients for the glaze. Add as much or as little lemon juice to get the desired consistency.

Use a small offset spatula to spread the icing on the cookies and top with sprinkles. The easiest way to do this is over a baking sheet to catch any drips for easy cleanup.

Chef tips for success

• Chill the dough – I tested this recipe over and over. For me, the sweet spot was chilling the dough for four hours. That’s when I got the perfect cookie. If you don’t have that much time, chill for at least 2 hours.
• Use parchment paper – I had the best results when the cookies were baked on parchment-lined baking sheets. A Silpat also gave me good results, but I preferred the parchment paper.
• A small offset spatula makes spreading the glaze on the cookies a snap.
• Use full fat ricotta cheese. Don’t buy fat-free, it won’t give you the same results and you’ll be disappointed.
• Don’t make cookies too big. A small cookie scoop (1 tbsp.) makes the perfect size.

I really hope you love this recipe. If you make it, snap a pic and share it with me either in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group or on Instagram by tagging @pookspantry and using hashtag #pookspantry.

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to have you on my newsletter, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!

Originally published 9/24/13, most recent update 12/11/20

How to make pumpkin cookies that practically melt in your mouth! Pillowy soft and filled with warm, seasonal spices.

Soft pumpkin cookies frosted with a buttery cinnamon icing are a perfect fall treat. Make a batch of these melt in your mouth cookies for Halloween and top with fun sprinkles. Try these Day of the Dead cupcakes for another delicious sweet.

Pumpkin lovers could also try this easy shortcut recipe for pumpkin empanadas made with store-bought empanada dough.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

How to make soft pumpkin cookies

I’ve been making these delicious cookies for almost 10 years, my apologies that it’s taken me so long to put the recipe here.

A very long time ago, I had a booth at our local farmer’s market and I used to sell these. They were the size of my palm when I made them for the market.

These are two to three bite size, which is a normal size for a cookie. If you want to make them bigger, just increase your baking time by a few minutes.

These are always a hit when I make them. They are super soft, cakey and honestly almost melt in your mouth.

The pumpkin cookies themselves aren’t terribly sweet, which is why I like them so much, but the frosting gives them just enough extra sweetness to take care of that sweet tooth craving.

They are very easy to make: Dry ingredients are whisked together in one bowl, butter and sugar are beaten together in another bowl. The rest of the wet ingredients are added to the butter mixture and mixed until incorporated.

Dry ingredients are added to wet and it gets a final mixing before being scooped and baked. I use a size 40 scoop for these cookies – it holds 1.5 tbsp.

I recommend baking them on pans lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for best results.

I just made the pumpkin cookies. OMG – they are delicious! The recipe is so easy to follow and the cookies came out fluffy and soft.

– Elaine

Spiced pumpkin cookies with frosting

Once the cookies have completely cooled, spread a layer of frosting on them (I use an offset spatula) and top with these adorable sprinkles.

They are perfect for Halloween! They have a mix of sugar pumpkins, bats and ghosts, along with jimmies, nonpareils and sugar pearls.

You’ll have a little pumpkin leftover from your can, so if you have a furry member of the family, show them some love with homemade oatmeal pumpkin dog treats!

How to store cookies

These cookies are best the day they are made. They are good the next day, but by the third day, they start to dry out a little.

Freeze unfrosted cookies in an airtight container with layers of parchment between them, then remove a few cookies at a time to thaw and frost when the craving strikes.

Please share

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting. I love hearing from you!

Did you make this recipe? Tag me on instagram @pookspantry or share it in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!