I made funfetti sandwich cookies with a tangy cream filling that are basically Cream Cheese Cookies and will be the thing people fight over at your next party.

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I’m obsessed with these Funfetti sandwich cookies because they’re colorful and unfair. I love biting into a sugar cookie hiding sprinkles and that tangy frosting that makes crumbs vanish.

But don’t get me wrong, this is about serious sweet comfort. They’re the kind of Good Bake Sale Items I hoard.

And the 8 ounces cream cheese, softened frosting pushes them into the Cream Cheese Cookies zone I can’t resist. I’m talking 1 cup granulated sugar, and a frosting that’s too smooth.

Cute, messy, and impossible to eat just one. Worth the inevitable sugar crash, and no regrets ever so good.

Ingredients

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All-purpose flour, gives structure and a tender, slightly chewy cookie.
Baking powder, lifts cookies so they’re light not flat.
Salt, brings out sweetness and balances the batter.
Unsalted butter, adds rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Granulated sugar, sweet crunch and helps cookies spread a touch.
Egg plus yolk, adds richness and helps everything bind nicely.
Vanilla extract, boosts flavor with warm, familiar notes.
Rainbow jimmies, plus pretty pops of color and a fun crunch.
Cream cheese, tangy cream that makes frosting lush and smooth.
Butter for frosting, basically makes frosting silkier and sturdier.
Powdered sugar, sweetens and thickens frosting to spreadable perfection.
Vanilla for frosting, adds a little warm background flavor.
Pinch of salt, cuts sweetness so the frosting isn’t cloying.
Milk or heavy cream, thins frosting so it’s pipeable or spreadable.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup rainbow jimmies or sprinkles (not nonpareils)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)

Pinch of salt

1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, as needed for frosting consistency

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set dry mix aside.

3. In a large bowl beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until light and slightly fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape sides.

4. Add 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Don’t overmix, just until uniform.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions and mix on low until just combined. Fold in 1/2 cup rainbow jimmies or sprinkles gently with a spatula so they don’t bleed color. Try not to overwork the dough.

6. Scoop dough into rounded tablespoons or use a small cookie scoop, spacing about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or your hand so they’re about 1/4 inch thick.

7. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling is important so the frosting doesn’t melt.

8. While cookies cool make the frosting: beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter until smooth. Add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until creamy. If too thick add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable but not runny.

9. Turn half the cookies over and pipe or spread about 1 to 2 teaspoons of frosting onto each one, then sandwich with a second cookie. Press gently so frosting reaches the edges.

10. For best texture chill sandwiches for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up the frosting and let flavors meld. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or at room temp for 24 hours. Enjoy at birthday parties or anytime you need a little happy sugar.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350 F / 175 C)
2. Two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper
3. Large mixing bowls (one for dry, one for wet)
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (or a whisk if needed)
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping
7. Small cookie scoop or tablespoon and a flat-bottomed glass to flatten cookies
8. Wire cooling rack for letting cookies cool completely

FAQ

Q: Can I use nonpareil sprinkles instead of jimmies?

A: Try not to. Nonpareils bleed color and can make the dough gritty. Use rainbow jimmies or thicker confetti sprinkles so they keep their shape and color.

Q: Do I have to chill the dough before baking?

A: You should chill it for at least 30 minutes if you can. Chilling firms the butter so the cookies spread less and hold a neater sandwich shape. If you're short on time you can bake right away but expect flatter cookies.

Q: How do I know when the cookies are done?

A: Bake at 350 F for about 8 to 12 minutes depending on size. They're done when the edges look set and just start to take color but the centers may still be soft. Let them cool on the pan 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to finish cooling or they'll fall apart when you try to move them.

Q: How do I get the cream cheese frosting to pipe nicely?

A: Make sure the cream cheese and butter are fully softened so the frosting is smooth. If it's too thick add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until you can pipe, or thin with up to 2 tablespoons. If it's too thin chill it briefly. For cleaner edges use a piping bag with a round tip.

Q: Can I make these ahead or freeze them?

A: Yes. Unfrosted cookies freeze well in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a zipped bag for up to 3 months. Thaw, then assemble and frost the day you plan to serve. Frosted sandwiches also freeze but the texture of the cream cheese frosting can change a little.

Q: Any tips to keep the filling from making cookies soggy?

A: Pipe a thin ring of frosting around the edge of the bottom cookie first, then fill the middle. That rim helps keep moisture contained. Also don't overfill and try to keep assembled sandwiches refrigerated until serving.

Funfetti Sandwich Cookies (with Cream Cheese Frosting) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: you can swap in 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend (make sure it contains xanthan gum) with no other changes, or use 2 1/2 cups cake flour for a softer, more tender cookie but drop baking powder to 3/4 teaspoon because cake flour is lighter.
Unsalted butter: replace with equal parts salted butter and omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt from the dough, or use 1 cup (2 sticks) cold, solid coconut oil for a slightly tropical flavor and a bit firmer texture after chilling.
Cream cheese (frosting): use an equal amount of mascarpone for a richer, less tangy frosting, or stir together 6 ounces cream cheese and 2 ounces Greek yogurt if you want a lighter tang and looser texture.
Egg + egg yolk: substitute with 3 tablespoons applesauce or 1/4 cup mashed banana for each whole egg to make them egg-free, but expect a chewier, slightly denser cookie; for sprinkles use only rainbow jimmies not nonpareils since nonpareils can bleed color during baking.

Pro Tips

1. Chill the scooped dough for 10 to 20 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm, it helps the cookies keep their shape and not spread into sad pancakes.

2. Fold the jimmies in very gently and only right before scooping, or else they’ll start to bleed and color the whole dough. Also avoid nonpareils, they melt and make a mess.

3. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before you frost, otherwise the cream cheese will turn runny and ooze out. If the frosting seems too soft chill it 5 minutes and stir again, that usually fixes it.

4. If you want cleaner sandwiches, pipe the frosting onto the cookie instead of spreading, then press the top cookie on straight down. Store in the fridge for best texture, but bring to room temp 10 to 15 minutes before serving so they’re not too firm.

Funfetti Sandwich Cookies (with Cream Cheese Frosting) Recipe

Recipe by Kate Sinclair

0.0 from 0 votes

I made funfetti sandwich cookies with a tangy cream filling that are basically Cream Cheese Cookies and will be the thing people fight over at your next party.

Servings

servings

Calories

280

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350 F / 175 C)
2. Two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper
3. Large mixing bowls (one for dry, one for wet)
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (or a whisk if needed)
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping
7. Small cookie scoop or tablespoon and a flat-bottomed glass to flatten cookies
8. Wire cooling rack for letting cookies cool completely

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup rainbow jimmies or sprinkles (not nonpareils)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
Pinch of salt
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, as needed for frosting consistency

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set dry mix aside.
In a large bowl beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until light and slightly fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape sides.
Add 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Don’t overmix, just until uniform.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions and mix on low until just combined. Fold in 1/2 cup rainbow jimmies or sprinkles gently with a spatula so they don’t bleed color. Try not to overwork the dough.
Scoop dough into rounded tablespoons or use a small cookie scoop, spacing about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or your hand so they’re about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling is important so the frosting doesn’t melt.
While cookies cool make the frosting: beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter until smooth. Add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until creamy. If too thick add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable but not runny.
Turn half the cookies over and pipe or spread about 1 to 2 teaspoons of frosting onto each one, then sandwich with a second cookie. Press gently so frosting reaches the edges.
For best texture chill sandwiches for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up the frosting and let flavors meld. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or at room temp for 24 hours. Enjoy at birthday parties or anytime you need a little happy sugar.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.