Gluten-Free Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies

These gluten-free sprinkle chocolate chip cookies are SO MUCH FUN to make and eat! These classic gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles add a fun touch to any celebration!

Sprinkles always feel like a celebration, don’t they?

Funfetti cake (that birthday cake with sprinkles) always feels so fun and happy, and these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles channel that same happiness and joy. They’re like gluten-free funfetti chocolate chip cookies!

First, we start with a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie base, then mix in a little secret ingredient to play up the birthday cake vibes (no, it’s not cake mix!), and finish with plenty of sprinkles. Easy, right!?

Let’s make a batch! Here’s what you need to make these gluten-free birthday cake chocolate chip cookies…

Here’s What You Need To Make Gluten-free Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour. This gluten-free cookie recipe keeps things simple by using a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend. We love and highly recommend this one from King Arthur. We use it for all our cookies, cakes, and brownies.
• Baking Soda. To help get the perfect amount of spread & softness. (Make sure yours is fresh with this test)
• Kosher Salt. To balance the flavors.
• Softened Butter. You want the butter soft enough to make an indent when pressed with your finger, but it should still be somewhat cool to the touch. If it’s shiny or greasy looking, it’s too soft and your cookies will spread too much in the oven.
• Brown Sugar & Sugar. This blend gives these cookies the perfect softness, chewiness, and golden appearance.
• Room Temperature Eggs. I always use this trick to get my eggs to room temperature quickly. Using room temperature eggs helps preserve the texture after you’ve creamed the butter and sugar. (Cold eggs can make the butter seize up)
• Vanilla Extract Or Vanilla Bean Paste. To give these cookies a birthday cake chocolate chip cookie vibe, I actually would recommend using the clear imitation vanilla. (It’s what many bakeries–like the famous Momofuku Milk Bar–use for their funfetti and sprinkle cakes!) Otherwise, classic vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste can be used here.
• Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix. The secret ingredient! Using an instant vanilla pudding mix adds amazing texture (the cornstarch in the mix keeps the cookies light and delicate on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside), and the extra layer of vanilla flavor really plays up the funfetti chocolate chip cookie flavor!
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips. My favorite for these cookies. (You could use dark chocolate for stronger chocolate flavor, or milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie)
• Sprinkles. Now, for the fun part! We recommend jimmies or quins sprinkles for these cookies since they’ll hold their shape and add fun color to the cookies. Do NOT use nonpareils (the small ball-shaped sprinkles) as these will just bleed their color into the dough. (We used these sprinkles)

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies With Sprinkles, Step By Step

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pans. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
3. Cream Butter & Sugars. Add softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and cream 2-3 minutes with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), or until light, fluffy, and fairly smooth.
4. Add Eggs One At A Time, mixing to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one.
5. Mix In Vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
6. Add Pudding Mix and stir until fully combined.
7. Mix In Half Of The Flour Mixture at a time (this prevents the flour from flying everywhere!), then add the second half of the flour mixture and mix until they’re almost fully mixed in, with just a few dry patches left.
8. Add Chocolate Chips & Sprinkles, and mix until well distributed and no dry patches remain in the dough.
9. Scoop & Bake. Use an ice cream scoop (4 Tablespoons) or a 1/4 cup to scoop cookie dough balls. Smooth them lightly between your palms, then add 6 cookie dough balls to one of your prepared pans. Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look just underdone.
10. Shape & Finish. If desired, use a large circular cookie cutter, a glass, or the back of the spoon to coax the cookies into perfect circles. Fill in any empty spots with a few extra chocolate chips or sprinkles.
11. Cool & Serve. Let the cookies cool 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat the baking steps with the remaining cookie dough, alternating baking sheets with each batch so you don’t put cool dough on a hot baking sheet.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The BEst Gluten-Free Sprinkle Chocolate Chip COokies

Use The Right Kind Of Sprinkles! Feel free to get creative with color combinations in these cookies, using seasonal sprinkles for holidays and special occasions. BUT, make sure you choose the right type of sprinkles. Stick with jimmies (classic tube-shaped sprinkles) or quins (small, flat shaped sprinkles) as these will hold their shape in the dough. Do NOT use nonpareils (small balls), since they bleed their color and will not have the same effect. (Learn more about the different types of sprinkles & how to use them in our Sprinkles 101 post!)

Make Sure You’re Using Gluten-Free Pudding Mix. We recommend Jello brand instant vanilla pudding mix since it’s considered gluten-free and it’s easy to find in the United States. Do not use pudding mix that requires cooking (stick with instant pudding mix!), and if you use another brand, be sure that it’s gluten-free.

A Trick For Pretty Cookies. Right after the cookies come out of the oven, you can coax them into perfect circles with a large round cookie cutter with this motion, or you can use the back of a spoon if you don’t have a cookie cutter. I also like to fill in any open spots or empty spaces with a few extra chocolate chips and maybe a few sprinkles, if needed. This works best when the cookies are hot from the oven!

Mix Them Up For The Seasons! Feel free to use Christmas sprinkles, Valentine’s Day sprinkles, etc. to make these fun for holidays. Otherwise, rainbow sprinkles always feel like a treat!

♥ Leave a star review below when you try our Gluten-Free Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think!

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