Six years in and I feel like throwing confetti (on my cookies)! Thank you for your patience this weekend as my site was down to launch this new look. That that you’re here and I’m here… why not take a look around… beats awkward eye contact.
Here (pretend I’m pointing) you’ll find cookies. Not just any cookies, but the most colorful and buttery delicious cookies I could dream up. This recipe happens to be from the cookbook I wrote that comes out TOMORROW! You can still pre-order the book and receive a lovely print. It’s not too late and you might be surprised by my stamina when it comes to pestering.
Up at the top you’ll find a navigation bar that will take you to the many many recipes on the site, the cookbooks, the podcasts, and Bonkers Awesome videos. It’s all there!
If you’re looking for New Orleans recommendations, click on the pretty water in the sidebar.
The site is not aaalll that different from our previous arrangement. I want this still to be a place that feels familiar, delicious, and easy to navigate. Big up (like, the biggest) to Kristin and Leah for making website dreams come true.
Tomorrow I’m going to be back yelling (probably literally) about Homemade Decadence. Thank you in advance for understanding.
I love you. Don’t make it weird.
Let’s make these dang cookies! Yes, there are sprinkles, but this is also very serious business.
The cookie base is a traditional sugar cookies: scoopable dough, not the roll-out sort.
Flour is whisked together with baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
Softened butter is beaten together together with vanilla bean infused granulated sugar. I’m full of good ideas (and humble about them, too).
An aggressive amount of sprinkles.
The batter is stirred together. It feels like a party. Not an exaggeration.
The dough needs some resting time in the refrigerator before the cookies are baked. The butter needs time to rechill and the egg needs time to moisten the dough. A 2 hour chill is great though overnight is mega.
The cookies are portioned into 2 tablespoonful balls and rolled into more rainbow jimmies. If it feels like too much, that’s absolutely right.
These cookies are chewy in the center, crisp at the edges, and packed with sprinkles and vanilla. They’re the perfect way to celebrate new trimmings here on Joy the Baker.
I’m glad you’re here!
xo
Rainbow jimmies can be found at most grocery stores.
Sequin sprinkles are also so fun inside and outside of these cookies and can be found here.
Print
Vanilla Bean Confetti Cookies
- Yield: makes about 18 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sprinkles (I prefer jimmies over nonpareils)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be thick (you may have to finish incorporating the mixture with a spatula). Fold in 1/4 cup of the sprinkles.
- Place the remaining 1/4 cup sprinkles in a bowl. Scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Dip the ball in the bowl of sprinkles to cover lightly. Put the balls on a plate. Repeat with the remaining sprinkles and dough. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
- Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Transfer the chilled dough balls to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space in between each ball.
- Bake until the cookies have spread and are just beginning to brown around the edges, but are mostly pale and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
132 Responses
love these cookies…about to make a ton of them for favors for a party but i noticed when i hit the 3x button on the recipe that the volume of sprinkles in the written recipe doesn’t scale up although it does in the ingredient list……….just a typo Im sure but you may want to correct that
They are so perfect! I have a doubt, though: the original recipe is yours, or Sally’s (from Sally’s baking addiction)? Anyhow, they are gorgeous!
These are my new go-to cookies! They are foolproof and seriously delicious. Thanks, Joy!
I made these with my son yesterday, and they are fantastic!! The vanilla bean really takes them to the next level :)
I made these cookies on Tuesday. I made these cookies again on Wednesday. I have turned into a literal cookie monster. I don’t want to share, and I am not even sure I gave that many of them away. I need an intervention.
These are some of my family’s favorite cookies! We had a weird run where they were turning out very bitter, and we eventually linked it to some store-brand sprinkles. Went back to the Wilton sprinkles and it was like a whole new cookie–perfect again! Just a cautionary tale that the quality of sprinkles matters when they’re in this quantity.
What cookie scoop are you using in that picture? I’m always looking for good cookie scoops!
The scoop I use is a purple Vollrath 40 ct. scoop.
Hi JOY! Can I freeze these rainbow lovlies?
Sure!
Made these last night and they turned out weirdly sour and soapy-tasting – do they need both baking powder AND cream of tartar, or can one be omitted/lessened…? (They did look lovely, though :))
Just made these for a friend’s birthday! They were so easy and fun to make, not to mention delicious. Thanks for the recipe, Joy :)
Yum! These are so fun! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Do these cookies taste like the tea cookies from Giant grocery stores that I loved in childhood??? They sure look like them. Anyone else know what I am talking about? I guess I will just have to make them.
I had never thought of actually cooking with the confetti … Always just sprinkled afterwards!
Hey Joy! I want to bring these to a bridal shower, but the MOH is celiac :/ What flour could I swap for all-purpose to make it gluten-free? Should I just make something else entirely? Like fruit salad…… ? Ugh.
I made a version of these awhile ago. Soooo good. Just wanted to mention that if you’ve never tried using hagelslag (Dutch sprinkles) before in any recipe calling for them, you should definitely try it. They’re flavored! Also delicious. Also totally culturally acceptable to eat Dutch sprinkles on toast for breakfast.
I made two batches of these with blue and white sprinkles for Chanukah. They came out great! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I hate to ask but I’m going to need to use some good old liquid vanilla. How much should I substitute?
a tablespoon would be good!
I love love love the new site, but I also really loved the watercolor of you and your cat that was here in the meantime. Please tell me that’s hanging up somewhere in your house.
Yay!! Love the new layout! I’m so excited to see your book too! Thanks for being a constant source of inspiration!
Made these cookies in honor of some houseguests. SO DANG GOOD! Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how great they tasted. Totally gonna repeat, maybe every season with themed sprinkles every time. We did halloween this time :)
i like your moves!!
Just made these for a vegan Halloween party. They turned out great with the substitutions. I wish the sprinkles were as rainbow as yours. Thanks for a fun recipe.
Gosh *-* so so so yummy!!!
https://justsem.wordpress.com/
These cookies are to die for! I’m literally sitting here eating one still warm from the oven. They are ridiculously sweet and I’m in the UK so my sprinkle colours are a bit insipid but I will definitely be making these again!!
Whoa. Not making it weird but the site looks excellent!! Feminist me is especially proud that it was all done by kick-ass, take names super talented women. I dig it. Congratulations.
I love the new design and I love the sound of these cookies! My two year old is so excited by the photos (“SPRINKLES!”) so I am sure we will be making them together soon. :)
Congratulations on the new book! I just finished reading through my copy and am super excited to get baking!! First up, I made these cookies and they were a massive hit with the whole family :)
Thanks again for helping to make our lives a little sweeter :)
I made the cookies. I ran out of sprinkles part way through rolling them. So, I rolled the rest in granulated sugar and they turned out great,
Question: Usually cookie recipes call for swapping the two sheets midway through. Why didn’t this one? BTW, I swapped the two cookie sheets mid way through cooking. Seemed to work OK. Thanks for a another great recipe.
Hi joy, I found you about a month ago and I love your blog! you have gave me so much confidence in the kitchen and I am so excited for your new book.
I love your new site and I can’t wait to try these cookies!
they came out amazing. i was thrilled when you liked them on my instagram….thanks….it’s the little things that can make someone’s day.
New site is beautiful! And still totally true to the jtb we know and love. Literally gasped when I opened the page. Good work!
I’ll be baking these for my fifth baby’s baptism this weekend. Celebrate! Babies need sprinkles. I’m sure her older brothers and sister won’t protest, either. :) The site is beautiful!
Love the new site! Well done, Joy. Sprinkles makes everything prettier, but these are probably delicious, too! I’ll make them for sure. I just need to find a small cookie / ice cream scoop, here in Switzerland it’s so difficult to find proper baking utensils.
Sprinkles on anything make it 1000xs better.
These are really fun cookie! I love how colorful they are! :) I know of several kids who would go BANANAS for all of those sprinkles!
These are perfect party cookies! And that cookie dough looks delicious–salmonella and all
Wonderful new site!!!!!!!!!!!
To make chocolate sugar cookies — sub in 1/2 cup cocoa for part of the flour? Skip vanilla bean? Use some other recipe?
i was so excited to find your book on my front porch last night, and this was the first recipe I tried. the only change I made was adding more sprinkles…extra happiness. your new book is fantastic.
thanks for being awesome!
Joy, I absolutely love the new look! It’s gorgeous, and so YOU!
Ah, I’m going to buy the book tonight! Can’t. Wait. Also the new site is beeeeeauuutiful!
Your site is fresh, fun, and fabulous. (Beautiful, too, but it didn’t work with the dorky alliteration thing I had going…) Anyway, when you have time, I would love a JTB app so I can pull up (at least!) your recipes on my phone in my little kitchen… the laptop just takes up too much precious counter space and let’s be honest… no one prints anymore!
Can’t wait to try these cookies and the maple/pumpkin/almond milk!
Love!
Hi Joy,
Congratulations on the new book! I love the look of the new site, too. You probably already know about this issue, but when I click on any of the (gorgeous!) pictures in your recipe index I get an error message. I panicked. What? No access to pillowy lemon pound cake or vegan pumpkin bread? Lucky me, when I hit view all and go from the list I have no problems. Whew. Thanks again for your terrific recipes!
Love your new site. Love the cookies. Can’t wait for my book to get here.
I’m loving the new layout!! And obviously, I’m crazy for your cookies (that – right there – sorry, I just made it weird :( )
so much CONFETTI.
This looks so extremely delicious – and the photographs are simply amazing. X
http://www.lemontierres.com
Oh my gee…sprinkles just make everything better. I am so super excited to make these funfetti style cookies. Yum!
Thanks for the recipe!
http://www.playingforeats.com | Carly
Great pics, Joy! Good luck on your tour. Are you coming back to Blue Willow in Houston?
So much to be excited about with this post! The new site design! The cookbook! Cookies! SPRANKS! I love it all. Congrats to you, lady.
GIRL, did anyone mention how TAYLOR SWIFT linked to your website on her blog??
“If you want to make the cookies from scratch (that’s what I did for the 1989 Secret Sessions), you can use this recipe I found on a baking blog I like, joythebaker.com and I believe it was originally from a book called The Pastry Queen”
https://taylorswift.tumblr.com/
SO DANG MAJOR.
LOVE the new site! (Loved the old one, too.) There’s something about the watercolor header that suits you being in New Orleans. As for the cookies, I think a certain baker named Joy said “You can’t go wrong with sprinkles.”
Congratulations on the book! You are so deserving of any and all attention you receive for it. Your recipes and photography rock, girl!
Love the new look! Can’t wait for my book to come tomorrow.
The site is beautiful and the festive cookies are perfect! I love that it’s a scooped dough instead of a rolled one…added to the must-bake list and pinned :)
Preordered the book long ago and PSYCHED for it to arrive! Huge congrats and can’t wait to meet you in Philly!!
The cookies seem like the perfect match for a new site and new cookbook! Happy for you!
the site is beautiful!!! congrats! can’t wait to get my copy of the book and devourer these pretty cookies.
The site is really beautiful. Congratulations! Big things.
Love the new site! Good for you girl!
I love the new look! The portrait of you and your cat in the about section is the cutest! Congrats on the new book – I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
Love the new site Joy! It looks gorgeous, just like these festive confetti cookies! I’m so excited to get a copy of your new cookbook, can’t wait to see what kinds of amazing goodies you have in it!
JOY! You are amazing. Just got my amazon notice that your book is arriving tomorrow! PS these are Matt’s favorite cookies. We all them Mexican sprinkle cookies as usually we have had them from Mexican bakeries in LA. Thanks again for all you do!!!
The new look of your website is BEAUTIFUL!!! Love it!
Love the new look, and ridiculously excited for all the delicious recipes that Homemade Decadence will bring! :)
Love the refresh! It’s a ‘joyful’ look … seriously, it is an uplifting vibe and very welcome considering what’s going on in the world. A true happy reward for clicking on your site :)
Joy, your new site looks beautiful! It’s so you! And I can’t wait to receive my book (its on its way!). Good luck on your book tour. Though I’m wishing you were coming to Austin or Dallas area! Love you! -Morgan
hoping to make it to texas!!
The new look is so beautiful and so are these cookies!
You convinced me! Just preordered your cookbook on amazon!:)
Best of luck with it all, Leah
P.S. those cookies…mouthwatering!
thank you! thank you!
these are so cute! and sound so tasty! i can’t wait to try them out! :)
Love the new look! And these cookies look absolutely perfect. Can’t wait to get a copy of your book!
The side looks great! And certain situations just deserve confetti sprinkles, don’t they?
Oh Joy! (Just realised it has two meanings ;)) What a FABULICIOUS website.
This make-over is super duper lovely and – like 1-2 other people noted – you’ve got a section just on chocolate. Genius.
Well done girl
Thanks for the inspiration.
Kimberly
your site looks great! these would make great party cookies! happy book-touring :)
AAAAAAAAAA!Your new web is so fricking beautiful! :) Congratulations on your book, I can’t wait to get my hands on it :)
I love your new site! The water colours are so pretty! And the recipe index is awesome–it makes finding specific recipes much easier.
PS: I’m so in love with these cookies! I need to make them asap.
My book has shipped! I’m so excited. Baking will happen next weekend!
I love the new site, it’s so pretty, and I am on pins and needles in anticipation of my book arrived in the mail! I can’t wait to angst over which recipe I will make first!
I absolutely LOVE it, Joy! So many congratulations on all the amazing things happening around here lately! These cookies look fabulous too!
Beautiful new site, Joy!! Can’t wait to see the book, too!
The new look is so pretty! Congrats, Joy!
Aww Joy, the new site it gorgeous! I’m especially loving the logo up top…so you. Also, these cookies are fabulous sounding. The more colour, the better!
Joy, I love the new look! Yesterday I was really bummed that your site was down because I wanted to make the single lady pancake for brekky and didn’t catch your post on Friday. Thankfully I remembered that I had once written it down so my Sunday was saved ;-)
Quick question, would you say that the time in the fridge could improve other cookie recipes (that are similar to yours) too? I have a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe that I always use and have thought about putting the dough back in the fridge a lot lately but I am not sure if that’s a good idea or not. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Kristina
love love love the new site design and these cookies! yum!
Your new book it’s totally going on my Christmas list. Yes, I’m 37 and still write a Christmas list. :)
Oooooooo, lovely. I like the new look! Looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of your new book!
I love your new site, Joy! The water color banner is beautiful
So fun and festive, I’ll have to try these out with my little sister next time I head to my hometown!
I love the look of the new site…congrats! Sadly, I can’t seem to open any of the pages in the recipe index section. I am getting a message:” Attempt has failed,Safari cannot open this page”
Any idea whan is happening andif there is anything I need to do on my end to fix the problem.
Love the new look! Watercolors are so pretty. These cookies look perfect and I can’t wait for my copy of Homemade Decadence to be delivered tomorrow!
Joy, this is beautiful!!!! (talking about the site, but the cookies too, obviously!)
Congrats, Joy, on the birth of your new baby….rrrr…website! It looks as delicious as your baking. Hope to see you in Denver for a book tour stop!
This is beautiful, Joy – Congratulations {on everything}! I especially love the watercolor header – It’s so colorful, fun, and vibrant; just like you : )
Love your new look! It is easier to navigate and looks amazing too :) These cookies are the perfect recipe to launch the new website as well! Colorful and fun – a lot like you Joy! I can’t wait to get your new book delivered TOMORROW! to my iPad Kindle App. Going to be baking up some decadence this weekend.
I absolutely love the new site design! I’m a huge watercolor fan, and had a feeling it might be incorporated when I saw that awesome sketch of you over the weekend. Just love it all.
These cookies are so fantastic and fun! So excited about the book!
I love your new look!! The text is so much easier to read now and the look is really clean. I love how you launched it with something so colourful as these vanilla bean confetti cookies! :)
And your author photo is so cute too!
LOVE the new look! And these cookies look absolutely delicious – can’t wait to make them.
congrats miss joy! beautiful site redesign and fabulous cookies to celebrate your new book! can’t wait to get my oven mits on them :)
The new look is gorgeous! The colors fit your personality/writing voice so well. LOVE LOVE LOVE the watercolor scheme around “Joy The Baker.” Very nice!
https://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
It’s BEAUTIFUL!! Love the new look. And I cannot WAIT to receive my book in the mail!
Love it, love it, love it. Been anticipating the new look all weekend and checking through yesterday somehow hoping that a miracle would happen and it will be up earlier! Lol! Congratulations! Wishing you all the best with plenty of sprinkles and sugar to make you life more “joyous” and “sweeter”!
thank you for the kindness!!
JOY! it’s beautiful! i love all the watercolor, v. soothing before being bombarded by sprinkles :)
The new website design looks amazing! (I tried to come up with a more interesting adjective, but it is before 8am and I haven’t had my coffee yet)
Beautiful, beautiful site layout; it feels fresh, smooth, and inviting! I’m going to make these cookies for my son’s birthday party sleepover this weekend–I’ve even got vanilla-infused sugar waiting to be used! I’m off to pre-order your book, can’t wait for it! :)
yay!
I love the new look! I’m also very excited for my copy of Homemade Decadence to arrive – although probably not as excited as my boyfriend and colleagues, who will no doubt reap the rewards.
These cookies look so fun, and delicious too! :) The new site looks amazing!!
Hey! I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award. If you’d like to take part, click the following link for all the details: https://dinediscover.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/one-lovely-blog-award/
Perfect cookies to celebrate the new site. It looks gorgeous! I pre-ordered and can’t wait for my book to arrive!
With all the football madness in Mississippi this weekend, I totally needed some confetti cookies to celebrate! Well, I could appreciate these confetti cookies for any reason, to be honest. But you know. My reasons for baking cookies need validation, otherwise I’m just baking cookies to eat them. What.
Oh! And I love the new look. Very peaceful and serene. :)
The site looks amazing, such an exciting week for you! It’s all going on!
The site is beautiful! I love the watercolors. And, you have a separate section in your recipe index just for the uber-important food group CHOCOLATE. I’m not sure if you had that before, but ????. Congrats on the book! I can’t wait to dive in.
chocolate is mega important!
LOVE the new site, it’s so you! : ) Also, these cookies seem like a very JTB way to celebrate this new design, here’s to a fresh look!
These look so fun!!!! And I love the photography, it’s really light/airy but still colorful. You have so many awesome cookies on your site, have you heard of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap? Maybe you have and I’m just late to the game, but if you haven’t it’s a huge cookie swap for charity and signups just started. Google it! :) :)
sounds awesome!
Oh, Joy – it’s beautiful! Congratulations on the refurb, and the book coming out, and these cookies. All reasons to party with sprinkles.
Love the cookies, love the new site look! Gorgeous, easier to navigate, and just smoother all around! Bravo!!! :)
thanks Averie!
Such a pretty new look! I love all the watercoloury-ness.
The cookies are super fun, can’t wait to bake them and all the other sure-to-be-delicious recipes from your new book!!
Yay! Love them – just the splash of colour we need in this gloomy weather. They made me smile – thank you
The New site is so pretty! and So fitting too for this post. Confetti will never die ever. Can not wait to try it this holiday season.
I am officially excited about these cookies. And your book, when I finally get it with the later UK launch date :(
cruel!
LOVE the new look Joy, it’s sensational! Can’t wait to make these cookies- and numerous other treats- when the new book arrives!
Hey Joy,
Congratulations on the new site, it looks gorgeous. I especially love the New Orleans picture, so cute.
Just to let you know, the homepage is missing proper title, instead of Joy the Baker it displays only – .
Greetings from Dublin and have a lovely week.
good lookin’ out! thank you!