Chockfull of creamy white chocolate chips and colorful sprinkles, these buttery little cookies have the unmatched ability to coax out the inner kid in us all. Try them out as a casual alternative to fussy birthday cakes or whip up a batch for the kiddo’s next sleepover. These treats don’t require a special occasion to be enjoyed.
While you can certainly incorporate some semi-sweet chocolate chips into this cookie as well, we felt the white chocolate chips provided the truest birthday cake flavor. Change up the sprinkle colors to coordinate with the season too!
In order for these cookies to reach their full potential, you absolutely should let the dough chill in your fridge for at least 2 hours. At that point, take the dough out and roll it into balls. You can return the dough balls to the fridge for a longer rest if you desire or start baking them off. Another tip to help these cookies turn out nice and thick is to shape them to be taller rather than completely round.
Depending on how big you make your cookie dough rounds, you will end up with about 2 to 2.5 dozen of these tasty little treats, but be warned: they go fast!
- 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 cup boxed vanilla cake mix (just the dry mix)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, cake mix, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles and mix on low until they are evenly disbursed.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. If chilling longer than 2 hours, roll the cookie dough into balls at the 2-hour mark. Place the dough balls on a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Once dough has been chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop rounded balls of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, using about 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until edges are slightly browned. The centers will still appear soft, but the cookies will set as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
