Bright, buttery, and flecked with rainbow sprinkles, these funfetti shortbread bites are made with cold butter, flour, sugar, a splash of vanilla, and a whole lot of joy. Crunchy at the edges, tender at the center, and insanely snackable.
They’re exactly what your mid-afternoon tea break has been missing. You’ll catch a rich vanilla aroma while they bake—a little like walking into an old-school bakery wearing fuzzy socks.
Imagine a tiny, candy-spackled square that tastes like shortbread and birthday cake had a love child. That’s what we’re working with here. These funfetti shortbread bites are buttery, crumbly, and juuust a little toasty at the edges, with sweet little pops of color baked right in. Perfect for holidays, pantry snacking, or those “I need something with my coffee that isn’t toast” moments. You can make them ahead too, which instantly upgrades your cookie tin game.
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Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Why You’ll Love this Funfetti Shortbread Bites Recipe
These are one-bite wonders—wholesome, playful, and slightly addictive (you’ve been warned). No cookie cutters, no dough chilling stress. Let’s keep baking joyful.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You don’t even need to roll anything. Just press, chill, chop, and bake.
- Seriously snackable size: They’re teeny-tiny squares, which somehow justifies eating seven at once.
- Colorful and cheerful: Nonpareils make them look like they’ve just shown up to a party, even if you’re baking alone in socks.
- Classic shortbread taste, but fun-ified: All that rich butter and crumbly texture, with a sneaky surprise of sprinkles.
- Easy to make ahead: They freeze beautifully, and actually improve in flavor overnight. Magic.
Ingredient Notes
This is a short ingredient list, but each thing really matters here—the beauty of shortbread is in the balance.
- Salted butter: It has to be cold and cubed! Salted adds flavor, but if you only have unsalted, just throw in a pinch of salt.
- Granulated sugar: Classic white sugar gives the right sweetness and that crisp classic edge.
- Vanilla extract: This brings all the cozy bakery vibes. Swap in almond extract (or do half-and-half) if you want a more ‘wedding cookie’ moment.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level, don’t pack it—unless you want dry, confused shortbread (you don’t).
- Cornstarch (optional): This gives the bites a slightly silkier crumb. It’s subtle, but noticeable if you’re a texture obsessive like me.
- Nonpareils: These tiny, brightly colored sprinkles hold their shape when baked. Avoid jimmies—they melt and smear like confetti on a wet sidewalk.
How To Make This Funfetti Shortbread Bites Recipe
These are the sort of cookies you can make on a calm Sunday or during a mid-week chaos spiral when you just… need a project. Either way, no fancy steps.
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Prep the pan: Line a 9×13 dish with parchment, letting it hang over the edges. This makes lifting the chilled dough out not even remotely stressful.
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Cream the butter and sugar: Grab your mixer and blend the cold butter cubes with the sugar until it’s fluffy and slightly lighter in color. It’ll look like soft frosting and smell like butter heaven.
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Add vanilla extract: Pour in that vanilla and mix it until your kitchen starts to smell like a sugar cookie candle.
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Incorporate dry ingredients and sprinkles: Stir in the flour and cornstarch by hand. Yes, use a wooden spoon or your fingertips. It should feel a bit like making streusel. Crumbly, but it’ll smush together when pressed. Then, fold in two tablespoons of those cheerful nonpareils.
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Press into the pan and chill: Dump that crumbly dough into the lined pan. Press it firmly and evenly to the edges—I sometimes use the bottom of a measuring cup to get it nice and level. Sprinkle on the remaining nonpareils and gently press them in. Chill the whole thing for 30–60 minutes in the fridge.
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Cut into bites: Once firm, lift the dough out with the parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife and slice into ½-inch squares. I know they look tiny, but trust the process.
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Bake and cool: Place bites on lined baking sheets with a little space around each. Bake at 325°F for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are barely golden. Let them cool right on the pan—they’re delicate when warm but crisp up beautifully.
Storage Options
Shortbread is a dream in the storage department. You can make a batch now, enjoy some today, stash some for later, and freeze a few “forget-I-made-these” bites for unexpected cravings.
Once they’re completely cooled, pop them into an airtight container. At room temp, they’ll stay crisp and dreamy for about a week or so. Maybe more, but I’ve never had that kind of willpower.
Fridge? Not ideal. They get weirdly damp. But the freezer? Oh yes. They freeze like little champions. Just spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a zip-top bag or container. They’ll keep for a month or two easily.
To serve, let them thaw at room temperature for 10–15 minutes. Honestly, they’re weirdly good straight from the freezer too—extra firm and just shy of crunchy.
Variations and Substitutions
You can definitely play around with these—just don’t mess with the butter-to-flour ratio too much or they’ll go rogue.
- Almond extract: Swap half the vanilla for almond extract to give it that marzipan-meets-cookie flavor.
- Lemon zest: A teaspoon of it mixed into the dough adds a light, citrusy brightness that cuts the richness beautifully.
- Chocolate chip mini-bites: Use mini semi-sweet chips instead of sprinkles—think of it as shortbread meeting your childhood chocolate-chip obsession.
- Holiday edition: Swap the rainbow sprinkles for seasonal colors, like red and green ones in December or pastels for spring gatherings.
- Dye-free version: Use naturally colored sugar sprinkles if you’re avoiding artificial dyes but still want that pop of warmth.
What to Serve with Funfetti Shortbread Bites
These little squares sit very comfortably alongside a cozy drink or post-meal treat plate. They also make cute little companions for fancier setups.
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Coffee or tea: They’re the ultimate “one-more-bite” treat with your favorite mug. Crisp edges soften just slightly when dunked… if that’s your style.
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Ice cream pairings: Crumble them on top of a scoop of vanilla, or sandwich them with something like these peanut butter & banana ice cream sandwiches. Totally acceptable behavior.
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Holiday dessert platters: Add them to a cookie tray with chocolate truffles, fudge squares, or maybe these graham cracker cookies for texture contrast.
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Afternoon bake sale or school treat box: Because they travel well, hold their shape, and don’t require frosting, icing, or any babysitting.
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Late-night snack tray: Grab a cold glass of milk or a mug of hot cocoa, and boom. Your Tuesday evening just improved.
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use unsalted butter instead of salted?
Totally! I do recommend adding about 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the dough if you go that route. The salt doesn’t just make them “taste salty”—it brings out the buttery richness and balances the sweetness from the sprinkles and sugar.
Do the sprinkles melt or bleed in the dough?
That’s why you want nonpareils! They hold their shape and color beautifully while baking. Avoid using jimmies or sanding sugar—they tend to melt and either bleed color or just disappear into the dough.
How do I make the bites the same size?
Grab a ruler (yes, really) and lightly score the surface before cutting. It helps you eyeball straight-ish lines and not end up with one giant hunk next to a pinky-sized piece. Also, a metal bench scraper works wonders if you don’t trust your knife aim.
Can I freeze the dough instead of baking it all at once?
Yes, just press the dough into the pan as instructed and freeze the whole slab wrapped tightly in plastic, then foil. When ready to use, let it thaw slightly in the fridge (just enough to slice) and bake straight from chilled. Great for pop-up cookie cravings.
Funfetti Shortbread Bites
Ingredients
Funfetti Shortbread Dough
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter cold and cubed; use unsalted + 1/4 tsp salt if desired
- 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour spoon and level, do not pack
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch optional, for texture
- 3 tbsp (33 g) nonpareil rainbow sprinkles divided, plus extra for pressing on top
Equipment
- 9x13 inch Baking Dish
- Parchment paper
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
- wooden spoon
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups
Instructions
- Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the cold, cubed butter with granulated sugar until the mixture appears fluffy and a shade lighter—about 2 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and beat to combine until the mixture smells sweet and fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and (if using) cornstarch by hand with a wooden spoon or fingertips. Stop when dough is crumbly but will hold together when pressed.
- Fold in 2 tablespoons of the nonpareils, distributing evenly.
- Dump the mixture into the lined pan and press firmly and evenly into all corners (use the bottom of a measuring cup if needed). Sprinkle remaining nonpareils over the top and gently press in.
- Refrigerate the pan 30–60 minutes, until dough is firm and well chilled.
- Lift the firm dough out using parchment overhang. Place on a sturdy cutting board and cut into ½-inch squares with a sharp knife for classic bites.
- Evenly space bites on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 12–15 minutes—edges should just barely begin to color.
- Let the bites cool on the pan—they are fragile when hot but crisp up as they cool.
