These colourful Funfetti Muffins are a sweet and simple treat! Rainbow sprinkles are baked right into the light, fluffy muffin base. They’re made with an easy, quick-mix batter and use pantry staples, so are perfect for whipping up on a whim. Think: kids lunch box surprise, toddler treat, or just a fun way to brighten up morning tea!
These Funfetti Muffins are soft, not overly sweet, and ideal for little hands. With no icing, no fuss, and no fiddly decorations, they’re as simple as it gets – and still delightful!
Why you’ll love these easy Funfetti Muffins
They’re super easy! You don’t need a lot of time or fancy ingredients to prep these confetti muffins – just 5 minutes with an electric mixer, pantry staples and a handful of sprinkles!
3-year-old LJ calls these ‘Sprinkle Cupcakes’. I’ve tried telling him they’re muffins, not cupcakes, but he knows best 😆. With no icing glaze or frosting involved, these are muffins. And super easy-to-make ones at that!
They come together quickly and are ready to eat once cooled. Less mess, less prep time, and easier for younger kids to handle.
Unlike frosted cupcakes, these transport perfectly – making them ideal for school lunch boxes, picnics, or taking to a friend’s house. While I love a piped buttercream swirl or an icing glaze, some days it’s just about making something fun, fast and easy that my kids will enjoy, wherever the day takes us!
Ingredients in Funfetti Muffins
These confetti muffins use simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry:
Butter – Unsalted and softened. Gives flavour and moisture to the muffins.
Eggs – Help give the muffins structure and lift.
Vanilla paste – Adds a gentle, sweet flavour. You can use vanilla extract if preferred.
Caster sugar – Caster sugar/super fine sugar adds sweetness. For those in the US, you can substitute with granulated sugar but because it’s a larger grain, the batter may take a little longer to incorporate.
Flour – Self-raising/self-rising flour gives the muffins their lovely, fluffy lift.
Milk – I use full cream milk, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand.
Sprinkles – The fun bit! You’ll need a tablespoon of sprinkles for the batter, and a teaspoon for sprinkling on top of the muffins. The little extra sprinkle on top before baking adds colour and crunch – and makes them look so cute! Choose your preferred type, all-natural coloured or not 😊. Good-quality sprinkles will better hold their colour when baked, but I’ve used 100’s and 1000’s (non pareils) with no real trouble. This Funfetti muffin recipe is meant to be simple!
How to make Funfetti Muffins
Here’s a summary of how to make confetti muffins – just 5 simple steps!
Scroll down to the recipe card below, to find exact ingredient amounts and full detailed steps for both regular and thermo cooker methods.
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven and lining a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together the softened butter, eggs, vanilla paste, caster sugar, flour and milk until smooth and well combined.
Step 3: Gently fold in the sprinkles (try not to over-stir or they’ll start to bleed into the batter).
Step 4: Spoon just under 1/4 cup of muffin batter into each muffin liner and top with a few extra sprinkles on each one.
Step 5: Bake until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Thermomixer? Yep – this is a one-bowl wonder! Just add all ingredients except the sprinkles to the Thermomix bowl and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the sprinkles by hand with the spatula to avoid them bleeding too much. Spoon just under 1/4 cup of muffin batter into each muffin liner and top with a few extra sprinkles on each one. Bake until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Toddler-friendly Funfetti Muffins
With no icing or strong flavours, these Funfetti Muffins are a fantastic toddler snack. The sprinkles add excitement without being too sugary overall, and the smaller size makes them easy for little hands to hold.
If you’d like, use natural-coloured sprinkles. You can choose ones that don’t contain artificial preservatives or flavours too.
Storing
Funfetti Muffins are best enjoyed fresh, but will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
They can also be refrigerated for up to 5 days if needed – just allow them to come back to room temperature or rewarm in the microwave before serving, for the best texture. I know some people don’t recommend refrigerating muffins (they’re not as soft), but in the Queensland summer here I have to – just a day or two left out in hot, humid weather and they’re spoilt!
These muffins freeze so well too! Wrap each one individually, then place in a sealed container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. They’re perfect for pulling out the night before school or a picnic. Allow them to defrost overnight in the fridge, and then come back to room temperature or rewarm before serving.
For another quick recipe, try these easy Passionfruit Cupcakes! They use a similar quick-mix batter but add a simple passionfruit icing glaze, and they’re delicious!
If you make these Funfetti Muffins, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing how my recipes work for you and your family! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more treats recipes for kids.
Enjoy,
Chloe x
Funfetti Muffins
Category: SweetsIngredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 85 g butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
- 1 tbs sprinkles for the batter
- 1 tsp extra sprinkles for topping the muffins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan forced) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Put 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 85 g butter, 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla paste into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat ingredients on low speed until just combined. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth and pale.
- Add 1 tbs sprinkles and very gently fold through with a spatula. If you over-mix, the sprinkle colours may bleed.
- Drop just under ¼ cup of mixture into each paper liner, until mixture is evenly divided. Top the muffins with 1 tsp extra sprinkles.
- Bake for 16 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
Thermomix Instructions
- Put 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 85 g butter, 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla paste into the mixing bowl. Mix for 10 seconds, speed 2, MC on to combine. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
- Mix for 2 minutes, speed 4, MC on, until the batter is smooth and pale.
- Add 1 tbs sprinkles and very gently fold through with a spatula. If you over-mix, the sprinkle colours may bleed.
- Drop just under ¼ cup of mixture into each paper liner, until mixture is evenly divided. Top the muffins with 1 tsp extra sprinkles.
- Bake for 16 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
One Response
My toddler loves on of these for morning tea! They’re so easy to make, and store well. I keep some in the freezer for a treat on our activity days.