Easy Christmas Funfetti Bread: The Holiday Treat That Saved My Sanity
Easy Christmas Funfetti Bread happened because I needed something festive for my daughter’s school party but didn’t have time to frost 30 cupcakes. I saw a bag of Christmas sprinkles in my pantry, had a basic quick bread recipe in my head, and thought “what if I just… throw sprinkles in there?”
Turns out, that’s basically genius. Who knew?
Three batches later (one sank in the middle, one was too dense, one was perfect but I ate half before remembering I needed it for the party), I’ve got this christmas funfetti bread down to a science. And now it’s requested at every holiday gathering by people who should probably be asking for fancier things.
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How This Funfetti Christmas Bread Became My Holiday Signature
Look, I’m gonna be honest—I’m not a fancy baker. I don’t do fondant or complicated decorating or anything that requires a piping bag. But I can make a good quick bread, and apparently that’s all you need to be the hero of the holiday potluck.
The first time I made this festive holiday bread, I wasn’t even sure it would work. I mean, throwing sprinkles into bread batter seems like something a kid would suggest, not an actual recipe strategy. But my daughter was watching me bake and said “mom, what if you put the Christmas sprinkles IN the bread instead of on top?” and I was like… okay, why not?
Version one was dense. Like, could-be-used-as-a-doorstop dense. I’d overmixed the batter because I was worried the sprinkles wouldn’t distribute evenly. Spoiler: they distributed fine, but the bread was basically a brick.
Version two, I tried to make it “healthier” by using whole wheat flour and reducing the sugar. My husband took one bite and politely said “interesting texture” which is his way of saying “this is terrible but I love you.” I threw the rest away and started over.
By attempt three, I’d figured out the right balance. This easy christmas bread recipe is basically foolproof now, and I’ve made it approximately a million times since then.
Why This Holiday Funfetti Bread Actually Works
Here’s the thing about most christmas sweet bread recipes—they’re either super complicated (looking at you, traditional stollen), or they’re trying too hard to be “fancy” and end up tasting like disappointment wrapped in food coloring.
This christmas sprinkle bread works because it’s basically a really good vanilla quick bread with festive sprinkles mixed in. That’s it. No complicated techniques, no weird ingredients, no hours of rising time.
The sprinkles bake into the bread and create these little pockets of color and sweetness throughout. It’s like confetti but edible and doesn’t make a mess. Well, it makes a DIFFERENT kind of mess, but that’s what kitchens are for.
Plus, you can make it in one bowl with a wooden spoon. No mixer needed. Which matters when you’re making this at 10 PM the night before you promised to bring something to the office party.
The Ingredients for This Easy Holiday Dessert Bread (Shopping Chaos)
Alright, here’s what you need for this quick and easy holiday funfetti bread. Most of this stuff you probably already have.
For the Bread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk (I’ve used 2% and it’s fine)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter if you’re feeling fancy)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup Christmas sprinkles (the jimmies kind, not the round nonpareils)
For the Glaze (Optional but Recommended):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- More sprinkles for topping
Critical note about sprinkles: Use the long jimmies kind, NOT the tiny round nonpareils. I learned this the hard way when the round ones bled their color into my batter and turned the whole loaf a weird grayish-purple. The jimmies hold their color better.
Also about the oil vs. butter debate: I’ve made this both ways. Butter tastes slightly better but oil makes it stay moist longer. I usually use oil because this funfetti loaf cake often sits on the counter for a few days.
How to Make This Homemade Christmas Sprinkle Bread
Step 1: Preheat and Prep Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. I usually do both because I’m paranoid about things sticking.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Stuff In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps. I usually sift the baking powder because it always has lumps and I’m convinced they’ll ruin everything if I don’t.
Step 3: Mix the Wet Stuff In a separate bowl (or just make a well in the dry ingredients if you only want to wash one bowl—no judgment), whisk together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 4: Combine Everything Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon JUST until combined. You’ll still see a few flour streaks and that’s GOOD. Overmixing makes the bread tough and dense.
This is where I always want to keep mixing until it’s perfectly smooth, but you have to resist. Lumpy batter is your friend here.
Step 5: Add the Sprinkles Gently fold in the Christmas sprinkles. Reserve a few for sprinkling on top if you want. Don’t overmix—just fold until they’re distributed throughout the batter.
The batter will look festive and chaotic and perfect.
Step 6: Bake Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle some extra sprinkles on top for looks.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. The top should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Every oven is different. Mine runs hot so I usually check at 50 minutes. My mom’s oven is ancient and takes the full hour plus 5 minutes.
Step 7: Cool Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you try to slice it while it’s hot, it’ll fall apart into a crumbly mess. (learned this the impatient way)
Step 8: Make the Glaze (If You’re Doing That) Once the bread is completely cool, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle it over the top of the loaf and immediately sprinkle with more Christmas sprinkles before the glaze sets.
The glaze makes it look more impressive and adds sweetness, but honestly, it’s good without it too.
Real Talk About This Best Festive Funfetti Bread for Holidays
The sprinkles situation: Different brands of sprinkles behave differently. I’ve had best luck with Wilton and Betty Crocker brand. Some cheap brands bleed color like crazy.
Storage: This stays moist for about 3-4 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap on the counter. It also freezes beautifully—just wrap it well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Timing: The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool before slicing. I’ve ruined many loaves by being impatient and cutting into them too soon.
Variations: I’ve made this with different sprinkle colors for different holidays. Valentine’s Day with pink and red sprinkles, Fourth of July with red, white, and blue. Works every time.
The glaze debate: Some people think the glaze is too sweet. Those people are wrong, but if you’re one of them, skip it. The bread is good plain too.
Making This Simple Christmas Funfetti Sweet Bread for Gifts
First time I made this as a Christmas gift, I wrapped it in cellophane with a red ribbon and felt like Martha Stewart. Except Martha Stewart probably doesn’t burn the edges of her bread like I sometimes do.
I now make like six loaves every December and give them to neighbors, teachers, and random people who’ve been nice to me throughout the year. It’s cheaper than buying fancy cookies and people seem more impressed by something homemade.
My kids’ teachers always send thank you notes specifically mentioning this funfetti loaf cake, which makes me feel like I’ve won at life even though it’s literally the easiest recipe I make.
Pro tip: If you’re making multiple loaves for gifts, double or triple the recipe and use mini loaf pans. They bake faster and make cute individual gifts.
When Your Holiday Sprinkle Bread Goes Wrong
Bread sank in the middle: Your oven temperature might be too high, or you opened the oven door too early. Don’t peek until at least 45 minutes in.
Sprinkles all sank to the bottom: Your batter was too thin, or you used the wrong type of sprinkles. Make sure you’re using jimmies and your batter is thick.
Bread is too dense: You overmixed the batter. Mix just until combined, not until smooth.
Top is burning but inside is raw: Your oven runs hot. Lower the temp to 325°F and bake longer, or tent the top with foil halfway through.
Bread is dry: You overbaked it or used too much flour. Make sure you’re measuring flour correctly—spoon it into the cup and level it off.
Why This Beat Every Other Holiday Bread I’ve Tried
Remember those fancy braided breads that take hours? Or the ones that need to rise three times? Yeah, this is easier than all of them and tastes better.
The first time I brought this to a holiday party, someone asked if I’d bought it from a bakery. I said yes because I was feeling insecure, then immediately felt guilty and admitted I’d made it. They didn’t believe me until my daughter loudly announced “MOM MADE IT IN OUR KITCHEN WITH THE MIXER WE GOT FROM COSTCO.”
Thanks, kid.
But yeah, this easy christmas funfetti bread recipe looks impressive, tastes great, and takes minimal effort. It’s basically the perfect holiday recipe for people like me who want to seem like they have their life together without actually having their life together.
Happy baking! (And may your sprinkles distribute evenly and your loaf not sink in the middle)
