Funfetti Cheesecake
Packed with colorful sprinkles and birthday cake flavor, this funfetti cheesecake topped with vanilla frosting is perfect for any celebration. It’s rich and creamy, delicious, and so FUN!
What can be better than rich and creamy classic cheesecake? One filled with rainbow sprinkles, of course! This funfetti cheesecake is the BEST you’ll ever have.
And I hope you’ll love it as much as we do. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for birthdays and so many other kinds of celebrations!
A sprinkle-filled cheesecake worth celebrating
Here’s why you’ll love this funfetti cheesecake:
- It starts with a buttery graham cracker crust.
- The filling is super creamy, rich and luscious.
- It’s completely homemade, no boxed cake mixes required!
- Plenty of vanilla extract and a hint of almond extract really brings out that “birthday cake” flavor.
- Fluffy buttercream frosting on top is the final cake-like flourish that takes this cheesecake to the next level.
Table of Contents
- A sprinkle-filled cheesecake worth celebrating
- Ingredients you'll need
- Let's make funfetti cheesecake!
- Recipe tips
- Get the recipe
- More cheesecake recipes
Ingredients you’ll need
Let’s make funfetti cheesecake!
- Prepare and bake graham cracker crust. Combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter, sugar and salt and press it into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Give it a quick bake in a 350°F oven till golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let it cool while you prep the filling.
- Make cheesecake filling. It’s important to mix the filling well so it’s lump-free and completely smooth. To do this, beat the cream cheese by itself on high, then add the sugar, flour and salt and beat till very creamy and lump-free. Add the eggs individually, mixing on medium after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to keep the mixture smooth. Finally, stir in the heavy cream, vanilla and almond extracts on low speed, and fold in the funfetti sprinkles by hand.
- Get a water bath ready. Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and make sure it’s waterproof (see tips below). Set the cheesecake inside a roasting pan and add hot/boiling water so it comes a few inches up the sides of the pan.
- Bake. Bake at 325°F for about 2 hours, until only the center 2-3 inches wobble slightly when gently shaken.
- Cool gradually. There are 3 steps for cooling this cheesecake! First, turn off the oven and crack the door open and keep the cheesecake inside for an hour. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool for another hour, and then finally move to the refrigerator to cool completely (4-8 hours or overnight).
- Add frosting. Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, salt and heavy cream until smooth and creamy, which will take 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer. Use a piping bag and star tips and/or offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cheesecake and decorate as you like.
- Slice and serve. Use a warm knife wiped clean in between each slice to cut cheesecake into wedges.
Recipe tips
- If you’re new to baking cheesecake, I highly recommend you look over my classic cheesecake recipe article. It has lots of helpful information, more tips, and step-by-step photos.
- The best sprinkles for baking. I used sequin sprinkles, aka “candy quins” or confetti sprinkles, for my funfetti cheesecake, but “rod-style” or “jimmies” would also work. Do not use “non-pareils” as the colors will bleed into the batter. Also, feel free to use any color sprinkles! Rainbow is always a great choice, but you can tailor it to any event or celebration.
- Give yourself enough time and plan ahead. Cheesecake requires low and slow and cooking, followed by slow cooling, to make sure the filling is smooth with no cracks. Hands-on time for this recipe is less than an hour, but you’ll need another hour-ish for baking and at least 6 hours for cooling. I generally make cheesecake the day before I plan to serve it. Don’t rush it!
- Use room temperature ingredients. Cold cream cheese will not whip or incorporate well, resulting in a lumpy filling. Room temperature ingredients help ensure a smooth batter and finished product. Pull ingredients out at least 1 hour before baking, though I’ll often let cream cheese sit at room temperature for a few hours to be sure it’s soft enough. See also my tips for how to quickly bring cream cheese and eggs to room temperature.
- Don’t skip the water bath! It creates a moist environment in the oven and provides even and gentle cooking so they eggs in the filling don’t curdle, resulting in a silky smooth texture, tall rise, and no cracks.
baking tip:How to make a water bath for cheesecake
For more detailed instructions and information, see my full tutorial on how to make a water bath for cheesecake.
Get the recipe
Funfetti cheesecake
Packed with colorful sprinkles and birthday cake flavor, this funfetti cheesecake is perfect for any celebration. It’s rich and creamy, delicious, and so FUN!
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 2 cup (215 grams) graham cracker crumbs (14 full sheets crackers, almost 2 envelopes)
- 5 tablespoons (79 grams) butter , melted
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake filling:
- 24 ounces (680 grams) full-fat cream cheese , cubed and softened to room temperature (3 bricks)
- 1 ½ cup (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (24) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs , at room temperature
- ¾ cup (170 grams) heavy cream , at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup (80 grams) confetti or sequin sprinkles , plus more for decoration
Buttercream frosting:
- ½ cup (113 grams) butter
- 2 cups (225 grams) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons (28 grams) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
To prepared the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Pulse graham crackers in food processor to crumbs (or place in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin). Add butter, sugar, and salt and pulse till combined.
- Use the underside of a measuring cup to pack graham crackers into prepared pan in an even layer on the bottom and up 1 inch of the sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
To prepare filling:
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Make sure top rack is in the center of the oven.
- With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese together until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- Add sugar, flour, and salt and beat until smooth and light, 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl at least 2 times. Mixture should be completely smooth with no lumps.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add heavy cream, vanilla and almond extracts, and mix until combined. Scrape down bowl as needed when adding eggs and cream.
- Pour filling into cooled graham cracker crust and prepare for water bath (see Notes).
- Set springform pan inside large roasting pan and place in oven. Fill roasting pan with hot water 1-2 inches up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until edges are set but center 2-3 inches wobble slightly when gently shaken. Top should be light golden brown (if yours browns too quickly, cover with foil while baking) and an instant thermometer inserted into the center reads about 155°F. Do not over bake!
- Turn oven off and crack the door open. Let cheesecake cool in oven for 1 hour.
- Transfer to a cooling rack on the counter and cool for another hour. Then transfer to fridge and chill for 4-8 hours or overnight (recommended).
To prepare the frosting:
- Beat the butter, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, almond extract, and salt with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add only enough cream to make a creamy frosting that's easy to spread.
- Use an offset spatula and/or a piping bag and star tip to add frosting to the top of the cooled cheesecake as desired. Top with additional sprinkles.
- Cheesecake should be stored in the fridge and will keep for up to 1 week, but it's best within a few days. For clean slices, wipe your knife clean between cuts.
Notes
- Use either confetti/sequin sprinkles or “jimmies” for this cheesecake. Do not use nonpareils as the color will bleed into the batter.
- To prepare for water bath: Cover bottoms and sides of springform pan with 2 layers of heavy duty foil (it’s easier if done before pouring filling into the crust). Or you can set springform pan into 10-inch baking pan or a slow cooker liner (rolled down and left open at top) instead of lining with foil.
- To avoid cracks in your cheesecake, read tips in blog post above and follow recipe instructions as written.
- Feel free to omit almond extract if desired for nut allergy.
Calories: 644kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 492mg, Potassium: 145mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 54g, Vitamin A: 1478IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
More cheesecake recipes
Somehow I’ve become sort of a cheesecake expert! I didn’t mean for this to happen, but one thing led to another and I have 13 amazing recipes you simply have to try:
Clear instructions and the finished cheesecake was a huge hit! Our family lives for cheesecake and can be picky, but everyone rated this a perfect 10. You won’t regret making (or eating) it
Another fantastic recipe! It was absolutely delicious. I followed it precisely and loved every bite. Also, thank you for being one of the few bakers who understands that ‘funfetti’ means using both vanilla and almond extract!
Rich, creamy cheesecake with rainbow sprinkles is such a fun twist – perfect for birthdays and celebrations. I love that it’s make-ahead too, which makes party prep so much easier.
I bought silicone cheesecake wrappers that pan fits right in. To be used in water bath. Buyer beware. Every time I use it the crust is too soggy and yuck. Even when in fridge overnight. When cut into cheesecake need a spoon to scoop out soggy mess of crushed graham cracker crust. Going to make this cheesecake for Sunday dinner dessert.