Holiday Funfetti Bread (Festive Sprinkle Quick Bread With Vanilla Glaze, 75 Min)

This is the bread I make every December to gift to neighbors — it looks like Christmas in a slice and takes one bowl. Holiday funfetti bread is the festive gift bread everyone loves to receive. Tender vanilla-buttermilk quick bread packed with holiday sprinkles (use jimmies, not nonpareils — they don’t bleed), baked into a loaf, drizzled with thick vanilla glaze and showered with more sprinkles. 75 minutes, perfect for neighbor gifts, cookie exchanges, and holiday brunches.

Fun fact: “funfetti” was trademarked by Pillsbury in 1989 when their cake mix engineer Howard Kaplan combined “fun” + “confetti” to describe their new sprinkle-loaded cake mix. The product became so iconic that “funfetti” is now genericized to mean any sprinkle-loaded baked good. Pillsbury sells over 50 million boxes of Funfetti cake mix annually, making it the best-selling specialty cake mix in America for over 30 years running.

Why this recipe works

• Jimmies, NOT nonpareils. Long-stick jimmies hold their color and stay distinct in the batter. Tiny round nonpareils dissolve and bleed color, turning your bread purple-gray.
• Toss sprinkles in flour. Coating sprinkles with 1 tbsp flour before folding prevents them sinking to the bottom AND prevents color bleeding.
• Buttermilk for tender crumb. Acid in buttermilk tenderizes gluten and reacts with baking soda for extra rise — buttermilk quick breads are the lightest.

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf (9×5 pan), serves 10.

For the wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract + 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional, “bakery cake” flavor)

For the dry ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp salt

For the sprinkles

• 2/3 cup holiday jimmies (red/green/white) — NOT nonpareils
• 1 tbsp flour (for tossing)

For the vanilla glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Extra holiday sprinkles for topping

Smart substitutions

• No buttermilk: 1/2 cup milk + 1 1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5 min
• Different occasion: Use pastel sprinkles for Easter, pink/red for Valentine’s, orange/black for Halloween — same recipe
• Mini loaves: Bake in 4 mini loaf pans for 30-35 min — perfect for gifting
• Cake flour version: Sub cake flour for AP for an extra-tender crumb

Instructions

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Step 1: Heat oven and prep pan

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper with overhang on both long sides for easy lift-out.

Step 2: Whisk wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Whisk in buttermilk, sour cream, and both extracts until uniform.

Step 3: Fold in dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet; fold gently with a spatula 8-10 strokes until just combined — don’t overmix.

Step 4: Add sprinkles carefully

Toss sprinkles with 1 tbsp flour in a small bowl. Add to batter and fold ONLY 2-3 times — minimal mixing prevents color bleeding. Some white batter showing is fine.

Step 5: Bake until golden

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 50-60 minutes until top is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter). Tent with foil at 35 minutes if top is browning too fast.

Step 6: Cool, glaze, and decorate

Cool in pan 15 minutes. Lift out by parchment overhang to wire rack; cool completely (1 hour). Whisk glaze ingredients until thick-but-pourable. Drizzle in zigzag pattern over cooled bread. Immediately top with extra holiday sprinkles before glaze sets.

Nutrition information

• Calories: 335 kcal per slice
• Protein: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 54 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Sugar: 36 g
• Calcium: 6% DV

Pro tips for the prettiest holiday loaf

• Buy quality sprinkles. Sweetapolita, India Tree, or Wilton premium jimmies hold color and don’t taste waxy. Cheap sprinkles bleed and taste like wax crayons.
• Glaze the next day if gifting. Glazed bread softens overnight. For best presentation, glaze morning-of-gifting and let set 30 min before wrapping.
• Use parchment overhang. Lifts the delicate loaf out without breaking. Easier than trying to flip a sprinkle-laden bread.
• Wrap in clear cellophane. Tie with ribbon — the sprinkles are the gift’s hero, so make them visible.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my sprinkles bleed?

You used nonpareils (tiny round sprinkles) instead of jimmies (long sticks), or you overmixed the batter. Nonpareils dissolve in any moisture. Use jimmies only, and fold sprinkles in 2-3 strokes maximum.

How long does it keep?

Room temp 4 days well-wrapped (sugar acts as preservative). Refrigerator 1 week. Freezer 3 months — wrap unglazed bread tightly, thaw at room temp, then glaze.

Can I freeze the glaze?

Better to make fresh — glaze can get weepy when thawed. Freeze the bread unglazed; whip up a quick glaze (takes 3 minutes) when ready to serve.

Why is mine dry?

Overbaked — quick breads continue cooking from residual heat. Pull when toothpick has moist crumbs (not bone-dry). Also: full-fat sour cream and buttermilk are non-negotiable for moisture.

Can I make it as muffins?

Yes — divide into 12 standard muffin cups. Bake at 375°F for 20-22 min. Adorable for holiday parties or cookie exchange contributions.

What about food coloring?

Add a few drops of pink or green gel coloring to the glaze for festive contrast. Or use natural beetroot powder for pink, matcha for green — natural colors work beautifully against the sprinkles.