Baking this Funfetti Sourdough Bread is like making a birthday cake in a loaf form. The slight sourdough tang is balanced by a hint of lemon, a little sweetness, and bursts of colorful sprinkles. Every slice feels like a celebration. It’s playful and nostalgic—perfect for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you want to brighten an ordinary day. If you’ve been searching for fun sourdough recipes to share with family and friends, this one will quickly become a favorite.

Why you’ll love making Funfetti Sourdough Bread

• Nostalgic and pretty – It captures the fun of birthday cake in a homemade loaf.
• Colorful sprinkles – Every slice is filled with a rainbow of color.
• Perfect for celebrations – A unique celebration bread for birthdays, holidays, or special gatherings. Funfetti sourdough bread would make such a fun birthday gift to a friend or neighbor.
• Sweet with a twist – Just like in my Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze, it has a hint of lemon and a touch of sweetness.
• A super cute bread – Both kids and adults will love it. Even Taylor Swift says she loves to make sourdough with sprinkles!
• Fun sourdough recipe – A playful way to experiment beyond traditional loaves.
• Impressive yet simple – Like my Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries, this bread looks bakery-worthy but is approachable enough for home bakers.

Important Ingredients

Substitutions and Variations

• Lemon Zest – You can leave this out, but it really adds that kind of birthday cake flavor. Lemon recipes are so flavorful, like my glazed lemon loaf.
• Sprinkles – Jimmie sprinkles (the long tube-like shaped sprinkles) are best for this bread. Don’t use nonpareils as they will soak into the bread, and you won’t get a very colorful loaf. I love to use jimmy sprinkles on my Sourdough Sugar Cookies too!
• Sugar – You can make this sourdough bread without sugar, but it won’t have that slightly sweet flavor that pairs so well with the sprinkles. Do not substitute with a liquid sweetener like honey – this will affect the hydration level of the dough.
• Flour – I would not substitute with all-purpose flour. Bread flour is best for sourdough bread. I suggest using a high protein bread flour with a 13% or higher protein content. However, you could also use a regular bread flour like King Arthur, which has 12.7% protein.

How to make Funfetti Sourdough

Mixing the dough

Step 1: Combine the sugar and lemon zest by rubbing them together between your fingers.

This releases the flavor of the lemon and makes it much more concentrated.

Step 2: Combine the lemon zest, water, and sourdough starter. Step 3: Add the bread flour. Step 4: Then mix the dough together until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Step 5: Uncover the dough. Notice how the gluten has already begun to develop.

Stretch and Folds

For Stretch & Fold 1 – Step 6: Pull the top of the dough up and over to the opposite side. Step 6a: Pull the left side up and fold it over to the opposite side. Step 6b: Pull the bottom side of the dough up and fold it over. Step 6c: Pull the right side up and fold it over. This is one complete series. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Incorporating the sprinkles

Step 7, Stretch & Fold 2: Incorporate half the sprinkles in this series. Sprinkle some on top of the dough. Step 7a: Fold the top over to the opposite side. Step 7b: Sprinkle more sprinkles on top. Step 7c: Fold the bottom side of the dough up and over. Then stretch and fold the right side if the dough will allow it. Sometimes the gluten is too tight for four total folds. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Steps 8 and 9: Complete two more sets of Stretch and Fold.

Bulk Fermentation

Step 10: After the 4th stretch and fold, cover and let rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation. At a dough temperature of 78-80°F, this will take about 3 hours.

Step 11: Bulk Fermentation is done with the dough has increased in volume about 40% and has bubbles throughout. Using clear bowls like this helps you see the progress of your dough.

Step 12, Pre Shape: Turn out the dough. Wet your hands with water to keep your fingers from sticking to the dough. Using the bench knife, round the dough until it forms a ball.

After resting for 30 minutes, the dough will relax and slightly flatten out.

Shaping

Now it’s time for final shaping. First, flip the dough so the smooth side is facing down. Step 13: Fold the top of the dough over and press down to keep it in place. Step 13a: Fold the left side over. Step 13b: Fold the right side of the dough over that. Step 13c: Roll the dough up from the bottom, forming a loaf. Drag the loaf back towards you, tightening the outside. Then pinch the ends shut if needed.

Baking

Step 14: Place the loaf, seam side up, in a prepared banneton. I like to use these hair nets – no flour needed, it won’t stick to the dough. Cover the loaf and cold proof at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.

Step 15: After cold proofing, flip the dough over onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a bread lame to score the bread. Now it’s time to bake!

Step 16: Bake in a preheated 450°F oven. Bake in a Dutch oven with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 7-10 minutes. The internal temperature of the loaf should be at least 200°F. Transfer the funfetti sourdough loaf to cool on a wire cooling rack for at least two hours before slicing.

Frequently Asked Questions

More fun sourdough recipes

• 

  Funfetti Sourdough Bread

• 

  Sourdough Sugar Cookies

• 

  Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins

Funfetti Sourdough Bread Recipe

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Funfetti Sourdough Bread

Prep Time 1 day day

Cook Time 33 minutes minutes

Servings 16 slices

Calories 166kcal

Author Heather Thomas

Ingredients

• 330 g water room temperature, around 76°F
• 100 g ripe sourdough starter
• 50 g granulated sugar
• the zest from 1 lemon
• 550 g high protein bread flour
• 75 g rainbow sprinkles
• 10 g brown rice flour for dusting banneton and loaf

Instructions

Prepare the lemon zest and sugar

• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the lemon zest and sugar between your fingers to release the flavor from the lemon. Set aside.

Mix the dough

• To a large bowl, add the water and sourdough starter. Mix together with your hands to break up the starter. Add the lemon sugar mixture and flour. Mix with a Danish dough hook or by hand. Make sure no dry bits of flour remain. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the salt and add an additional 20g of water over the dough. Pinch it together with your fingers to fully incorporate. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

Dough Development

• Over the next 90 minutes, you'll develop the dough through a series of "stretch and fold". This is a gentle kneading process to develop the strength of the dough, which will help it keep its shape as it rises.

  Stretch & Fold 1: Remove cover from bowl. Wet your fingers with water to prevent the dough from sticking as you handle it. Lift up on the side of the dough furthest away from you, stretch it up and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, lift up on dough and fold it over again. Repeat until all four sides of dough have been stretched and folded. Cover dough and let rest 30 minutes. This is your first series of stretch and fold.
• Stretch & Fold 2: After the dough has rested 30 minutes, it will have flattened out. Stretch and fold all four sides of the dough, just as you did in series 1. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

  Stretch & Fold 3: After the dough has rested 30 minutes, you're going to start to incorporate the sprinkles into the dough as you stretch and fold for the third time. Pour about 1/4 of the sprinkles over the top of the dough and stretch and fold the top side of the dough over. Add more sprinkles on top, stretch and fold the left side of the dough. Continue to your third series of stretch and fold, incorporating up to half the total sprinkles. The sprinkles should be distributed throughout the dough. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

  Stretch & Fold 4: After the dough has rested 30 minutes, continue the fourth series of stretch and folds while also incorporating the remaining half of the sprinkles into the dough. Cover and let rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.

Bulk Fermentation

• Bulk fermentation is when you allow the dough to rise all together. There's no exact time for this process, but there are some signs to look for. You'll know bulk fermentation is complete when: the dough has risen about 40% in volume, has bubbles throughout with a few on top, pulls away from the sides of the bowl easily, and jiggles when you slide the bowl back and forth. This may take about 3-4 hours with a target dough temperature of 78°F. If your dough or kitchen is colder, this could take longer.

Pre Shape

• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Be careful not to deflate the dough. Wet your fingers with water to keep them from sticking to the dough. You can wet your bench knife with a bit of water too. Slide the edge of the bench knife under the side of the dough and sweep it in a semi-circle motion, while tucking the dough under with your free hand. The goal is to create tension on the outside of the dough, while also shaping it into a ball. Repeat this motion until you have a round ball of dough.

Bench Rest

• Let the dough rest, uncovered for 30 minutes. During this time, the dough may slightly flatten and the gluten will relax.
• Prepare a 9 to 10-inch oblong (batard) proofing basket by dusting with rice flour, or line with a linen towel or hair net (no need to flour the hair net if you are cold proofing). Set aside.

Final Shape

• Flour the top of the dough. Using the bench knife, flip the dough over so that the smooth, floured side is facing down on the counter. Pull the top of the dough (the side furthest away from you) towards the center and slightly press down, securing it in place. Pull the left side of the dough over towards the center, followed by the right side. Press down, securing the dough in place. Roll the bottom of the dough towards the center and away from you. Continue rolling, shaping a loaf. Pull it back towards you a few times, tightening the outside of the loaf. Pinch the ends shut if needed.
• Slide the bench knife under the dough, flip it over and into the prepared proofing basket. Lightly dust the top with rice flour. Cover with a plastic shower cap or a plastic bread bag (something that will keep it from drying out).

Cold Proof

• Place in the refrigerator to cold proof for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.

  Note: At this point, you can also leave it out and let it rise until puffy, another 2-3 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe.

Preheat oven

• Put a Dutch oven, with the lid, onto the middle rack of the oven. Set oven to preheat to 450°F.
• Once oven has preheated for 30 minutes, remove the loaf from the refrigerator. Remove the cover and place a piece of parchment paper over the top. Flip the banneton over, releasing the loaf. It should now be right side up, resting on the parchment.

Score

• Using a sharp knife, or bread lame, score the loaf on one side, from end to end. Score with the blade at a 45 degree angle, cutting about one-half inch deep.

Bake

• Remove the Dutch oven and take off the lid. Lift the loaf with parchment paper into the Dutch oven. Place the lid on and put into the oven.
• Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 7-10 minutes, until the loaf is lightly golden. If you have a digital food thermometer, take the internal temperature of the dough – it should be at least 200°F.
• Lift the bread out of the Dutch oven with the sides of the parchment paper. Place loaf onto a wire cooling rack and discard the parchment. Allow bread to cool at least 2 hours (preferably 3 hours) before slicing. Enjoy your cute Funfetti bread!

Notes

• Baking without a Dutch oven: You can bake sourdough without a Dutch oven. The main idea is to create steam in your oven to help it rise nice and tall. You can bake it on a baking sheet or preheated baking stone. Place a deep pan on the bottom of your oven and preheat it with your oven. Carefully add boiling water to the hot pan and close oven door. Let the oven steam up for about 5 minutes before baking the loaf. Bake with the steam for all but the last 10 minutes of the bake time. *To be safe, place a towel over the glass oven door while adding and taking out the hot water. 
• Stretch and Folds: You can do coil folds instead of stretch and fold – use whichever technique you prefer.
• Ripe Sourdough Starter: Make sure you use your starter when it’s bubbly and active. For me, I use my starter in the morning at feeding time – I add what I need to my recipe, making sure I have enough left over to feed with.
• Temperature: Both dough temperature and climate temperature play a big role in how your dough develops. My kitchen is usually around 76°F. I use room temperature water…so my dough is typically around 76-78°F. My recipe is written taking these factors into account. Warmer temperatures speed up the fermentation process and colder temperatures slow it down. Depending on your kitchen and water temperature, your dough may develop at a different rate than mine. Use your baker’s intuition to look for the signs of the completion of bulk fermentation.
• Sprinkles: Use the tube-shaped sprinkles, called jimmies. Smaller, nonpareils are too little and will melt away in the dough. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

These sourdough sugar cookies are so soft and buttery! They’re so easy to make and topped with a yummy sour cream frosting! This is my favorite sourdough discard cookie recipe, and I know you’ll love it too!

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I’ve been making my Soft and Puffy Sugar Cookies for years. They’re the yummiest cut out sugar cookie!

But, every once in a while, I treat myself to a swig sugar cookie from our neighborhood soda shop. If you know, you know. They’re so soft and buttery. The sour cream icing is slightly tangy, but also has the right amount of sweetness. And swig cookies are always served cold. Now you can make swig cookies at home with your sourdough starter!

Why you’ll love sourdough sugar cookies

I decided it was finally time to recreate these swig cookies at home, but with a sourdough twist. Since I love dessert recipes, I was definitely up for the task! What I came up with turned out so much better than I thought possible! (And if you like sugar cookies with a twist, make sure you check my recipe notes for a Coconut Lime Sugar Cookie variation!)

• It’s so easy to make.
• No rolling out cookie dough, or cut out cookies here. These drop sugar cookies are so easy to shape!
• No chilling required!
• The flavor from the sourdough discard makes these cookies taste so rich, just like a bakery style cookie.
• The sour cream icing has the yummiest flavor – a slight tang, but still sweet and delicious. If you like sour cream frosting, you’ll also love my Lemon Cheesecake Cookies.
• These sugar cookies stay soft and fresh for several days. I like to keep mine in the fridge.
• Like my Funfetti Sourdough Bread, these are perfect for birthdays and celebrations!
• Its a quick and easy discard recipe.

Ingredients

There’s a long list of ingredients, but don’t let that fool you. This recipe comes together so quickly! This cookie dough can be made in less than 30 minutes. A few important ingredients to understand:

• Sourdough Discard: For this recipe, I suggest using a discard that was fed in the past 1-3 days. If you use really runny, overly hungry discard, you will notice it gives the cookies a slight tang. I don’t love it, so I use my newer discard for this cookie recipe. This recipe is based on using a 100% hydrated starter.
• Sour Cream: Using sour cream in the cookie dough, helps create a tender, fluffy texture. In the frosting, it adds a tangy flavor that compliments the sweetness perfectly.
• Vanilla and Almond Extracts: These extracts add a smooth, sweet flavor. If you don’t love almond extract, you can leave it out. But it’s a small amount, so it’s not overpowering.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Baking soda and baking powder are still necessary to provide a perfect rise and texture for this cookie.
• Powdered sugar: adds sweetness and lightens up the cookie texture.
• Butter: I’ve always used unsalted butter in my recipes. It allows you to control the saltiness of your recipe.

How to make sourdough sugar cookies

My number one pro tip: It’s so important to use a kitchen scale for measuring your ingredients, especially for sourdough recipes. One cup of active starter is not the same as one cup of runny, hungry starter. Weighing your ingredients gives you much more accurate and reliable results. On my recipe cards, you can choose either US Customary or Metric measurements.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure you fluff your flour and then spoon it into your measuring cup. Level it off with a straight edge. Please, for the love, don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup!

Use the cookie paddle attachment for your mixer and mix together the discard, butter, oil, and sugars. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda. I sprinkle them over the top to make sure they get easily incorporated into the butter mixture. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix until fully combined. Next add the flour gradually and mix until incorporated. Avoid overmixing.

Shaping the cookies

Scoop the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons in size. These cookies are then rolled in sugar. Slightly press them with the flat bottom of a glass. You can see how the edges kind of crack apart. This is what you want.

Bake until the edges are just set. The center may initially look underbaked, but that’s normal. The cookies will spread when baked, so make sure you space them 2-3 inches apart.

While the cookies are cooling, get the yummy frosting ready. I love to use heavy cream to thin it just a bit. It makes the frosting super rich and velvety. Once completely cooled, slather on the frosting. These are some serious melt in your mouth sourdough cookies!

Storing tips

Since there is sour cream in the frosting, store any leftover cookies in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh and soft for up to 4 days or so. Plus, they are so tasty cold!

You can also freeze them, frosted, for up to 3 months. To freeze, place them on a baking sheet and freeze until the frosting is hard. Then you can place them in a freezer bag or airtight container and stack them.

Sugar Cookies with a twist

You can easily switch up your sugar cookie with some minor changes. Try these variations:

• Add citrus zest like lemon or orange to the dough and/or frosting.
• Add a different flavored extract to the frosting like raspberry, coconut, almond, or pistacchio.
• Add colorful sprinkles to the cookie dough. Or add chopped nuts.

Whatever you do, make sure you try making my favorite, Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies! I added coconut extract to the frosting and place a lime wedge on top. When you eat it, squeeze the lime over the cookie and enjoy! The coconut and fresh lime combo is life changing! Check the recipe notes for this version.

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More cookie recipes you’ll love

• S’mores Cookies
• Carrot Cake Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies
• Soft Gingerbread Cookies

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Sourdough Sugar Cookies

The one sugar cookie recipe you need, these super soft sourdough sugar cookies with a sour cream frosting are so delicious. No roll, no cut out sugar cookies. They're so easy to make! Everyone will love them!

Course Baking

Cuisine American

Keyword sourdough cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 32 cookies

Calories 343kcal

Author Heather Thomas

Equipment

• mixer
• 2 baking sheets
• 1 cookie scoop

Ingredients

Cookies:

• ½ cup sourdough discard see notes
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cup vegetable oil or a neutral-flavored oil like canola or avocado
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
• 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar for pressing the cookies

Frosting:

• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons cream or milk

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the cookies

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sourdough starter, butter, oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. Sprinkle the salt, baking powder, and baking soda over the ingredients. Mix until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
• Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the flour and mix until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
• Scoop the cookie dough using a cookie scoop or spoon. Use about 3 Tablespoons dough for each cookie. Roll dough into balls. Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough in the sugar, coating it completely. Place cookies on the baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. You can fit 8 cookies per baking sheet. Using the flat bottom of a glass, press the center of each cookie, flattening it. Don't flatten too thin – you want them about 1/4 to 1/2-inch in thickness. Dip the bottom of the glass in the sugar between pressing each cookie. This will keep it from sticking to the dough.
• Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges are set. The center will look soft, but that's ok. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine the butter, salt, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add cream or milk as needed to get the frosting to a thick but spreadable consistency.
• Frost the cookies and top with sprinkles. Enjoy! Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. These cookies are delicious served cold!

Notes

• Use sourdough discard that’s not too runny. I like to use a thicker, more active discard – it has less of an acidic, tangy flavor. This gives your cookies a better flavor and taste.
• Coconut Lime Cookie version:
  • Make cookies and frosting as instructed. For the frosting, add 1 teaspoon coconut extract. You’ll also need 4 limes for garnishing. Wash and cut each lime into 8 wedges. After frosting the cookies, add a lime wedge on top of each cookie. When eating, squeeze the lime over the cookie to release the lime juice. Eat and enjoy! These are SO good for Summertime!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 341IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

A perfect way to use up your sourdough discard, these blueberry muffins are fluffy and delicious and bursting with blueberries. With the yummiest crumb topping, these sourdough discard blueberry muffins bake up just like a bakery style muffin.

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Sourdough discard muffins are not only so delicious, but they are such a great way to use up that sourdough starter discard you’ve been saving in the refrigerator. You’ll also want to make sure you save some of my other sourdough recipes, like Banana Nut Sourdough Muffins, Sourdough Banana Bread, and Cinnamon Roll Focaccia,

Blueberry Sourdough Discard Muffins are so good for an easy and satisfying breakfast. Or they’re great for an afternoon snack! I love using them for my kids’ lunches too! I know you’ll love how easy and yummy these muffins are!

This recipe makes one dozen large delicious blueberry discard muffins.

Ingredients

• Sourdough discard: Use your starter whether it’s more active or really hungry and runny. To get best results, weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. One cup of active starter with most likely weigh less than one cup of runny starter. If your starter is thicker, you may need to add more milk to thin out the batter.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Even though we’re using sourdough starter, discard is an unfed starter and won’t be enough to give these muffins the tall, fluffy texture they need. Baking powder and baking soda are still necessary for this recipe.
• Greek yogurt adds a really fluffy texture and flavor. You can swap it out with sour cream if you like.
• Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Sugar: These muffins are sweet and delicious. If you want to cut back on the sugar, you can decrease it by up to 25%. So instead of using 1 cup (200g) sugar, you could use 3/4 cup (150g). They’ll still be delicious, but just a bit less sweet.
• Lemon zest is optional but could provide a yummy flavor and slight tartness with these sweet discard muffins.

Steps for making Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

1. Make the crumb topping by combining the butter, sugar and flour together with a fork. Set it aside as you mix the muffin batter. The crumb topping will dry out as it sits, making it easier to sprinkle on top of the muffins later.
2. Prepare a muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray.
3. Combine the dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl: the melted butter, milk, eggs, sourdough starter discard, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. I love that this recipe comes together so quick and easy, and you can mix it by hand! Depending on how thick your batter is, you may need to add a bit more milk to thin it out. It needs to be a consistency that you can easily scoop into the muffin tin.
6. Fold in the blueberries. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries.
7. Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin tin, filling each well with equal amounts of batter. Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over each muffin. Slightly press the crumb topping into the tops of the muffins to keep it in place as it bakes.
8. Bake at 350°F for 28-30 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
9. Serve and enjoy!

How to make sourdough discard muffins healthy

• Reduce the sugar by up to 25%. Use 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1 cup.
• Use Whole grains: Swap out some of the white flour for whole grain flour like whole wheat, spelt, or khorasan. Baking with whole grains gives your baked goods more nutrients and keeps your tummy fuller longer. It’s important to keep in mind, whole grain muffins will have a denser texture. The more whole grains you use, the less fluffy the muffins will be. When deciding how much whole grains to use, start by swapping out about 20% of the white flour. If you like the results and feel like you could go further, next time swap out 30%. See how far you can take it while maintaining a texture and flavor you and your family still enjoy.
• Add flax meal. Flax meal has lots of beneficial nutrients and can keep you fuller longer. I’d use 2 Tablespoons of flax meal for this muffin recipe.
• Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Greek yogurt provides a good source of protein without as much fat.

Storing

Store the muffins in a zip top bag or airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them to enjoy later – get them out the of the freezer the night before and let them thaw overnight at room temperature. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat them in the microwave if you want to enjoy a warm muffin.

I know you’ll love these delicious Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins! They taste even better than a bakery!

More recipes you’ll love

• Funfetti Sourdough bread
• Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
• Wheat and Oat Pancake Mix
• Sourdough Sugar Cookies

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Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 296kcal

Author Heather Thomas

Equipment

• Muffin tin

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• pinch fine sea salt

Muffins

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare Crumb Topping

• In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping:

  2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and a pinch of salt.

  Set aside.

Prepare the Muffins

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12 count muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients:

  2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

  Set aside.
• In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients:

  8 T melted butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup (120g) sourdough starter discard, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more milk to thin it out. Fold the blueberries into the batter.
• Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin pan, making 12 large muffins. Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over each muffin.
• Bake 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Video

Notes

• You can make the muffin batter ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. 
• Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Muffins can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 338IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg

This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is swirled with ribbons of buttery cinnamon sugar, topped with a brown sugar crumble, and finished off with sweet vanilla icing! Perfect for brunch or a sweet treat. Find both an instant yeast and sourdough version in this post. Be sure to watch the video at the end of the post to see how it all comes together!

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I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for my family for years, creating countless variations like Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls, Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, and Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls. My kids get to be my taste testers and now consider themselves cinnamon roll experts. So when I took my much-loved Easy Overnight Focaccia recipe and turned it into a cinnamon roll version, they were so shocked at how much they loved it – especially for how much it tastes like traditional homemade cinnamon rolls!

What you’ll love about this recipe

• The biggest reason: It’s SO yummy!
• Easy to make – no mixer required!
• This recipe has both instant yeast and sourdough versions.
• Tastes just like a cinnamon roll, but with much less work!
• My technique of folding the filling into the dough is super easy, and ensures every bite has loads of cinnamon flavor!
• The brown sugar crumble on top adds an amazing texture and extra cinnamon roll flavor!
• Make ahead options make it easier to plan around your schedule.

Ingredients

If you’ve made my Easy Overnight Focaccia before, you know how quick it is to throw together. We’re just going to add some cinnamon roll elements to turn it into the perfect, easy-to-make sweet treat!

• For the dough: You simply need bread flour, water, salt and instant yeast!
• Sourdough version: Use a ripe starter that’s fed with 100% hydration (equal parts water and flour). To get optimal rise time and a fluffy focaccia, use your starter when it’s at its peak. It should be bubbly, thick and active. I usually feed my well-maintained starter at night with a 1:5:5 ratio, and it’s ripe the next morning, about 10-12 hours later.
• For the filling: Use melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon – just like a yummy cinnamon roll!
• The crumb topping: This element makes this cinnamon roll focaccia the best!! Made with melted butter, flour, brown and white sugars, and cinnamon, this crunchy topping adds a burst of cinnamon brown sugar flavor in every bite!
• The icing: Made with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, this icing is so easy to make and adds just a hint of creaminess to the sweet focaccia. It’s simple and not over the top – the perfect sweet kiss on top! If you want a richer icing on top, you could use Cream Cheese Frosting – I would suggest thinning it with milk a bit more than usual, so it can be easily drizzled.

Steps for making Cinnamon Roll Focaccia with instant yeast

• Mix the dough: Mix together the water, instant yeast, salt, and flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon or danish dough whisk. Complete by pinching the dough together with your fingers. Make sure there’s no dry bits of flour!

• First Rise/Bulk Fermentation: Transfer the dough into a large bowl, coated with olive oil. Cover and let it rise in a warm place in your kitchen. It should double in size and be very bubbly. *Timeline Tip: At this point, you can put the dough straight into the refrigerator to rise anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. (See the sample timeline below.)
• Prepare the pan: In a 9×13-inch pan, drizzle olive oil and melted butter to coat the bottom. If you’re not using a nonstick pan, you may want to line your pan with parchment first and then drizzle the olive oil and butter over that. I love this USA nonstick pan! There’s no need to line it with parchment – my focaccia comes out easily every time!
• Place the dough into the prepared pan and gently stretch it to fill the pan.

• Fill: Spread half the cinnamon sugar filling over half the dough.

• Fold the dough in half and rotate it to easily spread the dough to fill the space of the pan again.

• Final Proof: Let the dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen until it has nearly doubled in size. It should be very bubbly and jiggle when you gently shake the pan. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Look for that jiggle, it’s key!

• Topping: Add the rest of the cinnamon sugar syrup over the top of the dough. You may need to reheat it in your microwave if the butter has solidified. Sprinkle the yummy brown sugar crumb on top!

• Dimple the dough: Oil your fingertips with olive oil and dimple the focaccia. Push down all the way to the bottom of the pan. Create dimples throughout the dough – the syrup will fall into the wells, creating more layers of cinnamon sugar throughout the focaccia. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the dough.

• Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes. Look for lightly golden edges.
• Cool: Let the Cinnamon Roll Focaccia cool in the pan, on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes. While it’s cooling, you can prepare the icing.
• Icing: Drizzle the icing over the focaccia. Let the icing set for about 10 minutes before slicing. The focaccia will still be a bit warm and so delicious!

Sample Timeline for Instant Yeast version

You can definitely make it all in one day, but this may be helpful if you’re wanting to enjoy your cinnamon roll focaccia for breakfast or brunch.

Make ahead options for instant yeast version

Here are two different options to make part of this recipe ahead of time. It’s a flexible recipe that can be altered to fit your schedule.

1. Make the dough the night before and refrigerate for at least 12 or up to 24 hours.
2. After filling the dough, refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Keep in mind, the longer you leave it in the fridge, the more you could risk the yeast activity decreasing.

Sample Timeline for Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

If you’re a sourdough baker, you’ll love the sourdough cinnamon roll focaccia too! I have provided a sourdough version in the recipe notes, as well as this timeline to help you get a visual of how this recipe will go for you. Here’s a few tips for the sourdough version:

• Use your starter or levain when it’s at its peak.
• Note that there is an option to refrigerate the dough overnight once you fill it. If you’d like to serve it for breakfast or brunch the next day, allow a good 2 to 3 hours for final proofing before baking.
• Keeping your dough in a warm place in your kitchen while proofing will help to speed up the process. I like to keep mine in the oven with the light on. It provides a nice cozy environment for the dough.

The Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia has an amazing texture and flavor. With a little extra time and patience, this is an amazingly delicious way to use your sourdough starter.

How to store leftovers

It’s hard to imagine you’ll have any leftover cinnamon roll focaccia. But in case you do, here’s a couple suggestions for storage:

1. Wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap and then put into an airtight container or ziplock bag. This keeps it from drying out. You can store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not store in the refrigerator as this will dry it out.
2. Freeze for up to two months, again wrapping each slice individually and then storing in an airtight container. Let thaw overnight at room temp. Unwrap and reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.

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More Recipes you’ll love

• Easy Overnight Focaccia
• Peach Bread
• Funfetti Sourdough Bread
• Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins

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Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is swirled with ribbons of buttery cinnamon sugar, topped with a brown sugar crumble, and finished off with sweet vanilla icing! Perfect for brunch or a sweet treat, it's so much easier than making traditional cinnamon rolls. It's made with instant yeast, but you'll find a sourdough option in the recipe notes too.

*I always suggest weighing your ingredients for the best results. For weight measurements, click on the metric link by the list of ingredients.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword focaccia

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Resting Time 12 hours hours

Total Time 12 hours hours 38 minutes minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 378kcal

Author Heather Thomas

Equipment

• 1 9×13 cake pan

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

• 1 ¾ cup water plus 2 Tablespoons
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast *see notes for sourdough option
• 4 ½ cups bread flour plus 2 Tablespoons
• 1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ½ cup brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Crumble Topping

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Vanilla Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tablesppons milk

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, flour, and salt. Stir together until all combined and no dry bits of flour remain. Mixture will be thick and sticky.

First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

• In a separate large bowl, drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil to coat the bottom. Transfer the dough to the oiled container. Turn the dough so that all sides are coated in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or lid. If refrigerating the dough overnight, let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours. Dough will rise to double in size. If making focaccia same day, allow dough to rise to double in size at room temperature. about 2 hours.
• Remove from refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the container, slightly warming up. 

Add the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by coating the bottom and sides with the 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Turn the dough out from the container and onto the pan.
• Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. Use the backs of your hands and knuckles to stretch the dough without tearing it. If the dough is springing back and not staying in place, let it rest 10 minutes and come back to it.
• In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling. Spread half the mixture over half of the dough. Fold the dough in half and rotate it to fit the size of the pan. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. (see video in recipe post for shaping tips)

Final Proof

• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and bubbly, about 1 hour to 90 minutes.

Prepare to bake

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumble topping and set aside. Reheat the cinnamon sugar filling if the butter has solidified.
• Drizzle the remaining filling evenly over the top of the dough. Lightly oil your fingertips with olive oil. Gently dimple the dough by pressing into it with your fingertips. Press all the way down to the pan. Create a moderate amount of dimples throughout the dough without depressing too many of the air bubbles. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the dough.

Bake

• Bake the focaccia on the middle rack in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. The focaccia should reach an internal temperature of 190°F.
• Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and allow the focaccia to cool for 20 minutes.
• While it's cooling, prepare the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Add just enough milk to make a thick, smooth icing. Drizzle the icing over the focaccia. Let it set for about 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Sourdough Option (see the sample timeline in the recipe post)

• Dough Ingredients:
  • 396g water
  • 100g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration
  • 495g bread flour
  • 10g fine sea salt
• Instructions:
  1. Mix the water, starter, flour and salt. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
  2. Perform 3 sets of stretch and fold, with 30 minutes of rest time between each set.
  3. After the 3rd set, cover and bulk ferment until the dough has risen in volume about 50% and has a few bubbles on top. This can take 3 to 6 hours, depending on the temperature of your dough and kitchen. (Option to refrigerate up to 24 hours, or continue to shape the focaccia).
  4. Prepare 9×13 pan with olive oil and melted butter. Place dough in pan and stretch out to fill the pan. Spread half the cinnamon sugar filling over half the dough. Fold in half, rotate dough and spread out to fill the pan again. (Option to refrigerate at this point for up to 12 hours.) Continue with recipe. Note the final rise time for sourdough will be about twice as long as it will with instant yeast. Sourdough rise times can vary depending on the activity of your yeast and temperature in your kitchen.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. See recipe post for more storage suggestions.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 294IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Frequently Asked Questions

Resurrection rolls (aka Empty Tomb Rolls) are such a fun and special way to teach children about the Easter holiday. Use my easy homemade recipe, along with a printable story, and make this a yummy Easter tradition for your family.

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What are Resurrection Rolls?

Resurrection Rolls are one of my favorite Easter Recipes. Also called Sweet Empty Tomb Rolls, they’re a soft roll with a butter dipped, cinnamon-sugar coated marshmallow in the center. Once baked, the marshmallow melts into a sweet caramel-like sauce, leaving a hollow center inside the roll.

This object lesson is a simple way to teach children about the Savior and why we celebrate Easter. Below you’ll find a printable story you can share with your kiddos as you make these with them. Together, you can talk about the symbolism of this activity:

• Marshmallow – represents Jesus’ body. He was pure, clean and free from sin.
• Butter and Cinnamon Sugar – represents the oils and spices His friends used to prepare his body for burial.
• Roll Dough – represents the linens they dressed His body with.
• The Oven – represents the 3 days Jesus was in the tomb.
• Empty Roll – represents the empty tomb after Jesus was resurrected on the third day.
• Melted Marshmallow – the sweet melted marshmallow inside the hollow roll represents the linens left behind in the empty tomb.

You can print this PDF Easter story and follow along as you make the resurrection rolls together. While the rolls are baking, share some meaningful scriptures too – there are some suggestions on the printable. Find the recipe at the end of this post. Get the kids involved in the process, and let it be a hands on learning experience for them. This can be fun but also reverent as you talk more about the Easter story.

For more fun Easter recipes to make with your kids or grandkids, try my Bunny Shaped Cinnamon Rolls or Easter Crescent Roll Carrots. These are perfect for Easter celebrations!

When you make the Resurrection Rolls, you can use either a homemade roll dough or a store bought dough. But I personally think they turn out much better with homemade dough. My Skillet Dinner Rolls recipe is so easy and you can also make dinner rolls with the extra dough! You could also use my Homemade Crescent Dinner Rolls or Parker House Rolls dough recipes too.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are super simple and you most likely already have them in your pantry.

• Roll dough – If making your own dough, allow it to rise until doubled in size before making the Resurrection Rolls.
• Marshmallows – Use the regular size (large) marshmallows – minis or extra large won’t work the same.
• Melted Butter – I use unsalted butter to control the flavor.
• Cinnamon Sugar – a mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.

How to make Resurrection Rolls

• Roll the dough to a 12×18-inch rectangle.
• Cut the dough into 6 equal sections. Cut each section in half diagonally, making 12 triangles.
• Dip the marshmallow in the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

• Wrap each marshmallow in the dough and roll it up. Pinch the sides to make sure it is completely sealed shut.
• Place the rolls in a greased cupcake pan.

• Bake at 375°F for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool about 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack.
• Open the Resurrection Rolls and see the magic of the disappearing marshmallow!

Can I make these ahead of time?

Even though these Resurrection Rolls are super easy, you can make the dough the night before, cover and refrigerate. This helps you get prepped, saving time on the day of baking. The dough can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After removing it from the refrigerator, let it warm up slightly before shaping your rolls (about 20 minutes).

Conclusion

You will love making Resurrection Rolls as an Easter tradition. Not only is it a great way to help children understand the Easter story, but they are so yummy too! Make sure you print the PDF story towards the beginning of this post. You read along as you make your Resurrection Rolls – it contains all the symbolism behind each ingredient. I know your kids or grandkids will love this tradition just like mine have. Enjoy and Happy Easter!

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Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection rolls (aka Empty Tomb Rolls) are such a fun and special way to teach children about the Easter holiday. Use my easy recipe, along with a printable story, and make this a yummy Easter tradition for your family. You can also split this dough in half and make Skillet Dinner Rolls too!

Course Baking

Cuisine American

Keyword Resurrection Rolls

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 24 rolls

Calories 185kcal

Author Heather Thomas

Equipment

• 1 stand mixer
• 2 Muffin tins
• 1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Roll Dough

• ¼ cup warm water 85°F
• 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 4 cups bread flour plus up to 1/2 cup (60g) as needed

Filling

• 24 large marshmallows
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

• To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, buttermilk, yeast, 4 T melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar, fine sea salt, eggs, and half the flour. Mix with dough hook until all ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes.
• On low speed, gradually add the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Add enough flour so that the dough is soft and slightly tacky. You may or may not need to add an additional few Tablespoons of flour to reach a dough with the right consistency. Knead dough for 8 minutes on low speed.

Proof the dough

• Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place dough in bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.

Assemble the Rolls

• In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Set aside. Spray 2 muffin tins with nonstick spray and set aside.
• Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and work with one half at a time. Each half will make 12 rolls – you can use one half for Resurrection Rolls and the other half for dinner rolls if you like.
• Roll the dough to a 12×18-inch rectangle. With a pizza cutter, divide the dough into 6 equal sections. Then cut each section in half diagonally, making 12 triangles.
• Dip each marshmallow in the melted butter, roll in the cinnamon sugar, and place the marshmallow on the dough triangle. Wrap it up tightly, making sure the dough is completely sealed around the marshmallow. Place the wrapped marshmallows in the muffin tin.

Bake

• Preheat the oven to 375°F while the rolls rest and puff up slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Bake on center rack of oven for 16-18 minutes, or until the rolls are golden on top.
• Allow the rolls to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Be careful not to burn your fingers – the hot marshmallow syrup can sometimes come out the bottom of the roll.
• Once the rolls are cooled, cut open with a knife and see the magic of the disappearing marshmallow. The inside should be hollow, and will have a yummy cinnamon sugar syrup inside where the marshmallow melted.

Notes

• This recipe uses the same dough from my Skillet Dinner Rolls recipe. You can easily use half to make 12 Resurrection Rolls and the other half to make 12 Skillet Dinner Rolls. Link for Skillet Dinner Rolls: https://thatbreadlady.com/skillet-dinner-rolls/
• You can make the dough the night before and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• Resurrection Rolls are best when enjoyed freshly baked, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• See recipe post for the printable Easter story that talks about the symbolism of the Resurrections Rolls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Recipe FAQ’s

More Easter Recipes you’ll love

• Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls
• Bunny Shaped Cinnamon Rolls
• Lemon Coconut Loaf
• Garlic Knots
• Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
• Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins

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If you’ve ever strolled through Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, you’ve probably caught a whiff of something truly irresistible—Disneyland bacon mac and cheese cones, topped with bacon, from the Cozy Cone Motel! These delicious, hand-held delights are the ultimate comfort food: creamy, baked bacon mac and cheese served in a cone made of golden, yummy homemade bread. If you can’t make it to Disneyland anytime soon, don’t worry! You can recreate this magic at home with this easy recipe.

(This post contains affiliate links. I may earn commissions from purchases.)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Disney Magic at Home – Bring a taste of the parks right to your kitchen!
• Hand-Held Comfort Food – The perfect blend of baked macaroni and cheese with bacon wrapped in warm, fluffy pizza dough.
• Crowd-Pleasing Dish – Just like my Garlic Rosemary Pull Apart Bread, this is great for parties, game days, or fun family dinners.
• Customizable – Swap cheeses, add spices, or throw in extra toppings to make it your own.

Recipe Overview

• Make cone molds with paper and aluminum foil to shape the dough.
• Make two batches of my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough. (I also love this dough for another yummy party snack, my Pizza Rollups.)
• Bake the cones and let them cool.
• Make the baked macaroni and cheese with bacon casserole.
• Scoop the hot mac and cheese into the bread cones. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

When making the Bread Cones: A stand mixer will work best, but if you don’t have one, you can mix and knead the dough by hand.

For the Macaroni and Cheese: Most likely you have all the equipment you need – a small and large saucepan, a pot for boiling pasta, and a 3-quart (9×13-inch) casserole dish.

Cone Baskets: If you’re serving these baked mac and cheese cones at a party and need a cute and practical way to have them pre-assembled, you might want to get these cone baskets. You can also use them for other things like French Fries, Soft Pretzel Bites, or Doughnut Holes.

What Bread Dough to use for the Cones

You can use a store bought pizza or pastry dough to make your bread cone, but I love using my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough recipe. It bakes up sturdy enough to hold a cone shape and all that mac and cheese! But if you want a softer dough, my Parker House Rolls Recipe would be incredible too! I prefer to use bread made from scratch – I know exactly what ingredients are going into it, unlike the store bought dough that has a huge list of ingredients I can’t even pronounce.

This recipe is so easy to throw together. Mix the ingredients, let the dough rest for 20 minutes. It will puff up slightly. Then roll out, shape the cones, and bake. No need for a second rise! You can go to my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough post to see more step-by-step instructions on how to mix the dough.

This recipe calls for two batches of my pizza dough. This will make 8 large bread cones. If you only want 4 bread cones, make one batch of dough. But you’ll have lots of extra mac and cheese for seconds and thirds!

Make the Cone Molds

While the dough is resting, you can assemble your cone molds. We’re making 4 of them. Gather 4 pieces of paper (heavy paper works best), a roll of aluminum foil, and a stapler.

Starting at the bottom right corner, roll the paper into a cone shape.

Then staple it along the edge to secure it.

In a similar way, roll up the paper cone in aluminum foil, completely covering it. This will keep the dough from sticking to the paper mold, as well as keep the paper from burning in the oven.

And now you have the perfect mold to shape your bread cones! Once your dough is finished resting, it’s time move on to the next step…

How to Shape the Bread Cones

Roll one piece of the dough to a 12×18-inch rectangle. Cut 12, 1-inch strips lengthwise.

Carefully wrap one strip of dough around a cone, beginning at the pointy end. Once you have wrapped one strip of dough, begin wrapping another piece of dough where the first one left off, pinching the ends together to create a seamless appearance. Add one more strip of dough, using 3 per cone.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process until all 4 cones have been wrapped with dough. Brush dough with olive oil. This will give the bread a nice golden crust when it bakes.

Bake at 450°F for 8-10 minutes, turning each bread cone every 2-3 minutes. This will help them to get evenly browned. If you need to add additional bake time to make sure they’re golden brown, that’s okay. Each oven bakes differently.

Allow the bread cones to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the molds. Then you can repeat the same process with the second ball of dough, yielding 8 total bread cones. Of course, if you only want 4 bread cones, only make one batch of the dough – but you’ll have lots of extra mac and cheese for seconds and thirds!

Speaking of mac and cheese, while your bread cones are cooling, you can go ahead and get your macaroni and cheese going…

Ingredients for Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

• Macaroni or Cavatappi – whichever kind of pasta you prefer!
• Once cooked, add some of the bacon drippings to the pasta to help keep it from sticking and give it extra yummy bacon flavor!
• You’ll make a thick sauce with the butter and flour first, then adding warm milk to create a base for the mac and cheese.
• Cheeses – We’re using Gruyere for it’s yummy flavor and because it melts really well. We’re also using sharp cheddar, because…it’s iconic for mac and cheese and tastes delicious!
• The salt, pepper and nutmeg add flavor to the mac and cheese and enhance the flavors from the cheeses.
• The chopped bacon makes it the ultimate savory dish!

How to make this baked Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

Cook the Bacon

Cook the bacon until it’s crispy. Drain it on a paper towel. Once it’s cooled, chop it up to add to the mac and cheese later. Make sure you reserve the bacon drippings!

Make the Macaroni

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Cook it al dente – overcooking it will lead to a mushy macaroni and cheese. Once cooked and drained, add 2 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings and toss it around. This will keep the noodles from sticking and add extra yummy bacon flavor to the mac and cheese!

Make the cheese sauce

Warm the milk in a small saucepan and set it aside. In a larger saucepan, whisk together some of the butter and all of the flour. Once its smooth, add the warm milk and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheeses, salt and pepper and nutmeg and mix together until smooth, creamy and cheesy!

Put it all together

Add the cheese mixture to the cooked macaroni and stir together until incorporated. Then gently fold in the bacon. Fill a 3-quart casserole dish with the mac and cheese. Look at that cheesy, bacon goodness!

Top with breadcrumbs

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and combine it with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on top of the mac and cheese. This adds some extra buttery crunch to the top of the mac and cheese, and it’s such a yummy final addition!

Bake

Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes. The cheese should be bubbling and the top of the macaroni and cheese will be lightly golden.

This baked macaroni and cheese with bacon is SO good all on it’s own! Seriously! You’ll have a hard time not grabbing a fork and eating it straight from the casserole dish! It’s golden and a little crunchy on the top! On the bottom, the cheese and butter creates a fried cheese crust that it absolutely irresistible!!

But, hold your horses! We’ve still got those delicious bread cones to fill! After the bubbly mac and cheese has cooled for at least 10 minutes, scoop a good amount into each bread cone.

Serve them warm – it’s the ultimate comfort food and perfect for a big crowd!

Your entire crew will love these baked Disneyland Mac and Cheese Cones with bacon! Heck, it will save you a ton of money! No need to book a trip…you can enjoy this yummy Disney copycat treat, inspired by the Cozy Cone Motel, in your very own kitchen! Obviously the cones make this such a fun party food, but this bacon mac and cheese recipe is one you can definitely make anytime for a quick and easy meal! Trust me! You’ll enjoy every single bite!

Make Ahead Options

Even though this is a fairly easy recipe to make, there are several steps. If you’d like to break up the timeline and get prepared ahead of time, I have a couple of suggestions for you.

• Make the bread dough ahead of time. You can mix it and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Once you’re ready to shape the bread cones, remove the dough and let it rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before dividing and shaping. Whether you’re using my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough or Parker House Rolls Recipe, keep in mind your dough will continue to rise, even in the refrigerator. The colder temperature simply slows down the process.
• Bake the bread cones ahead of time. Cool them and store in a ziplock bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Or you can freeze them for up to two months. To defrost, take them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw at room temperature.

More fun recipes you’ll love

• Cheddar Jalapeno Stuffed Bread
• Soft Pretzels
• Apple Pie French Toast Sticks
• S’mores Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

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Disneyland Bacon Mac and Cheese Cones

These delicious, hand-held delights are the ultimate comfort food: creamy, baked macaroni and cheese with bacon stuffed in a warm, golden-brown pizza crust cone. If you can’t make it to Disneyland anytime soon, don’t worry! You can recreate this magic at home with this easy recipe.

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword bread cone, mac and cheese

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 mac and cheese cones

Calories 799kcal

Author Heather Thomas

Equipment

• stand mixer optional
• saucepan
• pasta pot
• baking sheet
• 3-quart casserole dish (9×13-inches)

Ingredients

• 2 batches my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 cups milk 2% or whole
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese grated
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
• 1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the Bread Cones

• Mix one batch of my Quick and Easy Pizza Dough and let it rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• While the dough is resting, make 4 cone forms for the dough with paper and aluminum foil. Roll an 8.5×11-inch piece of paper into a cone shape. Cover with aluminum foil to keep it from burning in the oven (see pictures in post for instructions). Set aside.
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Each piece of dough will make 4 large bread cones.
• On a floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to a 12×18-inch rectangle. Cut 12, 1-inch strips, lengthwise.
• Carefully wrap one strip of dough around a cone, beginning at the pointy end. Slightly overlap each the dough when wrapping it around the cone to ensure there are no gaps. Once you have wrapped one strip of dough, begin wrapping another piece of dough where the first one left off, pinching the ends together to create a seamless appearance. Add one more strip of dough, using 3 per cone. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process until all 4 cones have been wrapped with dough. Brush dough with olive oil.
• Bake for 8-11 minutes, turning the cones every 2-3 minutes to brown all sides.
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then carefully remove the cone forms and continue to cool the bread cones on a wire rack (see post for make ahead options).
• Repeat steps 5 through 8 with the second piece of dough.

Make the Mac and Cheese

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cook the bacon until crispy. Place on a paper towel to drain and cool. Reserve the bacon drippings and set aside. Once cooled, chop the bacon and set aside.
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 Tablespoons kosher salt to the water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
• Remove from heat. Drain pasta and return to pot. Toss pasta with 2 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Cover and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the milk. Do not bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, melt 6 Tablespoons of the butter on medium low heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the hot milk and whisk together. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes, whisking until smooth.
• Remove from heat and add the Gruyere and cheddar cheeses, the fine sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until combined. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and gently stir to combine. Fold in the chopped bacon.
• Fill a greased 3-quart casserole dish with the mac and cheese.
• In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. Combine with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese.

Bake

• Place casserole dish on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the top is slightly golden. (Cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly.) Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Assemble the Mac and Cheese Bread Cones

• Scoop the mac and cheese into each bread cone, compacting it so it fills the entire cone. Serve while warm and enjoy!

Notes

• If using active dry yeast, add the yeast to the water first and let it bloom for 10-15 minutes. If yeast does not bubble up, it needs to be replaced. If it does bubble up, you can proceed with the rest of the recipe. See my article Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast for more about baking with yeast.
• You can use store bought pizza dough instead of making homemade dough, BUT the homemade pizza dough is SO easy to make! One batch of the homemade recipe makes about 18 ounces of dough. This makes 4 cones. I suggest either doubling or making two batches of the Quick and Easy Pizza dough for 8 cones, as shown for this recipe. Most store bought doughs are around 14 ounces, so you’ll need to buy two packages. If using store-bought dough, your cones will be slightly smaller than the homemade ones. 
• Once completely cooled, keep bread cones in an airtight container until ready to use. This will keep them from drying out.

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 799kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 3269mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1107IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 681mg | Iron: 2mg