Updated

Your cake is in the oven and the buttercream frosting is chilling in the fridge. Now, all of you have to worry about is finding those bottles of sprinkles you bought ages ago… or do you?

Baking is a process that we all take pride in because it’s a labor of love. From sifting the flour to beating in one egg at a time, the patience and diligence it takes to put together a cake, cupcake, cookie, or pie, makes the end result that much better.

Because we’re always proponents for things you can do in the comfort of your own kitchen, we say that you shouldn’t just stop at the batter and the frosting when you’re baking, because you can make sprinkles at home, too. With just a few simple ingredients from your pantry and a knack for mixing and matching food coloring, you can have jimmies, dots, or even hearts on hand for decorating. With all of that love and care baking away in the oven, why use store-bought sprinkles to give it some color?

The Batter
It all starts with the batter, which is made of ingredients that you probably have sitting in your kitchen at this very moment. To make our batter, we used cornstarch, sugar, vanilla extract, and milk to create a thick but spreadable frosting-like consistency.

Food Coloring
Once you have the batter for your sprinkles, the possibilities are endless in terms of colors. Just mix and match food coloring to get the spectrum you desire.

Pastry Tools
There is one piece of equipment that you might need to head to the store for, and that’s a pastry bag and tip. To make sprinkles, the best pastry tip to use is one with a 1/16-inch opening. This will allow you draw any sprinkle design you had in mind.

Quins
For quins, we piped out tiny little dots onto the parchment paper. The best part about making your own sprinkles is that each quins will be different and unique.

See the complete instructions on how to make your own sprinkles at The Daily Meal

More from The Daily Meal

The Gorgeous Guide to Sprinkles

How to Make an Auntie Anne's Pretzels at Home

10 Immune-Boosting Foods

The Ultimate Guide to Kale