Fairy Bread

If you’re looking for a quick and easy treat that kids and adults alike will gobble up with glee, look no further than a few slices of fairy bread. It’s the perfect after-school snack or midday pick-me-up when you want to sprinkle a little sweetness and fun into your day.

The name “fairy bread” may have you envisioning some elaborate baked good decorated to the nines with mythical creatures, edible toadstools and candy moss, but in reality, the recipe is much simpler. To make fairy bread, all you’ll need is some white sandwich bread, salted butter, a bottle of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles and perhaps a touch of whimsy. Its playful appearance, simple preparation and sweet taste make it the perfect no-bake recipe for kids to make themselves.

What is fairy bread?

The fairy bread recipe hails from Australia and New Zealand. It’s made by spreading salted butter over a slice of soft white sandwich bread and coating the entire surface with a generous amount of rainbow nonpareils (which are known as “hundreds and thousands” in Australia). Fairy bread has a flavor similar to funfetti cake with the crunchy texture of Snow-Caps candies, which also feature nonpareils. Each slice is traditionally cut into triangles before serving.

While nobody knows the exact origin of fairy bread, the first published reference was in an April 1929 article from Mercury, a daily newspaper in Australia. The article referenced children at a party eating “fairy bread and butter and 100s and 1,000s.” It’s possible that the recipe was inspired by Dutch hagelslag, a similar recipe invented in 1919 that instead features chocolate sprinkles. No matter the origin, the recipe remains a popular party food for kids throughout the land Down Under today.

Fairy Bread Ingredients

Taste Recipes

• White sandwich bread: Save your crusty artisan sourdough for an ooey-gooey panini. The best Australian fairy bread is made with simple, soft sandwich bread, like this homemade country white bread recipe.
• Salted butter: Knowing when to use salted vs. unsalted butter will make all the difference in baking recipes. While unsalted butter is great for baking, salted butter is best for fairy bread. The extra salt helps balance the sweetness of the sprinkles so the fairy bread doesn’t taste too sweet.
• Rainbow nonpareils: These technicolor dots of sweetness make any recipe fun (we submit other rainbow sprinkles recipes as evidence). For this fairy bread recipe, don’t be shy—you’ll need at least 1 full tablespoon of nonpareils to coat the surface of a slice of bread.

Directions

Step 1: Butter the bread

Spread 1/2 tablespoon of room-temperature butter over each slice of bread, leaving a thin border around the edges.

Step 2: Add sprinkles

Place one slice of bread, butter-side up, onto a cutting board. Then, carefully spoon 1 tablespoon of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles over the surface to completely cover the butter. Use the back of the spoon (or clean fingers) to gently press the sprinkles into the butter so they adhere. Repeat with the remaining bread slices.

Editor’s Tip: You can live recklessly and dose the bread with sprinkles on a cutting board if you dare. In our experience, however, rainbow nonpareil sprinkles tend to roll and go everywhere, so use a rimmed dish or sheet pan that will act as an insurance policy to make cleanup a breeze.

Step 3: Cut into triangles

Taste Recipes

Cut each slice of fairy bread diagonally from the top two corners to create four small triangles. Serve and enjoy.

Taste Recipes

Fairy Bread Variations

• Unsalted butter: If you don’t keep salted butter stocked in your kitchen, you can make fairy bread with your go-to unsalted butter brand. Just sprinkle the buttered bread with a small pinch or two of salt before adding the sprinkles.
• Chocolate sprinkles: You can make the Dutch version of fairy bread by swapping in high-quality chocolate sprinkles for the rainbow nonpareils. After trying chocolate fairy bread, don’t be afraid to try other types of sprinkles and edible cake decorations.
• Fun shapes: While fairy bread in Australia is typically cut into triangles, this recipe offers a great opportunity to repurpose cookie cutters too. Try hearts, stars, butterflies or even dinosaurs for kids.

How to Store Fairy Bread

For the best taste, fairy bread is best eaten as soon as it is made or shortly after.

Can you make fairy bread ahead of time?

If you are planning to make fairy bread for a party, you can prepare it several hours ahead. Simply arrange the slices on a plate and wrap them tightly in storage wrap until you’re ready to serve. If your house is warm, we suggest keeping the fairy bread refrigerated so the butter stays firm and the sprinkles remain securely adhered to the bread’s surface.

Fairy Bread Tips

Taste Recipes

Should fairy bread have a crust?

If you search for fairy bread online, you’ll see images and recipe versions for how to make fairy bread with and without crusts. While the traditional Australian fairy bread recipe leaves the crust intact, you can remove it if you like. It’s a matter of personal preference. Just keep in mind that the sprinkles may roll off more easily if you remove the crusts.

What else can you serve with fairy bread?

If you have a child’s birthday party coming up, fairy bread should definitely be on the menu. Serve it alongside a few other colorful recipes and desserts with sprinkles, such as rainbow strawberries, frozen banana cereal pops and a rainbow snack platter. Wash it all down with a pitcher of one of our punch recipes for kids and you’ll have a house full of happy tummies ready to celebrate.