These Birthday Cake Muffins are pure FUN! Our recipe creates a light and fluffy muffin with plenty of rainbow sprinkles to win over your kids. They make the perfect breakfast, snack or lunch box treat.
Whether you looking for a fun birthday breakfast, easy-to-make snack, or healthier version of the infamous Entenmann’s Little Bites Party Cake Muffins, look no further!
These Birthday Cake Muffins fit the bill, and we love that they’re made with simple ingredients (no high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors here) – most of which you will already have in your pantry.
At the sight of those rainbow sprinkles, your kids will come running! Little do they know that the main sweetener is actually applesauce!
It’s the perfect recipe for allergy-prone toddlers and kids because it’s egg free, nut free, dairy free and vegan, and can easily be made gluten-free as well, simply by swapping out the flour for a gluten-free variety.
Birthday Cake Muffins are quick and easy to whip up for every day eating, or as a special birthday breakfast. But trust us, these will go fast, so making a double batch is highly recommended!
PIN for when you want to make delicious Birthday Cake Muffins:
What You’ll Need
To make these delicious Birthday Cake Muffins, you’ll need the following ingredients (scroll to the bottom for all the specific measurements on the recipe card):
- All-Purpose Flour (you can substitute for Gluten-Free All-Purpose flour if you’d like to make these gluten free. We don’t recommend substituting almond flour or coconut flour for this recipe)
- Applesauce (for best results, we recommend using smooth applesauce, not chunky)
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Refined Coconut Oil
- Almond Extract (you can substitute pure Vanilla Extract here)
- Salt
- Cane Sugar
- Rainbow Sprinkles (we recommend using dye-free)
How to Make Birthday Cake Muffins – Step By Step Instructions
First, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda) in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Mixing these together helps evenly distribute the baking powder and baking soda and will result in fluffier muffins.
Next, in a large mixing bowl combine the wet ingredients (applesauce, coconut oil, cane sugar and almond extract).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until well incorporated but not over-mixed.
Add the rainbow sprinkles to the muffin batter and carefully stir a few times. The less stirring, the less likely your sprinkle colors are to run in the batter.
Add muffin liners to a muffin pan and spray with coconut or avocado oil spray. Scoop out the batter into the muffin liners until they’re 2/3rds full.
Top each muffin with additional sprinkles.
Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. Turn down heat to 350F and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes, depending on your muffin size (see below).
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes:
This recipe makes 6 large muffins, 9 standard size muffins or 12 mini muffins. For the large muffins, bake for an additional 20 minutes, for medium muffins bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, for mini muffins, bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Because oven temperatures vary, it’s always best to check your muffins a few minutes ahead of their slated end time. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the muffin and if it comes out clean (crumbs instead of gooey mixture), they are done and should be removed from the oven.
How to Store Your Birthday Cake Muffins
Once your muffins have fully cooled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They also freeze really well – simply place them in a plastic freezer bag (remove as much air as possible) and store for up to 3 months.
Enjoy these delicious party cake muffins with a tall glass of cold milk, or pop into your child’s lunchbox for a special school surprise. And of course, there is no better birthday breakfast!
Birthday Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup applesauce
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil melted
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 3-4 tbsp rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda) in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the wet ingredients (applesauce, coconut oil, cane sugar and almond extract)
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until well incorporated but not over-mixed.
- Add the rainbow sprinkles and carefully stir a few times. The less stirring, the less likely your sprinkle colors are to run in the batter.
- Add muffin liners to a muffin tin and spray with coconut oil spray.
- Top with additional sprinkles.
- Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. Turn down heat to 350F and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes, depending on your muffin size (see below).
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Thank you, thank you for this recipe!! I printed it out and plan to use it many times! My boys LOVE anything with rainbow sprinkles and I know they will love these!