15 Birthday Cake Recipes That are Actually Healthy
Updated on March 13, 2023
Do you have a birthday coming up that you’re hoping to celebrate with cake as usual, but you’re actually in the midst of trying to be a little more calorie conscious than usual right now? Perhaps you’re actually hoping to make a cake as a surprise for someone you love but you know they have a few dietary restrictions that you want to respect. Either way, we have a feeling that you’ll benefit just as much as we did from a good, thorough Internet scour to find some birthday cake recipes that are just as delicious as ever but also a little healthier than usual!
Here are of of the very best ideas, flavour tutorials, and recipes we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration and guidance.
1. Sugar free carrot and date cake
We know that the description of a birthday cake as being “sugar free” might not sound overly appealing, but we promise you this one is still just as pleasantly sweet and taste as nearly any other cake we’ve had before! Take a better look at the recipe and tutorial on Things for Boys to see how this sugar free carrot and date cake was outlined nice and easily, with a full ingredients list.
2. Blueberry ombre cake
You might have made the commitment to be pretty careful with the ingredients that you’re putting into your cake this year, but that does not mean you can’t still make the cake look just as lovely as ever for when you serve it! We’re completely in love with this blueberry ombre cake from Lemons for Days, for example, thats full of amazing berry flavour and iced in a pretty blue gradient downward.
3. Berry, milk thistle, and rose hip healthy birthday cake
If you’re going to serve your friends a piece of cake that (besides “delicious”, of course) can only be described as healthy, then would you absolutely prefer to make it as close to a gourmet dish as possible, just to make sure they’re still impressed enough to give it a try and see how great it is? In that case, we think you’ll simply adore this recipe from Siberian Cedarland that teaches you how to make a berry, milk thistle, and rose hip birthday cake that’s full of flavour!
4. Spiced hummus cake with vanilla yogurt frosting
If you’ve ever been a fan of cakes that taste nearly savoury in the sponge and then sweet in the glaze or frosting, the way some coffee cakes do, then we really think you’re going to love the way Amy’s Healthy Baking made this spiced hummus cake that is topped and centred with smoothly sweet vanilla yogurt frosting! Yes, this recipe is actually made wth hummus; we tried it out in real life and we’re pleased to report that it’s absolutely mouthwatering.
5. Vegan healthy birthday cake smoothie
So long as you’re already planning on swapping up the ingredients of your birthday cake, why not get a little more creative with the whole concept of how you’ll serve it all together? We actually really did make ourselves these scrumptious and shockingly healthy vegan birthday cake smoothies for our own birthdays this year and they were so good that we immediately made a second batch once our fiends had finished the first. The best part was that no one felt guilty about it! See how they’re done in more detail on Eating by Elaine.
6. Chocolate zucchini cake
Perhaps your kids are actually slightly picky eaters and you’re looking for a very subtle way indeed of swapping out a few ingredients in their favourite cake for something healthier without them noticing in the taste or texture? Well, this chocolate zucchini cake from Ela Vegan is so darn good that we’d be willing to bet they won’t taste a single thing different.
7. Banana chocolate chunk cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting
For you, does the idea of making yourself a healthier birthday cake than usual really just equate to involving more fruit, since you’re a total fruit lover even when you’re not counting calories? In that case, we have a sneaking suspicion that this healthy banana chocolate chunk cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting outlined step by delicious step on Happy Healthy Mama will be right up your alley!
8. Whole wheat vanilla birthday cake
If your child’s favourite kind of birthday cake is actually already a nice and simple vanilla sponge cake, then we have great news for you! This recipe from Little Bits Of is here to show you how to make a whole wheat version of that precise thing that, despite being better for your body, doesn’t taste any different, even to a child’s trained sugary tastebuds.
9. Fresh and fruity watermelon cake
If you’re going to go out of your way to make a healthy birthday cake, would you much prefer to go all the way and skip the baking all together? Well, just because you’re not preparing a cake in the classic sense doesn’t mean you can’t still go through the fun birthday traditions of cutting and serving! The intense fruit lovers out there should definitely take a look at how Go Dairy Free made this hilariously deceiving but totally irresistible fruit, nut, and frosting covered watermelon cake.
10. Healthy cookie cake
Like us, are you the kind of baking enthusiasts who adore making combination recipes, where two desserts meet in one fish to give those who eat it the best of both worlds? Then we’re sure you’re already familiar with just how fantastic cookie cake is, but it’s not always the healthiest option out there. That’s why we were so pleased to come across this lovely tasting and much healthier version of a cookie cake featured on Southern In Law.
11. Healthy birthday cake energy bites
If you’ve never tried making homemade no-bake energy bites that are filled with all kinds of nutritional things that give you natural energy then we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve really been missing out! Now, we know that these might not sound like much of a treat when we describe them that way, but this birthday cake version of the recipe we love so much is actually one of the most delicious party snacks we’ve tried in a long while. See how quickly and easily they can be made on Chelsey Amer!
12. Healthy cake batter dip
Just in case we really caught your attention when we started talking about swapping up the way your birthday treat is served all together but milkshakes have never really been your thing, here’s another alternative for your consideration! We love the way 40 Aprons walks you step by step through the process of making this shockingly healthy cake batter dip that tastes great on graham crackers or even just a spoon.
13. Blueberry and chia seed cashew cake
Did we actually really catch your attention when we started talking about the idea of making a healthy blueberry cake because that’s your favourite flavour but the previous recipe we showed you just wasn’t quite as dense as you like your cake to be? In that case, we have a strong feeling this refreshing blueberry and chia seed cashew cake from Tagarella might be right up your alley!
14. Healthy orange and almond cake
Are you actually a huge citrus lover who has been scrolling through our list and hoping to find something healthy and fruity along the lines of your favourites? Well, we’re pleased to tell you that your patience has paid off! Take a better look at the tutorial and recipe on Nutrition by Gina Rose to see how this orange and almond birthday cake was made in surprisingly few simple steps.
15. Healthy birthday mug cake
Perhaps it’s actually not your birthday and you’re just the kind of snack lover who adores the taste of birthday cake so darn much that you frequently have to resist the urge to make yourself an individual sized mug cake after work and eat the entire thing? Well, if it’s actually this healthier version of a birthday mug cake from The Diet Chef that you’re whipping up, you might not feel so bad about indulging the craving every now and then!
Do you have another favourite healthy birthday cake recipe that’s always a big hit in your house but that you don’t see on our list? Tell us all about it or link us to the recipe so we can try it out too!