Because ya girl can’t resist a good themed week, a couple years back we had our very first #AKBdayCakeWeek! I kicked it off with a birthday cake bread that just so happened to give me the idea to start the whole themed week because it was just SO DANG GOOD.
This recipe was originally part of an IG partnership with my friends over at siggi’s — it was so popular that I decided it deserved a forever home on Ambitious Kitchen. This gorgeous, healthy birthday cake bread tastes just like a slice of birthday cake, plus it’s nutritious, grain free, gluten free and easily dairy free too! Time to get your sprinkle on.
Ingredients in healthy birthday cake bread
I get tons of requests for breads and loaves that don’t have banana, so if bananas aren’t your jam then this gluten free birthday cake bread is for you! There are also easy swaps to keep it dairy free. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Vanilla greek yogurt: I love making this healthy birthday cake bread with siggis vanilla & cinnamon plant-based cups, but feel free to sub any type of vanilla greek yogurt. The vanilla flavor makes it extra special.
- Eggs: you’ll just need two eggs so that this birthday cake loaf bakes up well.
- Pure maple syrup: we’re only sweetening with a bit of pure maple syrup.
- Vanilla & almond extracts: the combo of vanilla and almond extract is truly what give it that cake batter flavor.
- Gluten free oat flour: if you’re not gluten free you can feel free to use a regular oat flour, too. See below for how to make your own from gluten free rolled oats!
- Almond flour: be sure to use a blanched, fine almond flour to give this bread the right texture. Don’t forget to pack your almond flour.
- Sprinkles: feel free to use any sprinkles you like! I like using this all natural brand.
- Baking soda & salt: for proper baking and a little flavor boost.
Can I use a different flour?
Unfortunately, no, I cannot recommend a flour substitute for this birthday cake bread. Please stick to the recipe so that the bread bakes up perfectly!
How to make your own gluten free oat flour
You can easily make your own gluten free oat flour by simply placing gluten free oats into a blender and blending or pulsing until they’re smooth and resemble flour. This is a super easy & affordable option. Check out my tutorial with all of my best tips & tricks. Be sure to measure out 1 cup of your oat flour after making it!
What makes this birthday cake bread healthy?
If you grew up on the funfetti box cake you know how nostalgic and amazing that flavor is. I wanted to replicate that exact flavor with some better-for-you ingredients instead of the traditional butter, oil and sugar that comes with traditional birthday cake. This bread just so happens to be:
- Oil free. There’s no oil in this healthy birthday cake bread! It’s deliciously moist from the protein-packed greek yogurt.
- Naturally sweetened. Thanks to just pure maple syrup instead of a cup of white sugar.
- Gluten free & easily dairy free. By using almond flour and oat flour, and is easily dairy free using your favorite dairy free yogurt.
- Packed with healthy fats & protein. There are plenty of healthy fats from the almond flour, and even a boost of protein from the yogurt and eggs.
This easy birthday cake bread recipe tastes like the real deal but is healthy enough for breakfast or a snack!
How to make gluten free birthday cake bread
- Prep your pan. Start by lining a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mis the yogurt, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract until they’re nice and smooth.
- Add dry ingredients. Stir in the flours, sprinkles, baking soda & salt with a wooden spoon until the batter is well combined.
- Bake it up. Pour the mixture into your pan, top with some more sprinkles, and bake it up!
- Cool & devour. Let the bread cool completely before cutting into it, then enjoy a slice warm with butter or vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
Don’t forget these tips for baking quick bread
- Follow the recipe. The best way to ensure the success of this birthday cake bread is to follow the recipe and use the exact ingredients as written (unless I note specific substitutes).
- Pack your almond flour. Be sure to pack your almond flour as you would with brown sugar. Do not pack your oat flour.
- Use fresh baking soda. If your baking soda is older than 3 months, I suggest grabbing a new one for best baking results.
- Line your loaf pan. I recommend lining your loaf pan with parchment paper AND spraying it with nonstick cooking spray so that your bread comes out easily.
Storing & freezing tips:
- To store: this healthy birthday cake bread should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, then I recommend transferring to the fridge or freezer.
- To freeze: simply wrap in plastic, then tightly in foil and finally place in a reusable bag or freezer friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature once you are ready to eat. You can also feel free to freeze individual slices for a quick on-the-go treat.
More birthday cake themed recipes
- Grain Free Birthday Cake Cookies
- Birthday Cake Rice Krispie Treats
- Birthday Cake Cookie Dough Energy Bites
- Healthy Birthday Cake
Get all of my bread recipes here!
If you make this healthy birthday cake bread recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Birthday Cake Bread
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients
- 1 (5.3 oz) container siggis vanilla & cinnamon plant-based cups (or sub about 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt)
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Dry ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free oat flour
- 1 cup packed blanched fine almond flour (no subs sorry)
- ¼ cup sprinkles
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For topping
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the following ingredients until well combined: yogurt, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl: oat flour, almond flour, sprinkles, baking soda and salt; mixing with a wooden spoon until well combined. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle 2 tablespoons sprinkles on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack. Allow bread to cool for at least 15 min before cutting into. Enjoy a slice warm with butter or vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup if desired. Serves 8.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on September 15th, 2020, republished on August 28th, 2022, and republished on September 25th, 2023.
140 comments
I made this recipe from instagram and it is perfect! The texture, flavor, and look is A+. I think it would even be perfect for an easy birthday sheet cake— just add icing. I made a loaf as suggested and for my oven, I did have to shield it towards the end because it began to brown on the outside before the middle was done, so maybe keep an eye out. A piece of tinfoil over the top did the trick! I also used a container of so delicious dairy free vanilla yogurt because that’s what my store had and it worked great!
Perfect! So happy you loved it!
I VERY much appreciate the “(no subs sorry)” note next to almond flour!
Cant wait to make this!
I’m glad! Just trying to keep it straight forward 🙂 hope you love it!
Love this idea!!! Where did you get the sprinkles? I am assuming they are not artificially colored.
Thanks for the help, Kristen
Check out the blog post for links to a couple of brands! Enjoy 🙂
Hi! I’m not seeing the non dairy substitution – what would you recommend in place of the Greek yogurt?
Hi! You can just use your favorite dairy free yogurt.
Just made this loaf to have in the house for snacks, as my entire family is working from home. It turned out absolutely perfect. The texture was fluffy and moist and the flavour really did taste just like cake mix. The sprinkles on top added a pop of colour and great texture. I didn’t have the Siggis plant based yogurt, and subbed in vanilla oat milk yogurt from another brand and it worked great.
Will be making this again for sure!
Can I sub vanilla nut milk for the stiggs yogurt? I don’t have any yogurt on hand! Thanks 🙂
I haven’t tried it, but if you give it a shot, let me know how it turns out! I probably wouldn’t do a 1:1 sub. Maybe reduce the milk to 1/4 cup.
Amazingly easy and so moist, fluffy, and delicious! I used only a few drops of almond extract instead of 1t, and I used vanilla almond milk yogurt instead of the Siggis. Note that I used 2/3 cup (which = 5.3g) not 1/3 cup as the recipe states! I think it might be a typo.
So glad you enjoyed! And it is 5.3 ounces not 5.3g so 1/3 cup is accurate.
How much yogurt should I use though? Since 5.3 oz is 150.8 g, which would be 2/3 cup.
so sorry, you can use 1/2 cup and that should be fine! thank you for the catch. 2/3 cup will also work.
Delicious easy fun recipe. Just hate that you use the word healthy to name a lot of your recipes
Glad you liked it! And thank you for the feedback 🙂
So good! I will be making this again for sure. It tastes just like cake but left me feeling energized instead of sluggish.
Absolutely! A great snack or healthy treat 🙂
I’ve been excited about this recipe ever since you posted it on Instagram, so I’m happy it’s finally easily accessible on your website! I’ve made it twice now and it was excellent both times. Such a great alternative to overly sweet birthday treats. Any tips on adjusting it for muffins?
So happy you’ve been loving it! For muffins I think you maybe could get 10 muffins out of this! Same temp, but I would check them around 18 minutes.
Delicious! I made a loaf for breakfasts this week, and it’s like I get to eat cake for breakfast! And not feel guilty cause I know it’s healthy! Seriously so delicious, and it reheated perfectly in the microwave.
Oh, I did not have gluten free oats, so I just used regular oats and grinded them down to flour form in a food processor. Worked perfectly!
Love it! So glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is so easy and the cake is DELICIOUS. I often forego GF cake recipes because they don’t measure up to my memories of gluten-full cakes. This cake has such a nice crumb and is a great balance between decadent and healthy. And it’s fun!!
I made the recipe as instructed with no substitutions or other changes.
So happy you gave this one a try! Truly the perfect birthday cake bread 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
My kids and I made these and they are perfect! They were excited to have a “cupcake”. We made into muffins (took about 16-18 min) and had to use plain greek yogurt and I also couldn’t find my almond extract. Still awesome!
So happy to hear that! Perfect treat 🙂
Fantastic! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Absolutely delicious. I also love that it’s got a good amount of protein from the eggs and yogurt. The loaf didn’t last 24 hours, and the main consumer isn’t a fan of gluten free treats, so that says a lot 🙂
Absolutely! Great for a protein-packed snack or dessert 🙂 glad this was a hit!
This recipe is my guilty pleasure! My son and I made this for my husband’s birthday. I honestly just made it as my son loves sprinkles. Well… it tastes soooo good. It is moist, and I love the almond flavor. We made two so I froze one and it defrosts well. This is going to be my special birthday go-to for a special birthday breakfast.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Oh my gosh, this was amazing. I actually ended up using regular flour instead of the oat flour (still used almond flour) and it turned out great, although I plan to make again when I have oats. I ate the whole loaf in three days, refused to share with my husband. It’s like cake, but better for you.
I’m glad it still worked out! Such a great snack or treat 🙂
This. Bread. Is. Everything. SO good and moist. We don’t get the vanilla & cinnamon Siggi’s in Canada, so I’ve subbed with vanilla skyr and added half a teaspoon of cinnamon and it is 👌👌👌. My kids LOVE this. SO good.
Perfect! So happy it’s a hit!
This is the BEST bread I have ever had. Once I start I seriously CANNOT stop. I didn’t have almond flour on hand so I bought some especially for this recipe and it was so worth it. I’ve made it three times in the last month. So good.
Honestly it’s almost hard to give a review without salivating over this recipe. I’ve made this a few times and every time, the bread maybe lasts 2 days–IT’S THAT GOOD. The list of ingredients is simple, wholesome and has just the right amount of sweetness. I used regular greek vanilla yogurt because it was what I had on hand and it was fantastic. One of my favorite recipes ever!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
I loved this! Super easy to make! I couldn’t find the exact siggi’s yogurt so I found another cashew vanilla yogurt alternative, and it worked out perfectly. It’s not overly sweet which is nice. I like to cut a slice and grill it with some butter in a pan – delicious!
Perfect! The grilling sounds amazing!
My 5 year old daughter and I made this for our “girls” night. The recipe is super simple, and the sprinkles made it so fun for us both! Super delicious!
Aw love that! Perfect recipe and activity 🙂
Wonderful easy and delicious recipe. I followed exaxtly and used vanilla cashew milk yogurt. Perfect amount of sweetness and great texture and flavor. My only complaint is that I purchased the linked sprinkles and they dissolved while baking so I couldn’t see the pretty colors when cutting into it, but the ones on top held up well.
Glad you enjoyed! Hmmm they should stay in there pretty well – maybe try a different color scheme from the brand?
Perfect birthday breakfast! I made the bread into muffins (baked for 17 min, ~1/4 cup of batter in each of 10 cupcake papers). The only thing I’d change the next time I make this recipe is reduce the almond extract, the taste of it was a little strong. If I hadn’t baked them myself I’d have no idea they were “healthy.” Thank you!
Absolutely! And yes, feel free to reduce that a bit.
This was so easy to make and it’s absolutely delicious! It’s not overly sweet and I’m digging the sprinkle coating on top of an extra little crunch. I’ll be making this again for sure!
Absolutely! Glad you love it!
Ive made a double batch of these loaves twice. I don’t stop eating it until its gone! I will stick to birthdays only to make this. Love it.
Seriously so delish!!
I love this healthy alternative! It tastes just like cake and my kiddos love it in the mornings!
I made this for my partner’s birthday and it was delicious! I have since added a cup of thawed and dried blueberries and no sprinkles and now it is our weekend breakfast treat. Every weekend 😊
Hi! If you don’t mind, do you mean frozen blueberries thawed and then dried, like with a paper towel? Or dehydrated blueberries? Thank you!
I believe she means frozen blueberries that she thawed and dried to remove extra juices!
I made this for the 5th or 6th time today. It just doesn’t get old! The flavors are beautiful and delicious, and it’s an easy recipe to follow. Win-win! Thank you for this go-to recipe, Monique!
Absolutely delicious! The texture is perfection! We’ve even had some for desert with a little ice cream and whipped cream. YUM!
great gluten free, dairy free cake option!! It held it’s shape, moisture and the sprinkles are just too fun!!!
Absolutely! Glad you loved it!
Easy, yummy, and a must make again!! I did use the Siggis vanilla and cinnamon yogurt and made my own oat flour. I loved it (and so did my picky eater husband)!
Perfect! So happy to hear that.
I veganized this with flax eggs and dairy free yogurt and it turned out beautifully! My coworkers gobbled it up.
Perfect! So glad it was a hit.
Made this last night & it turned out great flavor-wise, however my bread didn’t end up rising much (probably only about 2 inches). Do you know any reasons this couldve happened? The only sub I made was using 1/2 cup of Chobani vanilla yogurt instead of the Siggi’s. Thanks!
The bread doesn’t rise overly so because it’s gluten free, however, it is important to use a smaller loaf pan. If you use a 9×5 the bread will barely rise. A 8×4 inch loaf pan is much better 🙂
Best guilt-free treat EVER! Love that no bananas are needed + no refined sugar. A MUST TRY!
Absolutely! Glad you loved this one!
This bread looks delicious!! Is there any sub I can make for the sprinkles as I don’t have any right now?
It is! Feel free to just leave them out this time around 🙂
This was delicious! I had to use all purpose flour instead of oat flour and 3t vanilla because I was out of almond extract, but it turned out great. My kids loved it, too. Next time I’ll try it with oat flour and almond.
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great snack or treat 🙂
Love this recipe! I was looking for a gluten free cake bread and this is perfect! Delicious and it takes very little time to prepare!
So glad you loved it!
This is so good!! I used dairy free yogurt and flax eggs.
Perfect! Glad you loved it!
It tastes exactly like a vanilla cake :]
The best!!
Can you make this in a muffin version? Any recommendations for an icing topping that would work well?
You definitely could, yes, and that would be amazing! I’d recommend the vanilla buttercream recipe from these Birthday Cake Cookies!
Hi Monique!
Can i use agave or honey instead of maple syrup for this bread?
Hi, Serena! I haven’t tried it, but it might be a little too sweet. Up to you if you want to try it 🙂
Thank you for your quick reply Monique!! I don’t like too sweet cakes so I’ll better wait until I buy maple syrup then. I was just so curious that I wanted to try it right away xD
Haha I promise it’ll be worth the wait! 🙂
Can this be made vegan with flax egg or apple sauce instead of the eggs?
Hi, Karen! I haven’t personally tested flax eggs in here but I think they should work fine! Let me know if you try that 🙂
I never write reviews but this bread is so good and healthy!! I make it every week; sometimes twice a week because its a snack i know my kids will always eat. Thank you!
Aw thank you SO much for leaving a review, it means a lot! So glad to hear your fam loves this one 🙂
I’ve made this recipe multiple times now. It comes together so quickly and easily and it’s so delicious. I love the nutritional profile. It’s been perfect for postpartum. The first time I made it, I over baked it. It was still good, but it was way better cooked to the right time. Be sure to keep an eye on it. Mine tends to bake at different times each time I make it. I’ve used plain Greek yogurt and Oikos triple zero vanilla Greek yogurt. Both were good.
Love this bread so much! It’s a favorite
Will any plant based yogurt work? I have to avoid those with pea protein.
Yes, I believe so! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Made this to add a special treat to the first week of school lunches. Made a few modifications and it turned out great. I made two small
Loaves so the slices would fit in my kids bento boxes, 1/4 maple sugar, the vanilla yogurt we had on hand, 1 teaspoon cake batter extract and only one egg. Thanks for the inspiration.
Such a great school snack!! SO happy you’re loving it 🙂
This looks good but I really don’t like almond extract. Still worth making without?
Hi! Yes it’ll still be great without the almond extract 🙂
So good! Just enough sweetness. Makes for a great snack for the kids and mom 😊
Love this one for a fun treat or snack!
Made this today and we all loved it! Will definitely be making it again.
YAY! Happy to hear it came out great 😊
Difficult to find GF sprinkles!
I’m going to make this this weekend and can’t find vanilla Greek yogurt. Just vanilla whole Milk yogurt or plain Greek yogurt. Should I do plain Greek and add more Vanilla extract?
Thanks!
I would recommend plain greek yogurt and maybe add in a bit more vanilla extract! Lmk how it turns out 🙂
When it calls for gluten free oat flour, can I make this by putting oats into a food processor? I think I saw this on another recipe but now I can’t find it. Thank you!
Absolutely!
This was so good! Been wanting to make it and made this morning for my son’s 3rd birthday! Quick and easy to make and so good. I typically enjoy many of your dessert recipes and “healthier” food & dessert options but finding ones that the whole family and my kids enjoy can be tough – this one was a hit with everyone! Highly recommend
AH this is so great, Gina. Glad to hear this recipe was a hit for everyone, happy birthday to your son! 😀
Made recipe as is (except I ran out of sprinkles for the top) & it was delicious. Even non gluten free people loved it. Nice healthy treat
Aw yay! I am so glad this recipe turns out amazing for you 🙂
Hi love this recipe but I need to make it dairy free now. Could I sub coconut oil for the butter?
Hi Stephanie – This recipe calls for coconut oil, butter is an option, but coconut oil is in the original recipe.
my son is allergic to almonds. what flour can I use instead?
Unfortunately I don’t recommend subbing flours in this recipe. So sorry!
We just tried this tonight (my three-year-old LOVES all things sprinkles) and it was a hit! The only modifications we made were plain wheat flour instead of oat flour and plain greek yogurt instead of flavoured. It was still absolutely delicious and plenty sweet! Love the almond flavour. Will definitely make it again.
Ah yay! This is so great to hear, glad this bread is a hit for everyone and it turned out amazing for you!
DELICIOUS!!!
Looking forward to making this for my grandchildren! Could I use a Bundt pan for this?
I’d suggest using this cake recipe with a bundt pan instead, as this bread is much smaller!
I’m curious to know if anyone has tried it with just almond flour (no oat flour)? Or another substitute for the oat flour – coconut flour, tapioca, etc.? Thanks!
So yummy! I made this with my 2 year old. I subbed Forager cashew yogurt & flax eggs. Turned out great!
Perfect! Such a great treat 🙂
This sounds perfect! Do you think these would work as muffins/cupcakes? My 3 year old is very insistent on cupcakes for his bday 😊
Hi! For muffins/cupcakes I think you maybe could get 10 muffins out of this! Same temp, but I would check them around 18 minutes.
Love this birthday bread recipe so much. I used it for my son’s first birthday cake. It’s not super sweet but tastes just like a funfetti cake. With having nutritious ingredients like almond flour and oat flour.I’ve also made them into mini muffins for an easy breakfast for my son.
Amazing!!
Can this be baked in a round 8×8?
Yes, that should work!
This turned out to be a hit, especially with my kids. I packed it in their school lunchboxes and it held up well. Plus I didn’t feel bad letting them it the whole thing in one day since it’s loaded with nutritious ingredients (besides the sprinkles which I reduced by half) Will be making it again.
Such a great snack or treat!
Looks wonderful and festive! Can this be made in a cupcake pan? My son’s school has a no sugar policy but I think I can get away with going light on the sprinkles and sending these as cupcakes for his birthday.
Hi! For muffins/cupcakes I think you maybe could get 10 muffins out of this! Same temp, but I would check them around 18 minutes.
Do you think I could use plain Greek yogurt and add vanilla protein powder to flavor it? Or extract?Thanks!
Plain greek yogurt should be just fine! I think the 2 teaspoons of vanilla listed in the recipe should be plenty, but feel free to add another little dash if you’d like 🙂
My family looooves this bread!! My incredibly picky eater even eats this. Thank you so much! Any tips on adding some veggies to it? Do you think shredded carrots or zuchini would work/how to alter for that?
So happy to hear that! Hmmm I haven’t tested this out with shredded veggies, so I’m not sure how it will bake up. If you try it just be sure to squeeze the veggies out fully and reduce some of the liquid (like the yogurt) in the recipe as the veggies will add moisture.
My family (including 2 picky toddlers) love this bread! I have added a tablespoon of chia seeds as well for extra nutrients. I am curious, if I wanted to add grated carrots or zuchini how would that impact it? Any tips for sneaking some veggies? Thanks for such a great recipe!!
Amazing! Love the idea of adding chia seeds. I haven’t tested this bread using shredded veggies, so I’m not 100% sure how it’ll change the ratios as it will add additional moisture. Check out these zucchini bread recipes, and my favorite carrot cake banana bread for some other ideas!
This recipe had been on my list to make for a while and so glad I did! I used plain Greek yoghurt and almond meal (it said no subs but almond flour doesn’t really exist where I live) and made 10x muffins. My 3yo loves them! We just put extra sprinkles straight on top before baking rather than doing the frosting, which was good bc the sprinkles in the batter kind of disappear.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Hi Monique
This looks amazing, my baby girl’s 3rd birthday is coming up. I guess this recipe also would work as for muffins, right?
Thank you and all the best to you and your family.
Gabriella
Hi! Yes, this should work as muffins/cupcakes as well!