A kid's birthday party can be a fun and festive affair without becoming a sugar and processed food disaster.
This photo above was taken at my son's fifth birthday party. As you can hopefully tell, it's Star Wars themed, and as you can clearly see, I made that cake myself. A little secret – I suck at baking. It's a miracle that there's a cake sitting on that plate and I'm not crying in the corner.
So rather than share my comical errors of cake chemistry, I've rounded up some of my favorite cakes, grain-free pizza crusts, and birthday treats to make your next celebration a healthy (and much more picture perfect) success.
Grain-Free Birthday Cake Recipes
Yep, I'm starting with dessert first. That's just how I roll.
After all, the cake is the center piece of a birthday, aside from the birthday boy or girl, right? Between white flour, powdered sugar, margarine frostings, and chemical food coloring, a standard birthday cake is more of a poison bomb than a celebratory dish. But if you make a wish, you will find that there are plenty of wonderful alternatives out there. Whether you are grain-free, dairy-free, or just looking for wholesome ingredients, these birthday treats will fit the bill.
Into the cupcake craze but trying to avoid a cupcake hangover? Check out these grain-free chocolate and vanilla cupcakes from Butter Believer, pictured here with a raspberry frosting ‘oops' that looks pretty darn delicious. A great reminder than homemade birthday treats don't have to be perfect to be perfect!
This Carrot Cake from Mommypotamus is festive comfort food, a grain-free birthday cake spin on her mom's old-school recipe. Who needs rainbow sprinkles when you have pouffy carrot tendrils?
Looking for a classic grain free birthday cake? Coconut flour cakes (make with lots of eggs from pastured hens) are both nutrient-dense and delicious. Pictured here is an amazing coconut flour cake with coconut frosting from Nourished Kitchen.
And a tempting yellow coconut cake with chocolate buttercream frosting from Our Nourishing Roots made with such wholesome ingredients, I'd serve them for breakfast – but perfect for a birthday bash too. 
I can guarantee that this coconut flour smash cake from The Urban Poser will be delicious, but I cannot guarantee it will make your baby this cute.
This pink marshmallow frosting cake from Cheeseslave makes me smile. And better yet, it uses natural food coloring so you won't have hyper-crazed kids spinning and jumping around your party. She uses a combination of beans and coconut flour for this GAPS-friendly grain free birthday cake.
The Well Fed Homestead uses lots of veggies in her carrot pumpkin cake with marshmallow meringue topping which is both grain-free, dairy-free – and gorgeous!
And just in time for my own upcoming birthday, this surprise recipe landed in my inbox from my dear friend, Monica of Real Food Devotee. A versatile grain free birthday cake made from coconut and almond flours and topped with a crème fraîche or strained yogurt frosting that sponges into the cake. This beauty can go from homemade rustic to down right chic, depending on your execution:
Not into cake? Grain-free cheesecake swirl brownies from Food Renegade are made with almond butter, eggs, and coconut milk. She takes them anywhere that calls for a celebration, and I'm pretty sure these may be my new favorite thing.
How about these Vanilla poppy seed donuts with a vanilla bean, lemon glaze? Guess what… That white frosting is not make with powdered sugar. It's coconut butter and honey. Are you kidding me? Now if I could only bake.
And finally, check out this amazing fruit kabob ‘cake', also from the Well Fed Homestead! WOW! Who needs junky, processed flour and sugar when you can have this?!?
Up next… pizza, ice cream, and party favors that won't rot your teeth or upset your tummy!
How do you celebrate birthdays without the junk?
Um, don’t throw a party? Hee hee. I can get away with this for only so long, though… 🙂
JoAnne – Well, after the Star Wars fiasco, I swore I would never throw a big birthday party again. Poor Frankie.
Featuring recipes from The Urban Poser, The Well Fed Homestead, Mommypotamus, CHEESESLAVE, Food Renegade, Nourished Kitchen, Our Nourishing Roots.
I made a UN-cake w/ watermelon, blueberries, & cherries for my LO’s 1st birthday. Here’s the pic. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=459288544100438&set=a.202840149745280.58278.100000578885441&type=3&theater
I think this cake recipe should go here http://www.edibleharmony.com/grain-free-pound-cake/
we pick up whole foods bday cakes and hope for the best. were not a candy family anyway. 🙂
Coconut flour is my best friend! Love almond too, but coconut avoids issues with nut allergies.
I use spelt flour and whole wheat to make birthday cakes. I have to bake without eggs because my little one has egg allergy . No candy in goodie bag.I always make home made brownie or bars or cookies.
My two birthday stand-bys are chocolate-peanut butter banana cake topped with Elana’s Pantry Vegan chocolate frosting – everyone in the room loves it chilled! And/or a yogurt cheesecake topped with fruit-only berry jam. YUM! Thanks for all these ideas!
I thought that picture was Will for about a minute and then I thought that it was different that you put him in a pink tank top. Amazing. This was a super helpful one because I have a relentless sweet tooth. Bless yer wee heart!
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I cannot thank you enough for putting these up here. Im from the UK and i swear people don’t give a flying fig about health, trawling the internet for hours to find recipes like these. It’s my sons 1st birthday in december and I want to make a cake that he can enjoy aswell, no processed flour, no sugar (honey is natures sugar). I can’t comprehend why mums would want their young children buzzing from articfical additives and preservatives. I am going to try out ALL these suggestions and will have great fun trying them 🙂 Wish me Luck and Thank you sooooo much.
You’re welcome, Lauren! Let us know which ones were your favorites. 🙂
The second link you posted (carrot cake) pops up the same window and the cupcake link right before it. I am VERY interested in that recipe, it looks so good, but I can’t find it!
Here you go Megan: http://www.mommypotamus.com/healthy-ish-carrot-cake/ 🙂
A friend referred me to this website. Thank you for the resources.
I love cakes and always eat cake on special day and sometimes order cakes online which I get at my home with easy payment method.
I can’t thank you enough for this post. I was in search of a grain free, real food based smash cake for my son’s 1st birthday. all the “gluten free” bakers I contacted in the LA area used those mix n’ match gluten free cake flours that I no likey.
So, I took a risk and emailed Monica of Real Food Devotee to see if she could make this cake for my son. She did and it was the best!!!
I used too bbe abhle to find good advice fromm yokur content.