These Birthday Cookies are soft, chewy and perfect for spring or any time you’re craving a healthy sugar cookie. Loaded with birthday cake flavor and easy to make with almond flour, coconut flour, maple syrup with dairy-free icing and rainbow sprinkles. Refined sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, grain-free with paleo and keto option.
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Healthy Birthday Cake Cookie recipe
Looking for a healthy and delicious soft sugar cookie recipe? These Birthday Cake Cookies are easy to make without grains or any refined sugar and are sure to be a hit for any occasion!
They bake up soft, chewy and come together in just one bowl. Made with almond flour, coconut flour and naturally sweetened with maple sugar and maple syrup. The best part is that there is NO mixer and NO chilling required! Plus, they’re also gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, dairy-free and can easily be made paleo, low carb or keto with homemade sprinkles.
Ingredients you need
These deliciously soft, grain free & gluten free birthday cake cookies use a few pantry staples and some optional sprinkles. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
Wet Ingredients:
- Refined coconut oil: replaces regular butter in this gluten free cookie recipe. You want the texture to be soft, like butter and NOT melted. It gives the vegan cookies a subtle hint of coconut flavor but if you’re not a fan of coconut at all, be sure to use refined coconut oil which has a neutral scent and flavor. If you prefer not to use coconut oil at all, you can try vegan butter, but I have not tested it out with that so can’t ensure the results.
- Vanilla extract and pure almond extract: makes the cookies delicious and brings out the flavors from all the other ingredients. The almond extract is essential to make these healthy funfetti cookies true birthday cake flavor.
Paleo Sweeteners:
- Pure maple syrup: a natural liquid sweetener that is vegan-friendly and adds a subtle sweetness. If you don’t have it, you can try agave syrup, coconut nectar syrup, brown rice syrup or Lakanto Sugar-Free syrup.
- Granulated Maple Sugar: a lower glycemic sweetener that is similar to the taste of granulated sugar. If you don’t have it, feel free to use coconut sugar (the color will be much darker) or granulated monk fruit sweetener for a low carb no sugar sweetener.
Dry Ingredients:
- Almond Flour: Be sure to use superfine blanched almond flour and not almond meal. Almond flour is the main nut flour providing most of the bulk. Measure properly using the spoon and level method.
- Coconut Flour: just two tablespoons is all you’ll need and is imperative to hold the cookies together and gives them that perfect soft and chewy texture with crispy edges
- GF Baking Powder leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and give them structure
- Sprinkles: because they’re birthday cake cookies but feel free to leave out if you prefer. You can make your own all natural sprinkles or we like these sugar-free sprinkles.
For the “Icing”
- Coconut butter (also known as coconut manna): you want it melted and cooled to the consistency of drippy nut butter. Alternatively, you can also use powdered maple sugar or your preferred powdered sweetener and whisk it together with some unsweetened almond milk until it’s smooth like nut butter.
How to make Birthday Cake Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine sugar and wet ingredients: Start off by creaming together the softened coconut oil and maple sugar with a fork. You can also use a hand mixer if you like. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix in dry ingredients: Stir in the baking powder, almond flour, coconut flour and cinnamon and mix until the dough is combined.
- Add sprinkles: Fold in sprinkles, if using.
- Shape dough: Use a small cookie scoop or measure out 1.5 Tablespoon-sized balls onto the baking sheet.
- Flatten cookies: Gently flatten the dough with your palm or the bottom of a small glass.
- Bake for about 11-13 minutes OR until slightly golden. DO NOT overbake.
- Cool: Allow to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Make the “icing”: Melt the coconut butter and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with more sprinkles, if desired.
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Tips for success:
- SOFTENED COCONUT OIL – be sure not to use melted coconut oil otherwise your cookies will fall flat. You want it softened to room temperature (like butter) and
- USE THE CORRECT COMBINATION OF SWEETENERS – maple syrup and coconut sugar mimic the taste and texture of brown sugar. This combination is what gives the cookies that soft and chewy texture.
- USE THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF FLOURS – Superfine blanched almond flour and coconut flour are what give these vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookies their soft and fluffy texture. Do not sub with almond meal or shredded coconut since those are both much coarser and will cause your cookies to crumble.
- DO NOT OVERBAKE – Be sure to watch your cookies carefully and remove promptly from the oven once you see the edges start to turn a golden brown. The time will vary according to your oven and remember that the low carb birthday cake cookies will continue to cook when removed from the oven.
- ALLOW THE COOKIES TO COOL – if you want the best vegan funfetti cookies, be sure to let them set up properly. Don’t try to grab them right away when you remove them from the oven. Give them at least 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Are sprinkles healthy?
Sprinkles are typically not paleo-friendly or keto-friendly but you can make your own all natural sprinkles using shredded coconut and homemade food coloring.
A few other sprinkle options you can check out:
Sugar-free sprinkles
Plant-based / Vegan sprinkles
- Color Kitchen Foods Rainbow Sprinkles
- Let’s Do Organic Confetti Sprinkles
- Watkins Rainbow Decorating Sprinkles
Storage and freezer instructions
The great thing about making healthy birthday cake cookies is that you can always make a double batch since they are perfect for making ahead and they’re freezer friendly!
How to store:
Store leftover paleo funfetti cookies in a covered container or a clear zip-lock bag to enjoy throughout the week. Then when you’re craving a warm and gooey cookie, just pop one in the microwave for about 7 seconds and they’re the perfect texture.
How to freeze:
To freeze your vegan sprinkles cookies, place the entire baking sheet of baked funfetti cookies in the freezer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer frozen cookies to a resealable bag or an airtight container. Store frozen cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More vegan cookie recipes and desserts you’ll love:
These Birthday Cookies are soft, chewy and perfect for Easter, spring or any time you’re craving a healthy sugar cookie. They're easy to make with almond flour, coconut flour and topped with a melted coconut butter drizzle and rainbow sprinkles and loaded with delicious birthday cake flavors. Refined sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan, grain-free with paleo and keto option.
- 1/3 cup softened coconut oil , you want it soft like butter (use refined if you don't want any coconut flavor - can also try subbing with vegan butter)
- 1/3 cup granulated maple sugar , you can also sub with coconut sugar (the color will be much darker though) or Lakanto monk fruit sweetener for low carb / keto
- 1/3 cup maple syrup , or sub with 3 Tbsp Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 tsp GF baking powder
- 1 1/3 cups superfine almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles , optional but makes them resemble "birthday cake" more. Here are some options: Sugar-free sprinkles: Good-Dees Sprinkles Plant-based / Vegan sprinkles: Color Kitchen Foods Rainbow SprinklesLet's Do Organic Confetti SprinklesWatkins Rainbow Decorating Sprinkles
- 1/4 cup coconut butter , melted
- 1/3 tsp maple syrup , or sub with Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp powdered maple sugar OR preferred powdered sweetener
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk , plus more as needed to reach desired consistency
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- sprinkles , optional but makes them resemble "birthday cake" more
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix coconut oil and coconut sugar using a fork until combined. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
Add baking powder, almond flour, coconut flour and cinnamon until dough is combined. Fold in sprinkles.
Roll into nine 1.5 Tbsp sized dough balls and place on lined baking sheet. Press down each ball to form a disk.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-13 minutes. Do not overbake. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool completely. The cookies will crisp & firm up once cool.
Whisk together the ingredients for the desired icing. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with more sprinkles, if desired.
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