Birthday Cake Granola

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.

Festive birthday cake granola is quick and easy to make. The golden oat-and-nut clusters feature funfetti sprinkles and white chocolate drizzles. With a yummy cake batter scent and taste, it’s whimsical, fun and delicious! Enjoy it for breakfast or as a topping for desserts.

📌 Pin Birthday Cake Granola

Birthday cake granola in a bowl with 2 spoons next to funfetti sprinkles and a glass bottle of milk.

💚 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is my favorite granola mix. It’s so festive and happy. Every time I reach for it, it brings a smile to my face. Even my husband started requesting it over his usual vanilla almond granola. Here’s why you’ll love it too.

  • It’s a healthy recipe you can make at home with simple ingredients. You might have most of the items needed in your pantry right now.
  • Homemade birthday cake granola is money saving. Very cost effective compared to buying a small packet of granola at the market. Once you have all the ingredients on hand, you can make additional batches on a whim and it won’t cost you anything more.
  • This colorful granola is super festive and tastes amazing. During baking, you choose how crispy the mix becomes. The rainbow sprinkles give it a special celebratory look. The flavoring and extracts give it a true bakery aroma and birthday cake flavor.
  • The recipe is very versatile – you can switch things up. Try walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts instead of almonds. Use chocolate chips or any type of morsels instead of white chocolate. Here’s a great blog post for making a customized homemade granola mix.
  • It’s meant for everyday enjoyment, not just birthdays. Keep a jar of birthday cake granola on hand in the cupboard. Watch it disappear throughout the week. It’s so satisfying.
  • There are so many ways to enjoy it. Sprinkle it over yogurt, a smoothie bowl, or breakfast cereal. Enjoy it as a crunchy topping for desserts. Add a scoop to a zip-top sandwich bag for a healthy on-the-go snack.
Birthday cake granola in a dessert dish with yogurt. A lit birthday candle is on top.

🛒 Ingredients

  • Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Not quick oats. From personal experience, I’ve found that store brand oats are just as good as the name brands – such as Quaker Oats. So feel free to reach for the better priced item.
  • Almonds: I prefer sliced almonds for this recipe. But feel free to use slivered almonds instead.
  • Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
  • Butter: Adds a delicious rich taste to the birthday cake granola. And it pairs well with vanilla extract. I use salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted butter instead.
  • Pure Maple Syrup: Adds natural sweetness to the mixture. The taste pairs well with butter.
  • Honey: Adds delicious sweetness and stickiness to the mixture – which helps clump the granola together. If you don’t have honey on hand, use molasses instead. Or use more maple syrup.
  • Egg White (optional): It helps hold the mixture together so the granola can be snapped into clusters after baking. If you have an egg allergy, just omit it from the recipe. The flavor of the mix will not be affected.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds a traditional bakery taste and aroma.
  • Cake Batter Flavor Extract: Gives this birthday cake granola the perfect cake batter taste. At the market find this special flavoring next to all of the other extracts (e.g., vanilla extract, almond extract, etc.).
  • Rainbow Sprinkles: Jimmies add a colorful, festive vibe to birthday cake granola. Feel free to use your favorite sprinkle mix.
  • White Chocolate Baking Bar: I use the Ghirardelli brand. But feel free to use your favorite white chocolate bar. Or if preferred, substitute with mini or regular white chocolate chips, or even milk chocolate chips.
Ingredients for birthday cake granola recipe.

📖 Recipe Steps

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a medium or large baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter.

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl: melted butter, maple syrup, honey, egg whites, vanilla extract and cake batter flavoring. Mix well to combine. Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
  2. Spread mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even, tightly-packed layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Do not flip the granola. Bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or as desired. Keep a close eye on the granola as it can easily burn. Remove it from the oven.
  3. Let the granola cool completely, about 30 minutes. It will become crunchier as it cools. Break the granola into small or large clusters – any size you desire.
  4. Melt the white chocolate according to package directions. Drizzle it across the top of the granola clusters. Let the granola sit for 15 minutes, or until the chocolate hardens. Then transfer the birthday cake granola to zip-top kitchen bags or mason jars.
How to make birthday cake granola recipe in 4 easy steps.

🧑🏼‍🍳 RECIPE TIP: For a soft-textured mix that is also much lighter in color, bake the granola for a shorter amount of time. For a crisp dark-colored mix, bake until the granola reaches the desired color and texture.

Birthday cake granola in a dessert dish with yogurt with honey being drizzled down over the top.

👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQ

These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the BEST birthday cake granola, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

Can I use quick oats for making granola?

Old fashioned rolled oats are preferred as they have the perfect crisp texture. However, if you don’t mind granola with a softer texture, you can use quick oats instead. But avoid using instant oats as they absorb liquid like a sponge and cannot deliver a classic, crisp granola texture.

Where to find cake batter flavoring at the store?

At the market look for it where the extracts are shelved, like vanilla extract, almond extract, orange extract, etc. The extracts are usually right next to the spices. Cake batter flavoring is made by several brands including McCormick. Some even offer it in “super strength”.

How to make cake batter extract?

For 1 tablespoon cake batter flavoring, use 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon butter extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or lemon extract. Feel free to adjust the amounts to taste.

What are some classic granola mix-ins?

For texture: shredded coconut, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pepitas (pumpkin seeds). For sweetness: mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or dried fruit like golden raisins, cranberries and dried cherries – morsels and fruit should be mixed in after baking. Classic spices include ground cinnamon.

How to get granola to stick together in clusters?

Egg whites are the trick! The protein helps bind the mixture together. Add 1 to 2 egg whites to each batch of granola before baking. After the baked granola has cooled, you can easily snap it into clusters of various sizes. Egg whites also make the texture crunchier and chunkier.

How long will homemade granola last?

When placed in zip-top kitchen bags with the air pushed out, or mason jars with tight-fitting lids, homemade granola will stay fresh and crunchy up to 3 weeks when stored in a cool dark pantry.

Birthday cake granola with funfetti sprinkles and white chocolate drizzles.

🍽 More Healthy Recipes

If you love birthday cake granola, you’ll also enjoy these easy healthy recipes. Add them to your collection. Save them for later.

Birthday cake granola being scooped up from a bowl with a spoon.

Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated this the BEST birthday cake granola. They loved that it’s sweet and crunchy with funfetti mixed in. They adored the cake batter taste and the white chocolate drizzles. So much better than store-bought granola.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Birthday cake granola in a bowl with 2 spoons next to funfetti sprinkles and a glass bottle of milk.

Birthday Cake Granola


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 7 reviews

Save Recipe

Description

Crunchy birthday cake granola has a yummy cake batter taste and aroma. With funfetti sprinkles and white chocolate drizzles it’s super festive. A fun breakfast, snack or dessert topping.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds or slivered almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 large egg white (optional*), beaten until frothy
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract – yes tablespoon!
  • 1 tablespoon cake batter flavoring**
  • 5 tablespoons rainbow jimmies sprinkles
  • 1 (4-ounce) Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bar, melted

Instructions

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a medium or large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl: melted butter, maple syrup, honey, egg whites, vanilla extract and cake batter flavoring. Mix well to combine. Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
  2. Spread mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even, tightly-packed layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Do not flip the granola. Bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or as desired. Keep a close eye on the granola as it can easily burn. Remove the tray from the oven.
  3. Let the granola cool completely, about 30 minutes. It will become crunchier as it cools. Break the granola into small or large clusters – any size you desire.
  4. Melt the white chocolate according to package directions. Drizzle it across the top of the granola clusters. Let the granola sit for 15 minutes, or until the chocolate hardens.
  5. Transfer the birthday cake granola to zip-top kitchen bags or mason jars. Store them a cool dark pantry.

Notes

Best type of oats for granola: Old fashioned rolled oats are preferred as they have the perfect crisp texture. However, if you don’t mind granola with a softer texture, feel free to use quick oats instead. But avoid using instant oats as they absorb liquid like a sponge and cannot deliver that classic, crisp granola texture.

*Why the egg white? The protein in the egg white helps bind the mixture together. It helps produce large, gorgeous granola clusters. But it’s completely optional. If using, add 1 to 2 egg whites to each batch of granola before baking. After the baked granola has cooled, you can easily snap it into clusters. Egg whites also contribute to a crunchier, chunkier texture.

**Where to find cake batter flavoring at the market: Look for it where the extracts are shelved, like vanilla extract, almond extract, etc. It’s usually right next to the spices. Cake batter flavoring is made by several brands including McCormick. Some even offer it in “super strength”.

How to make your own cake batter extract: For 1 tablespoon cake batter flavoring, use 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon butter extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or lemon extract. Feel free to adjust the amounts to taste.

  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com

Birthday Cake Granola 👉🏻 Join the Convo

Have you ever made homemade granola? Are you excited to try this fun recipe? How will you enjoy yours – as a topping or a snack? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.